Editor:
The Minister of Transportation added insult to injury in his comments in the B.C. Legislature about B.C. Ferries’ northern routes.
Not only did he get the name of one of B.C. Ferries’ flagship vessels wrong, he described his trip aboard a ferry that is a lifeline for many small coastal communities as survivable escapade.
Minister Todd Stone called the Northern Adventure the Northern Discovery. He went on to say: “To those who criticize the decisions that were made and those who say that the Nimpkish will not work and that the Nimpkish will not enable this to be a good tourism product, if my wife and I can take three little girls on this ferry and enjoy the journey and survive, anybody can.”
The minister’s statements are incredible and an insult to the many people who rely on the service. He shows time and again that he simply has no understanding of his file. He clearly didn’t notice that people with disabilities cannot access the lounge on the vessel.
He still refuses to admit to the adverse economic impact his government’s decisions about the ferries system is having on the economies of the Central and North Coast. This is an infrastructure disaster and people who are living it are certainly not “[enjoying] the journey”.
Minister Stone made his comments in his response to the Throne Speech.
Claire Trevena, MLA, NDP Ferries Critic