The British Columbia Ferry & Marine Workers' Union has called out the federal government over what it deemed to be unfair prioritization of marine transportation on the east coast in the recently-tabled budget.
A total of $1.3 billion over eight years has been allocated to Atlantic Canada's ferry network to build new terminals and charter interim replacement vessels via the Ferry Services Contribution Program — BC Ferries received no such promises.
"The prime minister says he wants to build a stronger, more connected Canada. Apparently, that doesn’t include the Pacific coast," BCFMWU President Eric McNeely lamented. "British Columbians pay federal taxes too. Why should our ferry passengers get less support than Canadians on the Atlantic coast?"
As of now, Ottawa covers 43% of the operating costs for ferry services on the east coast, while on the other side of the country, it's just 3%. The funding for BC Ferries — the largest passenger ferry operator in North America — is still linked to what the BCFMWU described as an "inadequate federal funding agreement" from the 1970s.
Federal funding has allowed Atlantic ferry providers to reduce fares, while in BC, they've gone up, and are projected to rise by as much as 30% by 2028.
"One BC dairy farmer recently reported spending $150,000 a year on ferry fares, threatening the viability of his farm," McNeely said. "When ferry costs go up, the cost of doing business goes up and British Columbians pay the price."
The union — which represents represents more than 5000 ferry and marine workers across BC — is calling on Premier-desitnate Lorne Doerkson and his incoming government to "demand fair federal funding for our marine highway, which connects coastal communities to the rest of the country."
