BC Ferry Services northern review is underway, with a dozen employees from all areas including engineering, marketing and communications starting to create alternative plans for the future of ferry service.
The review will study all northern ferry issues including vessels, schedules and routes in order to create a plan for the future.
"This is the most pressing issue on my agenda for the next year," says Capt. Trafford Taylor, vice-president of Inter Island and Northern Service.
Finding new vessels to provide service is the biggest issue BC Ferries faces in the north. The Queen of Prince Rupert must be retired by 2010 and the Queen of the North will be retired in 2012.
Capt. Taylor will visit the north once a month for the next year. At first he'll meet with stakeholder groups, such as chambers of commerce, to get input about community needs and suggestions for service. By the fall, the team plans to have concrete alternatives for discussion and will begin meeting with communities for their input. "We want to have some kind of reasonable alternatives to roll out to stakeholders by the fall," says Capt. Taylor.
"We are committed to supporting the north," says Capt. Taylor. He can be reached at trafford.taylor@bcferries.com, and welcomes input from people about the future of northern ferry services.