(This letter was sent to MLA Nicholas Simons and Transportation Minister Todd Stone)
Mr. Simons and Mr. Stone:
As someone who lives on the Sunshine Coast but still has family, friends and personal business on the North Shore and in Vancouver, I would like to make the case for hourly sailings between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay. Smaller vessels with hourly sailings would benefit everyone. Bowen Island, population of just over 3,000 people, has hourly sailings and yet the Sunshine Coast with a population of almost 30,000 people has sailings only every two hours on the regular schedule. The more frequent (hourly) sailings have greatly increased the on-time performance of the ferry service on this route and have made the trip a more pleasurable and comfortable experience.
Fares have gone up significantly in the last five years, far beyond the rate of inflation and far beyond any increase incurred by drivers on the rest of the B.C. highway system. Seniors’ discounts have been cut in half in this same time period. We do not have an alternative way to connect to the rest of the Lower Mainland.
Mr. Simons, please stand up for your constituents on the Sunshine Coast in this matter. Mr. Stone, please consider that to those of us who live on the Sunshine Coast, the ferries are an integral part of the B.C. highway system and we need and deserve a reliable and timely connection to the Lower Mainland.
Karen Harrop, Sechelt
