The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has voted to pursue a "status quo" option for Keats and Gambier islanders accessing the mainland at the B.C. Ferries float in Langdale.
The board is hoping it can now negotiate with B.C. Ferries to change its decision on access to the dock or allow for a second smaller float for access to the Langdale parking lot.
The infrastructure services committee voted May 7 to work with B.C. Ferries to preserve access to the float after hearing a report from Brian Sagman, manager of transportation and infrastructure services.
Sagman's report outlined the options the SCRD could pursue and what the benefits and weaknesses were with each option.
Options two and three in Sagman's report involved constructing a new permanent float somewhere to the north of the current B.C. Ferries dock or switching access to already constructed docks such as Hopkins Landing or Gibsons Marina.
SCRD board chair Donna Shugar said it was too early to know how B.C. Ferries would respond, but said the company should recognize the difficult situation it puts island residents in.
"I don't have a crystal ball. I can't predict the future, but I think, in fairness to the islanders, we must go down this path because nothing else is a solution," Shugar said in a later interview.
B.C. Ferries announced it would be closing public access to its Langdale float in June citing safety and liability concerns with private boats being around B.C. Ferries' ships and using its float, as well as new marine security regulations handed down by Transport Canada.
After public meetings with island residents, B.C. Ferries extended the deadline to Oct. 15 and offered to help pay up to $25,000 to fund a new or refurbished dock.
But SCRD staff and directors question the practicality of a new dock north of the terminal.
"Our conclusions are that establishing a new dock of any kind would be prohibitively expensive, would involve a long environmental process and would not really provide you with any advantage over Hopkins and Gibsons," Sagman said.
There is no firm price on the cost of a new dock, but SCRD estimates go as high as $800,000.
Other issues with building a dock north of the current one are the steep hills and far walking distance to the B.C. Ferries parking lot, which islanders need access to.
Sagman said the Gibsons and Hopkins docks each have drawbacks including lack of parking, current use of the docks for other purposes and difficult access to the Langdale terminal.
Shugar said she hopes B.C. Ferries will be willing to come to the table in the interest of helping the island residents.
"Really, the only option is to have access to that parking lot and to have access to the parking lot on foot is absurd. I really don't understand how they could not enter into negotiations about this possibility," she said.
Shugar also noted that B.C. Ferries currently uses docks fully owned and maintained by the SCRD at Keats and Gambier islands.
