Ferry

So they have caused a lot of inconvenience for everyone around the harbour, but they've been there a year, if not more.

OK, now, as we know, the services of the Carlingford Lock Ferry stopped unexpectedly out of the blue and have remained closed for all of this year.

Is there any update as to whether that service will ever resume? Because, again, if you look to the website of Carlingford Ferries, it's still the same holding statement that there'll be no sailings this year.

But is there any indication that the service could ever resume?

I know you say there's no connection between the two, but you would imagine if and when those vessels are actually moved out of the harbour and out of the area, that could be the end of that.

It depends.

That's really up to Carnival Ferry themselves where they position it.

I know over the last few years, those particular ferries have been moored in other harbours around the loch.

Now, you would think this absolute premium weather window would be priced accordingly.

But according to Northlink Ferry's own booking portal, mid-May is classified as mid-season, not peak.

Interesting.

Yeah.

The crossing time, per their own timetable, is 1 hour and 10 minutes.

With three sailings each way, seven days a week, keeping the exact same times all year round, it is remarkably consistent and transparent.

Now contrast that with Northlink Ferry sailing from Scrapster to Stromness.

Their timetable shows a 90-minute crossing on the MV Homme Nouveau with up to six crossings a day during peak season, dropping to four off-peak.

So that is one that, of course, we will watch and have lots to talk about in the months ahead if that is their plan and they go ahead with it.

Another item that came up in the news yesterday, which is interesting, and I do think has political angles to it, although it's not overtly political in the way that it was described, B.C. Ferry's firing CEO Nicholas Jimenez, who was brought into the job in 2023, a very well-connected David Eby, I'm not going to say appointee, but I'm sure that as premier he had a lot of role in getting B.C. Ferry's and the board chair at the time, Joy McPhail, to hire Nicholas Jimenez because he was the CEO of ICBC when David Eby, who was the attorney general, brought in no-fault insurance.

And he was viewed as a kind of someone who was going to come in and fix BC Ferries.

He had the premier's ear.

That's pretty good for three years' worth of work at half a million dollars a year.

roughly.

So the statement from the ferry board, which couldn't be bothered to do interviews, because why would you do interviews when you fire your CEO for basically, you know, a monopoly ferry company that gets its money from the public? It just, just, why bother? You know, it's not like anyone has any questions, but the lawyer generated statement from the board went out and said that the ferry is a lifeline for the province's coastal residents there is going to be a review to define new ways to optimize the system and improve how bc ferries deliver services for customers and coastal communities and this is the part that stood out to me under the coastal ferry act the bc ferries undergoes a regulatory review and contract discussions every four years to set limits on fares and establish required service levels contract discussions with the government by the way this is my add to that For performance term seven, the board is committed to bringing innovative solutions to service obligations with the government and working with the incoming provincial government, the BC Ferry Authority and BC Ferries Commissioner to ensure the system is reliable, safe and sustainable.

So I don't know what your read on this, Aileen, is, but extrapolating from that sentence, what comes to mind for you?

to address growing demands on the ferry system and deliver safe, reliable services for customers and coastal communities, it says.

Are you ready for what the changes are? It says effective immediately.

It says the board is appointing B.C. Ferry's vice president of strategy and planning, Brian Anderson, to interim chief executive officer, it says.

B.C. Ferry's executive vice president and chief financial officer, it says Dylan Willis, or Dallin Willis, my apologies if I'm saying that name wrong.

It says will assume added responsibility for strategy and planning and lead, it says, the revitalization review with oversight from the board.

then reminds us that the ferry system is a lifeline for coastal residents and businesses.

It says, and critical to the province's economy.

It says, review will define many ways to optimize the system and improve how BC Ferries delivers services for customers and coastal communities.

Now take a couple doing a full day from Takamatsu.

The Ferry for two is about $17.50. Chichu for two is about $32.

Banese House Museum plus the Valley Gallery for two is about $16.60.

Plus the Five House Project.

Before the bridges did the heavy lifting, there was the horse ferry, a floating link between Westminster and Lambeth.

one of the relatively few crossings where you could take a coach and horses across the Thames.

Horse Ferry Road, over on the Westminster side, still remembers it.

That's something London does wonderfully well.

Takes away the thing itself, leaves its name nailed to a wall.