Under legislation passed last year by the provincial government, the new BC Ferry Services Inc. has the power to raise fares, change schedules and pass the cost of new ferries onto the people who use them.
That's the message from David Gray, a member of the BC Ferry Marine Workers Union who will be coming to the islands next week to talk about the Coastal Ferry Act and what it means for coastal communities.
"This legislation does not reflect the interest of the travelling public," said Mr. Gray, a co-founder of the Save Our Ferries Advocacy Group. "Basically, people are not very well informed on the topic."
The purpose of next week's meetings, to be held Tuesday in Masset and Wednesday in Skidegate, is to give people more information and let them know what they can do to change the situation.
Mr. Gray has already travelled to several coastal communities further south and said people were eager to take action, once they learned more about the potential impact of the legislation.
"People are certainly alarmed and I think there is a level of frustration," he said. "I think people think it is a done deal."
However, Mr. Gray said he believes the legislation can be changed, if people act soon.
Anyone who uses the ferry service should try to attend a meeting, he said.
"I can't see how anyone would not be concerned," Mr. Gray said.
The meetings are scheduled for March 23 at the Green Church in Masset and March 24 at the Skidegate community hall. Both meetings start at 7 pm.