Project Update - July 27, 2022

Engagement results

After reviewing over 180 comments and tallying the votes provided through our recent engagement, four major themes emerged:

1. Sailing times that protect critical sailings (e.g. morning school runs) and allow for enough time in Comox before returning
2. Desire to restart the pilot as soon as possible
3. Wednesday and Saturday as the desired days of the week for direct service
4. Desire to implement the schedule presented by the FAC

In addition to the comments received at the engagement session, we have also received feedback via the results of the Ferry Advisory Committee survey that indicates a preference for:

• Direct service between Texada and Comox
• Round trip fare paid in Comox
• Use of Wednesday sailings for medical appointments
• Use of Saturday sailings for recreational purposes
• Wednesday sailings if only one day is offered in the off-peak season

We thank everyone for the input provided. We will use this feedback to shape schedules and the structure of the pilot moving forward. We continue to work on the full engagement summary report and will share it on this page once completed.

Next steps

1. Establish a BC Ferries – FAC Working Group: We are reviewing the FAC proposed schedule to assess feasibility, incremental cost, and logistics of implementation. A working group will be immediately established between BC Ferries and FAC representatives to review this assessment and establish an acceptable pilot structure and schedule.
2. Work with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI): A direct Texada-Comox service establishes a new route in the BC Ferries system, and changes the amount of service provided between Texada and Powell River, something the original 2020 pilot did not do. These changes need to be approved by MOTI.
3. Work with the community to implement the pilot: Once the fundamentals of the pilot are in place, we will work with the FAC and the community to determine a launch date and engagement activities to evaluate the success of the trial etc.

Recognizing community efforts

We would like to thank the North Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee representatives Doug Nikirk and Warren Kiland for their diligent work in gathering community input and being advocates for this pilot service. We would also like to thank those who took the time to attend the community session on July 12. In addition to the feedback noted above, we heard clearly from you about the importance of enhancing our communication and engagement processes to ensure expectations, objectives, and constraints are clear, decision making is transparent, and action is timely.

We commit to working with the Ferry Advisory Committee to establish an acceptable option for the pilot in a timely manner, and engaging with the community as we move towards implementation.