Agreed. Unfortunately there is a negative correlation happening. As ridership decreases the prices are increased thereby making the ferry service even less of a viable option. I stopped using the ferry service years ago when I was priced out of the market. It is cheaper to fly to Vancouver. Air miles! 
[quote=âbthedogâ]
Do I support the cuts? I donât support them because I view the ferry service as an extension of the highway system, which is subsidized across the province.[/quote]
I am glad we allow our premier to change her mind. She wouldnât look good on a weather vane.
[quote=âhitestâ]
Agreed. Unfortunately there is a negative correlation happening. As ridership decreases the prices are increased thereby making the ferry service even less of a viable option. I stopped using the ferry service years ago when I was priced out of the market. It is cheaper to fly to Vancouver. Air miles! [/quote]
Itâs cheaper to fly out of terrace than take the ferry⌠regardless of airmiles. last time I checked it was around a grand to take your car on the ferry with a single passenger⌠one way.
thenorthernview.com/news/249 ⌠obile=true
Hope that link works.
I have NEVER before heard an MLA or MP link 2 unrelated issues so explicitly. We all suspect that it happens, but I have never see it admitted.
For the Liberals to blatantly admit that cuts to BC Ferries funding is a result of Jenifer Riceâs lack of support for a single project (the development of an LNG export terminal and pipeline) is despicable, disgusting, disappointing and just plain immoral.
If you donât care about Ferries, or think that coastal communities deserve it, just wait 'til they come after you.
[quote=âcranky1â]http://www.thenorthernview.com/news/249843301.html?mobile=true
Hope that link works.
I have NEVER before heard an MLA or MP link 2 unrelated issues so explicitly. We all suspect that it happens, but I have never see it admitted.
For the Liberals to blatantly admit that cuts to BC Ferries funding is a result of Jenifer Riceâs lack of support for a single project (the development of an LNG export terminal and pipeline) is despicable, disgusting, disappointing and just plain immoral.
If you donât care about Ferries, or think that coastal communities deserve it, just wait 'til they come after you.[/quote]
Well I donât think it was as blatant as you are reading it to be but he was certainly hinting more support for the region and ferries would be there if the ndp were more on board with the liberal agenda. That said he seems to be saying if you are worried about the economy maybe you should allow some development. A sentiment I find rather hard to disagree with.
I still find his words to be despicable but he did leave himself an âoutâ to claim he was not dangling a carrot of better subsidies for ferries in trade for votes/support.
What about it isnât blatant? She would be wise to take another look (ie. change her position) at LNG because it would go a long way to support Ferries.
You learn that in bully school. You would be wise to give me your lunch money (vote, supportâŚ) because then I might stop punching you in the face (demolishing every social institution you care about).
Itâs not the position any MLA takes on any issue that I am quarrelling with. It is bullies that are the problem.
You donât reward bullies by caving to them, or egging them on. You stand up to them, call them out and wait for them to go after easier prey, or give up altogether.
(In this example the provincial Liberals are the bullies.)
I am not sure if Stone was doing anything more than the typical BS, one upmanship that occurs far too often in Question Period. Rather than answer the question with whatever reasons the minister has for making a decision, he diverts.
Q: What are you doing about tourism?
A. What are you doing about LNG?
Question Period exists so the opposition can ask questions and get answers, not the other way around.
But when you have all the power, you can do whatever you want.
[quote=âjesusâ]
Itâs cheaper to fly out of terrace than take the ferry⌠regardless of airmiles. last time I checked it was around a grand to take your car on the ferry with a single passenger⌠one way.[/quote]
Outrageous.
[quote=âhitestâ]
[quote=âjesusâ]
Itâs cheaper to fly out of terrace than take the ferry⌠regardless of airmiles. last time I checked it was around a grand to take your car on the ferry with a single passenger⌠one way.[/quote]
Outrageous.[/quote]
To be fair, it would be a lot more expensive to fly if you put your car on the plane.
I may be going south next month and want to be in both Vancouver and Victoria so Iâve done some research.
Around a grand for two people and a vehicle is accurate. $194.75/adult + $444.50/vehicle = $834 all taxes included. But that is during the peak May 1 - Sept. 30 period.
For my wife and I to go next month, it would be 140.50 x2 + 324.75 = $605.75. But that only gets us to Port Hardy. So letâs say $650/one way to Victoria or $1300 return.
Hawkairâs value fare to Vancouver for the middle of next month is $273.14 with a return fare of $278.39 or $551.53 x 2 people = $1103.06. But I am in Vancouver without a car. I recently rented a car in Victoria and it cost $233 for the week so my grand total is now $1336.06
If we walked on the ferry and rented a car in Port Hardy we could save $100, but we might also want to take a berth that will cost $90 each way. Anyway, as long as I have done the math correctly, it looks like flying and sailing will cost about the same. The difference mainly being the speed of the plane vs the relaxation and scenery of the ferry. Personal choice.
And remember too that the more kids you have the cheaper the ferry becomes. Kids under twelve are half price; kids under five are free.
For some reason, I canât get all worked up about ferry cutbacks and fare increases. On a personal level, I may have to make a decision once a year and then I can decide based on what I want to do and how much I can afford. That is probably true for most of us. But I do sympathize with any businesses that are negatively impacted by the governmentâs decision and those people who live in areas that rely on the ferries more regularly.
[quote=âDWhiteâ]
For some reason, I canât get all worked up about ferry cutbacks and fare increases. On a personal level, I may have to make a decision once a year and then I can decide based on what I want to do and how much I can afford. That is probably true for most of us. But I do sympathize with any businesses that are negatively impacted by the governmentâs decision and those people who live in areas that rely on the ferries more regularly.[/quote]
Fair enough. The fare increases are not a big deal for businesses and people who can afford to pay the toll. I personally find the toll excessive.
Why would you ever pay that much to be stuck on a ferry for 7 hours?
I would fly over and rent a carâŚit would be cheaper and take way less travel time.
[quote=âbthedogâ]Why would you ever pay that much to be stuck on a ferry for 7 hours?
I would fly over and rent a carâŚit would be cheaper and take way less travel time.[/quote]
16 hoursâŚPersonally Iâll fly or drive. If I take my car gas is about 250.00 each way or about 450.00 in my truck. The ferry takes almost as long as the drive and is way more expensive. Ridership is down because frankly the pricing is out of touch with reality and the services just arent there.
Want to catch a bus to one of the bigger centers from port hardy and rent a car there? good luck with that if the ferry is late. Want to have someone pick you up in port hardy? well I hope they like it there because they are going to be there for a while if the ferry is late.
If youâre looking for a âcruiseâ while you travel to the island the ferry is for you. If youâre looking to get to the island/lml it certainly isnt a very expedient or cost effective means.
I will admit my price was wrong before. That was the over height price for a vehicle. The regular rate one way for a single person and a vehicle is
639.25. A family of four with two children over 5 would be a grand total of 1029.00 each way plus food, plus cabin rental, plus the 3.00 water. Certainly not feasible when it takes just as long as the drive. 1200.00 savings goes a long way to a better vacation.
Just to follow up. Before, we were talking about taking the ferry vs flying. Now we are talking about taking the ferry vs driving.
When my wifeâs parents lived in Quesnel and my parents lived in Vancouver, we never took the ferry down to Port Hardy. Quesnel was the perfect halfway point to Vancouver and if we wanted to go to Victoria, it was cheaper and faster to use Tswassens/Schwartz Bay.
Without parents living in either city and with two kids now living in Victoria, we look at the Port Hardy route as an alternative.
Next month we would like to see our kids in Victoria and visit Quesnel so I did a quick cost analysis (not by any means accurate) to determine how much more it would cost to take the ferry down and then drive back through Quesnel compared to driving through Quesnel both directions.
In April (the price goes up in May) it will cost us 700.75 to get to Port Hardy and that includes a berth. The trip takes 22 hours. According to google maps, we have a 6 hour, 500km drive from Port Hardy to Victoria. We would arrive in Victoria about supper time the day after leaving Rupert.
According to google maps the trip from Prince Rupert to Vancouver is an 18 hour 1500km drive. We would have to pay about $100 for a hotel and pay about $80 to use the Tsawassen ferry. Depending on when we left Quesnel and how well we timed hitting the ferry terminal, we would get into Victoria sometime after supper the day after leaving Rupert.
So it is $700 vs $180 before we calculate the cost of driving. There will be some wear and tear on the tires and some percentage of an oil change, but the most expense will be gas. I have no clue what my highway mileage will be so I will use the $250-450 that Jesus suggested as a one way total. If you include a bit of wear and tear, that means the cost of driving might be an extra $300 or so added to the $180 means the cost of driving one way is $500.
Remembering that I have to add the cost of driving from Port Hardy, a trip to Victoria by ferry is about $800 which means I would be paying about $300 for the convenience of not driving 1000k and enjoying different scenery. Personal choice based on personal budget. And to be fair to the ferry, if I werenât going to Quesnel and were just driving straight to Victoria, I might decide on three days and two hotels as I find long distance driving more difficult now.
But I donât think this discussion of ferry rates applies so much to people in Rupert. If you have family anywhere up island (and you have no reason to go to Victoria) then the ferry route is probably slightly more expensive but well worth it to save 2-3 days driving (unless you really like driving). If you have no interest in going to Vancouver Island at all, then taking the ferry is a ridiculous expense (unless you really enjoy the scenery). Again all personal decisions based on budget.
I donât know how much the ferry service to Port Hardy is an extension of the highway for Rupertites. We do have alternatives. I am more interested in how the ferry service impacts peopleâs decisions to come to Rupert and the negative impact it may have on the tourism industry here.
For Eastern Canadians and Americans and to a lesser extent tourists from Asia and Europe who may not be traveling by car, one of the best ways to include much of the province is to drive the circular route that might start in Vancouver going across to Victoria up to Port Hardy and Prince Rupert across to Prince George and down through the interior trying to include as much of the Okanagan and Kootenays as possible before heading back to Vancouver or home.
Are we pricing that route out of the market? And again there are lots of factors. The summer months, the more expensive the ferry. The more people in the car (kids), the more expensive the ferry. At what point are even wealthy tourists going to say, it isnât worth it to make that run?
[quote=âDWhiteâ]Just to follow up. Before, we were talking about taking the ferry vs flying. Now we are talking about taking the ferry vs driving.
When my wifeâs parents lived in Quesnel and my parents lived in Vancouver, we never took the ferry down to Port Hardy. Quesnel was the perfect halfway point to Vancouver and if we wanted to go to Victoria, it was cheaper and faster to use Tswassens/Schwartz Bay.
Without parents living in either city and with two kids now living in Victoria, we look at the Port Hardy route as an alternative.
Next month we would like to see our kids in Victoria and visit Quesnel so I did a quick cost analysis (not by any means accurate) to determine how much more it would cost to take the ferry down and then drive back through Quesnel compared to driving through Quesnel both directions.
In April (the price goes up in May) it will cost us 700.75 to get to Port Hardy and that includes a berth. The trip takes 22 hours. According to google maps, we have a 6 hour, 500km drive from Port Hardy to Victoria. We would arrive in Victoria about supper time the day after leaving Rupert.
According to google maps the trip from Prince Rupert to Vancouver is an 18 hour 1500km drive. We would have to pay about $100 for a hotel and pay about $80 to use the Tsawassen ferry. Depending on when we left Quesnel and how well we timed hitting the ferry terminal, we would get into Victoria sometime after supper the day after leaving Rupert.
So it is $700 vs $180 before we calculate the cost of driving. There will be some wear and tear on the tires and some percentage of an oil change, but the most expense will be gas. I have no clue what my highway mileage will be so I will use the $250-450 that Jesus suggested as a one way total. If you include a bit of wear and tear, that means the cost of driving might be an extra $300 or so added to the $180 means the cost of driving one way is $500.
Remembering that I have to add the cost of driving from Port Hardy, a trip to Victoria by ferry is about $800 which means I would be paying about $300 for the convenience of not driving 1000k and enjoying different scenery. Personal choice based on personal budget. And to be fair to the ferry, if I werenât going to Quesnel and were just driving straight to Victoria, I might decide on three days and two hotels as I find long distance driving more difficult now.
But I donât think this discussion of ferry rates applies so much to people in Rupert. If you have family anywhere up island (and you have no reason to go to Victoria) then the ferry route is probably slightly more expensive but well worth it to save 2-3 days driving (unless you really like driving). If you have no interest in going to Vancouver Island at all, then taking the ferry is a ridiculous expense (unless you really enjoy the scenery). Again all personal decisions based on budget.
I donât know how much the ferry service to Port Hardy is an extension of the highway for Rupertites. We do have alternatives. I am more interested in how the ferry service impacts peopleâs decisions to come to Rupert and the negative impact it may have on the tourism industry here.
For Eastern Canadians and Americans and to a lesser extent tourists from Asia and Europe who may not be traveling by car, one of the best ways to include much of the province is to drive the circular route that might start in Vancouver going across to Victoria up to Port Hardy and Prince Rupert across to Prince George and down through the interior trying to include as much of the Okanagan and Kootenays as possible before heading back to Vancouver or home.
Are we pricing that route out of the market? And again there are lots of factors. The summer months, the more expensive the ferry. The more people in the car (kids), the more expensive the ferry. At what point are even wealthy tourists going to say, it isnât worth it to make that run?[/quote]
I donât mean to be a dick but I just donât see how your math is right unless you get a discount?. The rate starting april 1 for a vehicle alone is 444.50 plus 194.75 for the driver, plus 194.75 for each additional passenger. Since you said âweâ I assume there are two passengers that brings the total to about 834.00 not including a birth.
I choose not to stop when driving to vancouver usually but if you do there is a wonderful place in lac la hache (lake motel) that is about 50.00. Itâs awesome Iâm not kidding. Clean renovated rooms with pillow top mattresses and its 55.00 inc tax I think and its a really nice halfway point.
As for flying its still cheaper to fly to vancouver RETURN than it is to go one way on the ferry. Westjet return flight for 2 is 678.82 add 100.00 for the trip to terrace and 1000 for a car rental for a week and youâre still at the same price as the ferry without a birth.
Regardless of how you do the math the ferry isnât worth the money for most people and thats why its almost always empty. If youâre looking for a scenic âcruiseâ then sure the ferry is great for you but for most people its just too costly for what you get.
[quote=âjesusâ]
I donât mean to be a dick but I just donât see how your math is right unless you get a discount?. The rate starting april 1 for a vehicle alone is 444.50 plus 194.75 for the driver, plus 194.75 for each additional passenger. Since you said âweâ I assume there are two passengers that brings the total to about 834.00 not including a birth.
I choose not to stop when driving to vancouver usually but if you do there is a wonderful place in lac la hache (lake motel) that is about 50.00. Itâs awesome Iâm not kidding. Clean renovated rooms with pillow top mattresses and its 55.00 inc tax I think and its a really nice halfway point.
As for flying its still cheaper to fly to vancouver RETURN than it is to go one way on the ferry. Westjet return flight for 2 is 678.82 add 100.00 for the trip to terrace and 1000 for a car rental for a week and youâre still at the same price as the ferry without a birth.
Regardless of how you do the math the ferry isnât worth the money for most people and thats why its almost always empty. If youâre looking for a scenic âcruiseâ then sure the ferry is great for you but for most people its just too costly for what you get.[/quote]
The price goes up in May. We actually decided to take the ferry down and are paying 700.75 for car, two passengers and a room. Your numbers are for May 1 to Sept. 30 which was my point about being more expensive during the summer and even more expensive when you start adding extra passengers.
I am not arguing the value of the ferry. In our case, I know I am paying extra but I am willing to pay it especially when I find the ferry relaxing (I am finding it more and more difficult to drive to Quesnel in one day) and the scenery spectacular. Of course the latter will wear thin the more times I use the ferry (I have used it only twice) but for now it is still a novelty.
Remember too, that we want to go to Victoria. If Vancouver is the destination, then the ferry is even less of an option.
As I stated, my concern is not for travelers who live here. We have options. My concern is for the people involved in the tourist industry who rely on people who may come here by ferry when they would be unlikely to come here by car. Tourists will come to Rupert (or leave Rupert) on the Port Hardy route as part of a tour of the province that includes Victoria, a drive up/down the island and a trip on the ferry. I donât see them coming to Rupert in the same numbers if it just includes the long drive from Vancouver. They may go as far as Prince George but if the ferry is too expensive then they are not going to come here just to turn around and drive the same route back.
Where does the ferry go? If youâre going to Vancouver, do you still have to drive from Port Hardy to Vancouver? If so, thatâs another factor, isnât it? Thatâs about 8 or 9 hours depending on connections, etc.
For the tourism people, you want to get the ones going to and from Alaska. I ran into people who drove to San Francisco from Alaska, via Prince Rupert, and couldnât even remember the name of the town. How many of those people just get off those Alaskan ferries and drive through without ever stopping?