[andyt]

Hell Quadra Islanders should be happy that Quadra doesn't become another yuppie suburb the way the Sunshine coast was going. What a change there from a nice laid back hippie dippie place to SUV's racing around anywhere. I understand that property values have dropped quite a bit there with the reduction in number of sailings and increase in fares. Have to go back to take a look, see if it's calmed down any.

[herbie]

Probably full of small town minds like here. They HAVE TO go to the closest Costco to "save" 3c a pound on bananas. Even if they spend half a day driving and $75 on gas....

[martin14]

Hyack Hyack:

http://www.bcferries.com/files/fares/pdf_format/BCF_Fares_Effective_2014-04-01.pdf

Scroll down and weep, $53.25 for a private vehicle, not even including the driver. I don't know how they got the $220 rate, it should be $69.50 for a passenger vehicle and driver. If they are on one of the gulf islands, that's another trip which could bring the fare up to the $220 mentioned.

A 3.4% Fuel Surcharge will be applied at time of payment to the Net Fares listed above except on the BC RESIDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM & the Bicycle/Stowage fares.

Thanks, still stupidly expensive though.

$1:

I remember when it was $5 - $6 for walk on

So do I, and it wasn't that long ago.

[Zipperfish]

SOunds like a bridge might be the cheaper option for some of the Gulf Islands.

[andyt]

What a shame tho. These nice little backwaters becoming bedroom communities.

[BartSimpson]

If BC Ferries raises the fare enough then the voters will pass the enabling legislation to build a bridge. It's way overdue to build a bridge and there are some technologically feasible routes like north of Van or a US-Canada route hopscotching across the islands from Anacortes to Saanichton.

[andyt]

If there's a US Canada route, I hope we have the good sense to keep the ferries for those of us who don't want to be sullied by passing thru the US. Especially when it all goes south down south.

[Thanos]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

SOunds like a bridge might be the cheaper option for some of the Gulf Islands.

You'd think that a couple of bridges to the main island would have been a no-brainer a long time ago; it actually should have happened ages ago the first time the ferry workers went on strike and left people stranded on both sides of the strait. I'd also suggest that some kind of a causeway connecting the smaller islands too. Doubtful any of it would ever happen. No offense to BC or anything but everything out there seems to turn into a bloodfight the second the planning for it gets announced. With that kind of hostile attitude to just about every change (no matter how beneficial it would be) I doubt that a BC equivalent of the Confederation Bridge to PEI could get built out there, much less a causeway along the lines of the Florida Keys. Anyone out there with any sort of can-do thinking or optimism these kinds of projects require seems to get drowned out almost immediately by the no-change-ever crowd.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

If there's a US Canada route, I hope we have the good sense to keep the ferries for those of us who don't want to be sullied by passing thru the US. Especially when it all goes south down south.

If all goes south then the bridge would make it easier for you folks to re-annex Washington, don't you think? What the hell, it used to be British territory once upon a time.

[andyt]

Thanos Thanos:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

SOunds like a bridge might be the cheaper option for some of the Gulf Islands.

You'd think that a couple of bridges to the main island would have been a no-brainer a long time ago; it actually should have happened ages ago the first time the ferry workers went on strike and left people stranded on both sides of the strait. I'd also suggest that some kind of a causeway connecting the smaller islands too. Doubtful any of it would ever happen. No offense to BC or anything but everything out there seems to turn into a bloodfight the second the planning for it gets announced. With that kind of hostile attitude to just about every change (no matter how beneficial it would be) I doubt that a BC equivalent of the Confederation Bridge to PEI could get built out there, much less a causeway along the lines of the Florida Keys. Anyone out there with any sort of can-do thinking or optimism these kinds of projects require seems to get drowned out almost immediately by the no-change-ever crowd.

Well, it would certainly require extensive consultations with First Nations now. As will anything we try to do from now on.

[BartSimpson]

Thanos Thanos:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

SOunds like a bridge might be the cheaper option for some of the Gulf Islands.

You'd think that a couple of bridges to the main island would have been a no-brainer a long time ago; it actually should have happened ages ago the first time the ferry workers went on strike and left people stranded on both sides of the strait. I'd also suggest that some kind of a causeway connecting the smaller islands too. Doubtful any of it would ever happen. No offense to BC or anything but everything out there seems to turn into a bloodfight the second the planning for it gets announced. With that kind of hostile attitude to just about every change (no matter how beneficial it would be) I doubt that a BC equivalent of the Confederation Bridge to PEI could get built out there, much less a causeway along the lines of the Florida Keys. Anyone out there with any sort of can-do thinking or optimism these kinds of projects require seems to get drowned out almost immediately by the no-change-ever crowd.

Sad that this is the case. But yeah.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

Well, it would certainly require extensive consultations with First Nations now. As will anything we try to do from now on.

I never thought the FN could make me reconsider the wisdom of the residential schools...yet here we are and I'm wondering if they were all so wrong.

[andyt]

Yes. Because they were abusive, and because they didn't work. And because you don't just shove another culture down kids' throats, then send them back to the decaying remnants of the old culture. If white Canada had been serious about integrating natives (as I would like to see), they would have eliminated reserves and helped, seriously helped, natives assume a 'white' lifestyle. We're still not ready to do that, because it would take serious money, and what have those lazy, shiftless, (understood to be sarcasm, right?) Indians done to deserve that money? (

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

...and what have those lazy, shiftless, Indians done to deserve that money? (

You forgot to add drunk and corrupt.