Final report - Integrated Land Management Bureau

Transportation Assessment of the Central & North Coast of BC
the Route 40 service level and the new vessels have been addressed. 33 To date
there is one potential alternative service provider, but it is not yet known whether
this entity will assume control of the Northern Routes, or what the long term plan
is going to be regarding service levels.
CENTRAL COAST
Between early June and mid September, the Queen of Chilliwack ferry travels to
and from the Central Coast on the Discovery Coast Passage (Route 40) three days
per week in each direction. The service, which is part of a unique “circle tour”,
extends from Port Hardy to Bella Coola, making several stops per week in
Shearwater, Ocean Falls, McLoughlin Bay (near Bella Bella), and Klemtu.
Depending on the day of the week that they travel, passengers can sail from Port
Hardy to Bella Coola in 11 hours if they select the direct route, or longer if they
choose a route that stops at all the smaller communities first. The ferry stops at
the smaller islands for one to three hours’ duration. The Queen of Chilliwack has
the capacity for 115 cars, and 400 crew and passengers.
During the summer months of fiscal year 2007/08, 4,181 passengers travelled to
the Mid Coast from Port Hardy on Route 40, with a slightly larger number of
passengers (4,730) travelling from the Mid Coast to Port Hardy, and a small volume
of passengers travelling between the communities of the Mid Coast (904). The
annual number of passengers traveling on Route 40 grew by 6.8 percent between
fiscal year 2002/03 and fiscal year 2007/08. 34
During the fall, winter and spring months, the communities of the Central Coast
have been served for many years by the Queen of Prince Rupert as part of the
Inland Passage Route 10 between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. When Route 40
stops after the summer season, Route 10 is the only scheduled ferry connection
between Vancouver Island, Prince Rupert and several communities on the Central
Coast. The schedule for the winter of 2008/2009 indicates that the ferry stops at
Shearwater, Ocean Falls and Klemtu approximately twice per month in each
direction, while Bella Bella has ferry service about six times per month. 35
In 2006, BC Ferries implemented a feeder service to supplement its core service in
the wake of the MV Queen of the North sinking. The MV Nimpkish provided
scheduled service between Bella Coola, Bella Bella, Klemtu and Shearwater, with
stops at Ocean Falls as required. This did not prove to be cost-effective, and the
MV Nimpkish route was subsequently cancelled.
33
Ibid.
34
Source: BC Ferry Services Inc. Nov. 2008
35
While there is no scheduled service at all to or from Bella Coola, BC Ferry 2007/08 traffic statistics show
occasional stops.
Chisholm Consulting 23