Originally published on qathet Living
Each quarter, BC Ferries releases thorough data about ferry cancellations on its website (bcferries.com/in-the-community/resources). Stats are currently available until June of this year; the July through September stats will be released as a full data set in the fall.
Continue reading Ferry cancellations on the mid-West Coast became more frequent starting this spring
Cortes Island’s Ferry Advisory committee met (via Webex, a Zoom-like conferencing app) on the afternoon of Wednesday September 27th at 12:30pm. The meeting had originally been scheduled as a “town hall” style event at Mansons Hall; however, at the last minute BC Ferries announced that their FAC meetings would be held online, due to threats of violence from the public.
Though such threatening behaviour seemed unlikely on Cortes Island, BCF’s policy apparently applies across the board. The last-minute change of venue caused some confusion, but approximately thirty people joined the videoconference call on Wednesday (including BC Ferries staff and FAC members).
Continue reading Ferry Advisory Committee: Cortes and Quadra talk to BC FerriesEditor’s note: The Uchuck III is the last in a series of steamships that began with the Uchuck, built in Vancouver during 1928 for the Packers Steamship Co. The Uchuck I, was built in Coal Harbour, Vancouver, during 1941 to replace the Uchuck and by 1946 was making three scheduled trips a week from Port Alberni to Bamfield, the south shore of Barkley Sound and Ucluelet before , and returning home. A second vessel, the Uchuck II was added in 1948 to handle the increased traffic. A third vessel, the Uchuck III, was purchased for the fleet in 19521.
By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Yuquot, BC – The Uchuck III is a beloved cargo and passenger vessel that has been serving Nootka Sound for decades bringing the Mowachaht/Muchalaht nation back to their ancestral home, Yuquot, while delivering supplies to remote First Nations and industry camps.
Each summer, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Uchuck III departs from the Gold River dock, travelling through the Muchalat Inlet to Nootka Sound, past Bligh Island, and arrives two hours later at Friendly Cove, also known as Yuquot.
Continue reading Decades of service in Nuu-chah-nulth waters for what could be ‘the last wooden freighter on the coast’
According to the BC Government, more than 18% of the light duty passenger vehicles sold in the province last year were electric vehicles (EVs). There has been a sixfold increase in the number of annual registrations since 2016 and there are currently more than 100,000 EVS on the roads. Some of them are in remote communities like Cortes Island. As the prospect of a transition to electric vehicles becomes more likely, some are asking if this is really a viable option.
Last week Clean Energy Canada, a think tank based in Simon Fraser University, responded with media brief addressing common myths about electric vehicles. Rachel Doran, Director of Policy and Strategy at Clean Energy Canada, subsequently agreed to an Q & A interview.
Continue reading Clean Energy Canada responds to misconceptions about EVs
Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) is launching a new transportation initiative
“We’re really excited to be launching this new ‘Room for Rider’ initiative. It’s a mirror tag that people can hang in their rear view mirror to let people know that they’re willing to give people a ride across Quadra,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.
Continue reading The Cortes Island ‘Room for Rider’ Initiative
