www.BCclassified.com - ‘Judy Reine Reimche Peninsula News Review The citizens coalition pressing to retain the Brent: wood-Mill Bay ferry.route sat down yesterday with BC Ferries chair Michael Francis and president Bob Ling. ~ wood to discuss the future of the small-ferry. . _ The coalition has been asking for a face-to- ‘face meet. a ing to discuss ways to keep the ferry in operation and : . to show a united: community front to the corporation. “There. had been: discussions about allowing. such: a’. “meeting: in: late August,. and then last week Joy: MacPhail, Minister of Labor and minister in. charge of BCF erries announced’ it would happen July. 24 lt ee not anticipated that: t MacPhail Me attend the It was a sad demonstration of BC Ferries all along,” she said "Thursday. She said it also. shone a spotlight on a broader. issue - the need for BC. Fer ries and other. Crown corpora- “tions to start listening | to the people who pay for and use = > their services.” oo “The tragic loss of life, ‘and the cutting off of commu- ; nities from one another that resulted, underscores how = fragile.a link the highway can be,” ‘said Murray Coell, ~MLA for Saanich-and the Islands. “The: accident shut ‘down the highway and it put tremendous pressure on. . ~ the Brentwood ferry and the Saltspring ferries. And 7 aa right at the height of tourist season.’ He said it also showed some emergency planning: : problems. “They hadn't taken into. consideration a clo- | « gure of that magnitude,” he said. “If that had been a rock “glide or a major earthquake, it could be a week {that the “road is closed] rather than a day. We forget how depen- -.dent we are on that road for the transportation of food, medical services, oil and gas andsoon.” Betty Nicholson, spokesperson for BC Ferries s said _“yes, we would take into account the work the Mill Bay. ferry did that day.” But she pointed oul the Swartz Bay- Fulford Harbor route and the Vesuvius: oto ferry also played a major role. The Swartz Bay-Fulford Harbor fer ry carr ried 1,511 “vehicles and 30,054 passengers on July 18, and the Vesu- vius-Crofton ferry took 1,054 vehicles and 2,028 pas. -gengers. The Mill Bay- Brentwood Bay ferry carried 403 “vehicles and 1,383 passengers, Nicholson said, TT he Swartz Bay-F ulford Harbor ferry. has a M10. vehi- | Vaal ical Napa «oi A al A DO “vidership, “They “Allan Curran (lett) and Owen Kassinen get some fat hang time at the Sidney - Skatepark ona hot summer afternoon, They were joined by a. ‘strong contingent of skateboarders of all ages at the park who were looking for fun, action — and a: chance to make their own cool breezes. Both Curran and. Kassinin are soon-to-be © : employees of a new: business enterprise, Da Joint Skateboard Shop, which is” planned to open later this summer. For now, they'll take the heat, sunny skies and hanging out with friends. ‘cle capacity and the Vesuvius-Crofton. ferry has a 70-vehicle capacity — and the Corpo- ration added ‘the. 70-passenger Bowen Queen to the Fulford Harbor route, The ~ Mill Bay-Br entwood Bay ferry has a 16-car_ capacily. . -Coell said. that BC Ferries should take advantage of the “solid community sup- port” for the ferries, and should work with the community group.to find innovative ways to better market the ferry to increase could give: il a six-month shige Bata tea UE peta : period, and. work together — use the ores ativity and commitment of the grassroots supporters,” he said. Nicholson said she believes those op- tions. would be on the table on Tuesday. She anticipates the final report leading to a decision on the route could be written and ready by the end ofJuly “T think the group will be successful, " said an optimistic Coell. “I know the gov- : ernment would: like to finda way to. keep. “the. route open: for OO yey ae JULY 26, 2000 50 CENTS nan ined