Reactivate the Coastal Council

“Coastal Council becomes first casualty of new BC Ferry Services Inc.”
”Advocacy and workers unwelcome in new company view”
-Jim Abram, Coastal Council Member Quadra Island

Mark Stephanson, V.P. Corporate Communications stated, “that input from its customers would be welcomed when asked for.”                                                    – April 2003, the Last Coastal Council Meeting
                                         

Coastal Council becomes first casualty of new BC Ferry Services Inc.
Advocacy and workers unwelcome in new company view


April 29, 2003 (press release by Jim Abram, Coastal Council Member Quadra Island)


Nanaimo:  The BC government’s newly contracted out company, BC Ferry Services Inc., abruptly ended their meeting with representatives from the Coastal Council last Friday after telling the Council that they no longer will abide by the agreed to terms of reference that were established under the management of the BC Ferry Corporation.

They are unwilling to host meetings with the users of their services because of the provisions in the terms of reference that allow for advocacy to government and involvement of groups such as the union, tourism organizations and chambers of commerce. Mark Stephanson, V.P. Corporate Communications, stated, “they were uncomfortable with those terms”. Stephanson continued by stating that input from its customers would be welcomed when asked for.

“What appeared to be a very amicable meeting on the first day suddenly turned into a shocking display of “positioning” that does not in anyway make us as customers feel that our concerns are going to be listened to by the new entity under this new contractual agreement”, stated Steve Wohlleben, Chairman of the Coastal Council and a resident of Gabriola Island. “We have worked side by side with some of these very same people over the years under these terms and have effectively solved many of the problems that the Corporation was facing. Now we are being told that our input is not welcome. The public consultation process that has been in place for the past 6 years has been extremely beneficial to all parties including the Corporation, the Government and the communities served by BC Ferries.”

Minister Reid recently responded to concerns raised by the Municipality of Bowen Island by stating, “I can assure you that the present stakeholder process will also be continued.”
It doesn’t appear that B.C. Ferry Services Inc. has the same respect for the stakeholder process.

Ian Ralston of Thetis Island, and a member of the coordinating committee, was also stunned by the statements of Mark Stephanson . “We spent many hours during the first day laying out the issues that would be looked at in the coming months and clarified our role as a Council under the new structure. We have always worked on a consensus basis and there was an incredible amount of good will in the room at the end of the day. It was shocking to see the change in attitude on the next day. It leaves us wondering what happened in those intervening hours.”

The Coastal Council was formed out of the West Coast Ferry Users Group that rose up in November 1997 in reaction to the 45% increases in ferry fares imposed by the Minister of the day. The massive protests and demonstrations forced the government to commission a report, written by John Fryer. The fares were rolled back on some fares and the Council was formed so as to provide advice to government and the corporation to insure that similar events would not reoccur.

 

The following is taken from the Terms of Reference For the Coastal Council.

To view the entire document, click here.

(The Coastal Council was de-activated at the first meeting with the new BC Ferry Services Inc.)

Section 2: Terms of Reference

2.1 Mission Statement:


The basic objective of the Coastal Council (CC) is to address the major
issues affecting ferry users. The Coastal Council shall make specific
written recommendations on policy matters relating to tariffs, service
and the appropriate level of Provincial financial support. All Council
reports shall be public documents

2.2 - Mandate


The Coastal Council (CC) is formed independent of BCFC to:


2.2.1 raise and pursue issues pertaining to inter-island, northern and mainland
ferry services;


2.2.2 make recommendations on how the BC Ferry Corporation (BCFC)
should respond to major and interdependent issues, in the form of
original written reports to the Board of Directors and the President with
a copy to the Minister responsible for the Corporation;


2.2.3 make recommendations on Government policies affecting BC Ferries,
in the form of original written reports to the Minister responsible for
the Corporation, with a copy to the Board of Directors and President;


2.2.4 provide information and encourage effective communication between
stakeholder representatives and their organizations and/or communities;


2.2.5 provide effective communication between the Coastal Council, the
Board of Directors and the Corporation.

 

To view the entire document, click here.