Killing Island Life?


I think that those claiming that the cost of taking a BC Ferry is killing island life are exaggerating...but it is definitely going to make me and my family think twice before going to Vancouver Island on vacation.  For a family of four the cost of driving to that island is now $83.50 for a one way ticket between Vancouver and Nanaimo.  If you want to make sure that you don't have to wait for sailings and decide to reserve a spot (we did) add another $17.50.  So, $100 for the trip.  $200 round trip.

Being someone who believes in free markets and generally does not like subsidised services and products I am not going to sit here and blame BC Ferries for wanting to recoup their costs.  Fuel costs have skyrocketed and one needs to pay salaries and other operating costs.  So if the costs are in fact going up, so be it.  Along with my free market beliefs I also believe that companies must provide their services and products in a way that if cost effective and with little to no waste.  Regarding these last two items I can't comment on BC Ferries as I know diddly-squat about operating a transportation company.  I'll assume for the sake of argument that the corporation is well run.

If my family of four is an example of an average family in British Columbia, you can be sure that the costs will impact the number of people taking ferries and enjoying what Vancouver Island has to offer.  This will impact the hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, gardens, shops, museums etc.  In turn, if the decrease in visits is large enough this will start impacting the employees and owners of these places and thus have repercussions across all sectors.  Not quite death but a definite injury.

Next time, since we don't live on the island and are therefore not dependent on the ferries, my family plans on going east, south or north...but not west.  We'll take the extra $200 and spend it on an extra day of vacation, a nicer hotel, a fancier meal, an extra visit to an attraction.

Those are the downsides of island life I guess.

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