A Denman Island woman is calling on the province for major changes to the island’s cable ferry system after she says the ferry - or lack thereof - caused unnecessary pain and suffering the day of her brother’s death.
Gracie MacDonald says her brother Andy, a terminal cancer patient, was throwing up blood and crying in pain during a private boat transfer from Denman Island to Buckley Bay en route to the hospital in Courtenay because of a lack of service when the Baynes Sound Connector was out of service May 2.
“I wish the whole day would have been different - I wish he didn’t have to go through this on his last day (of life),” she notes, nearly a month after his passing.
According to BC Ferries, the day-long cancellations in early May were due to mechanical issues with the vessel’s cable system.
Passengers took to social media concerned about missed flights and medical appointments on Vancouver Island, asking the corporation if a water taxi would be operational.
At that time, a representative told The Record the vessel servicing the Shingle Spit-Gravelly Bay (Hornby Island) route would provide a temporary shuttle service starting at 11:30 a.m.
For many, including MacDonald, the water taxi was in service too late.
MacDonald explains her brother, who lived in Richmond, found out about his cancer in early March and was getting chemotherapy but came to visit her with a plan to head back to the Lower Mainland.
On May 1, he suffered a medical emergency and an ambulance from Denman brought him to the North Island Hospital Comox Valley. He asked the medical team if he could avoid spending the night in hospital and doctors agreed that he could return to Denman on the condition he returns to the hospital the following day.
MacDonald, who has lived on Denman Island since 1977, says she used the ferry to commute daily to Vancouver Island and was counting on the ferry system to return her brother to the hospital the following day.
When she discovered the ferry was out of service for the day, she immediately contacted BC Ferries on social media, asking if the corporation would provide a water taxi.
When she found out there wasn’t one on standby, she put a call out for help and found someone with a boat who was able to assist with the transfer and arranged to use a private dock at Buckley Bay.
“Riding in a small boat and having to walk across an uneven dock added to his agony,” she adds.
Andy passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital, and while MacDonald doesn’t blame BC Ferries for his death, she does believe the lack of available ferry or water taxi caused more pain and suffering.
“Our loss is all the more painful for knowing that the lack of ferry service on May 2 was unnecessary and inexcusable. The Baynes Sound Connector has had a dismal performance record ever since it was introduced in 2016. Andy’s horrific experience is a tragic result of leaving this problem unresolved all this time.”
The $15-million, 78.5-metre cable ferry began service in late January 2016. It is capable of carrying 50 vehicles and 150 passengers, and with a crossing of about 1,900 meters, it is believed to be the longest cable ferry in the world. Since its inception, the ferry has faced controversy due to numerous mechanical breakdowns that have taken the ferry out of service, including day-long cancellations and cable change-outs in 2017/2018 to replace cables because of accelerated corrosion due to dissimilar metals.
In 2020, the cables were replaced again in July due to plastic shedding, which BC Ferries explained noted was a manufacturer’s defect.
MacDonald cites disastrous operational performance and financial overruns as some of the issues with the ferry.
“I get it. We live on a gulf island and we have to accept some limits, but there’s conditions to that. I’ve heard of the term ‘sunk cost’ where someone has invested so much in something, and I think that’s where we are at with this (ferry). I understand, but you’re dealing with people’s lives here.”
As the result of the incident last month, MacDonald is seeking an independent investigation into the service to Denman Island, and in particular, the health and safety risks caused by its unreliability.
She initially was in communications with BC Ferries, then met with Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim to express her concerns, and was instructed to write a letter to the Office of the BC Ferries Commissioner, an independent regular who oversees B.C.’s coastal ferry operators.
Commissioner Eva Hage told her the commission does not have authority over the ferries’ operational matters and redirected her concerns to BC Ferries.
She has since contacted Michael Pickup, the auditor general of B.C., an independent officer of the legislature, who performs financial and performance audits on how well the provincial government is managing its responsibilities and resources.
“We’re at the point now that someone with an independent eye needs to investigate - we have to stop throwing more money (at the ferry).”
Ritinder Matthew, a spokesperson for BC Ferries notes they are looking into options to ensure dock availability for alternate service when there are disruptions and are exploring alternations to their existing facility so that it can be used for water taxi service in the future.
“The nearest water taxi service is a two-hour boat ride away from Buckley Bay, which understandably falls short of meeting the urgent needs of the community.
“We understand the significant inconvenience caused by the service disruptions on May 2 due to a cable change on the BSC. This ferry service is vital for Denman and Hornby Island residents, and we are committed to making improvements to continue to enhance its reliability and meet the community’s needs.”
Matthew added that while the corporation has already made good progress in reducing mechanical-related cancellations by 40 per cent throughout the last year, BC Ferries continues to look at improvements for the vessel, and other long-term plans such as making alterations to their existing facility so that it can be used for water taxi service or using private docks under a proper legal framework.
RELATED: Despite net loss, ‘Baynes Sound Connector performing well so far’: BC Ferries
