Your Island News for Sunday, October 11

On a heavy travel weekend with people traveling to family dinners and long weekend vacations, the provincial election campaigns are honing in on B.C.' 's Marine Highway and its importance for coastal communities.

We need to get on and off the ferry multiple times a day to get to medical appointments, See family, go grocery shopping.

The BCNDP announcing over social media its local first ferry reservation pilot program, giving local residents on two ferry-dependent routes, the Westview-Little River Crossing and Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route, their own reservation spaces.

12% of spaces reserved on the ferries for locals.

10% for four days before the sailing date.

2% for 24 hours before to make sure that you and your family can get where you need to go.

But the BC Conservatives say there's more that needs to be fixed with BC Ferries than just the reservation system.

Telling Czech News Today, BC Ferries is broken, while referring to multiple years of broken vessels and staffing shortages that have negatively impacted families during busy travel times.

David Eby and the NDP have had nine years to fix this.

Instead, they have let the fleet age, let service slip, and let the people in charge off the hook.

When sailings are cancelled, nobody at the top answers for it.

The Conservatives are promising to establish a new BC Ferries Charter, setting clear standards for reliability, on-time performance, affordability and customer service, while holding BC Ferries leadership and administration accountable.

The party also plans to negotiate with Ottawa for BC's fair share of ferry funding and bringing reliable Wi-Fi to major routes and terminals at no cost to fares or taxpayers.

Out here, the ferry is not just a convenience.

It is how we get to work, to medical appointments, and home to see our families.

For the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast and across coastal British Columbia, it is the only connection we have.

The timing of these announcements on a busy weekend for BC Ferries has not gone unnoticed.

Czech's political correspondent says talking about the ferry system on a long weekend is a smart move for any political party as they are meeting voters where they are at.

In this case, with some really tight island ridings, three four-way races on the South Island, having a good ferries plan is something that could draw votes to a party at a crucial time.

adding he expects more BC Ferries talks before the end of the election.

On a heavy travel weekend with people traveling to family dinners and long weekend vacations, the provincial election campaigns are honing in on B.C.' 's Marine Highway and its importance for coastal communities.

We need to get on and off the ferry multiple times a day to get to medical appointments, See family, go grocery shopping.

The BCNDP announcing over social media its local first ferry reservation pilot program, giving local residents on two ferry-dependent routes, the Westview-Little River Crossing and Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route, their own reservation spaces.

12% of spaces reserved on the ferries for locals.

10% for four days before the sailing date.

2% for 24 hours before to make sure that you and your family can get where you need to go.

But the BC Conservatives say there's more that needs to be fixed with BC Ferries than just the reservation system.

Telling Czech News Today, BC Ferries is broken, while referring to multiple years of broken vessels and staffing shortages that have negatively impacted families during busy travel times.

David Eby and the NDP have had nine years to fix this.

Instead, they have let the fleet age, let service slip, and let the people in charge off the hook.

When sailings are cancelled, nobody at the top answers for it.

The Conservatives are promising to establish a new BC Ferries Charter, setting clear standards for reliability, on-time performance, affordability and customer service, while holding BC Ferries leadership and administration accountable.

The party also plans to negotiate with Ottawa for BC's fair share of ferry funding and bringing reliable Wi-Fi to major routes and terminals at no cost to fares or taxpayers.

Out here, the ferry is not just a convenience.

It is how we get to work, to medical appointments, and home to see our families.

For the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast and across coastal British Columbia, it is the only connection we have.

The timing of these announcements on a busy weekend for BC Ferries has not gone unnoticed.

Czech's political correspondent says talking about the ferry system on a long weekend is a smart move for any political party as they are meeting voters where they are at.

In this case, with some really tight island ridings, three four-way races on the South Island, having a good ferries plan is something that could draw votes to a party at a crucial time.

adding he expects more BC Ferries talks before the end of the election.