BC Ferries expects to make a decision on how it will redevelop the berth at the Crofton ferry terminal early in the new year.
Floridor Oprea, the manager of the project for BC Ferries, told North Cowichan council at September’s committee of the whole meeting that the ferry company is still considering whether to rebuild the terminal’s berth on its existing location, or to just repair the current berth.
“As you are aware, we are currently doing a geotechnical investigation of the conditions of the existing trestle to help the designing progress move forward, as well as working on the required regulatory permits,” he said.
“We’re expecting to have further discussions and make a decision in early 2025.”
The ferry company’s terminal development team, along with staff from various other BC Ferries’ departments, began the process of creating a long-term plan for the Crofton terminal in early 2019, but the planning for the redevelopment of the terminal was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic.
BC Ferries said at the time that the two proposed draft plans for the project were complete and awaiting internal approvals, but the impact of the pandemic had caused a slowdown of all the company’s capital projects, including the Crofton ferry terminal upgrades.
The first concept for the ferry upgrades included rebuilding the existing trestle to the ferry and making it wider; improving pedestrian accessibility; the creation of a dedicated pick-up/drop-off spot, long-term parking and expanded boat-trailer parking off Chaplin Street; and a separation of local and ferry traffic along Chaplin while retaining the skate park at its current location.
The second concept included creating a new trestle and making the existing one a pedestrian pier; retaining and enhancing the current boat launch; an optional long-term parking lot off Chaplin Street; and a waterfront parking lot amid a pedestrian park and plaza.
But BC Ferries announced in March that, due to financial constraints, the focus of the current work will only be on replacing the terminal's berth.
Coun. Tek Manhas asked Oprea if the residents in the area can expect any relief from the traffic woes they have experienced due to the ferry terminal that the original two plans dealt with.
Oprea said BC Ferries is considering exploring a few improvements with its design consultants regarding adding some traffic personnel, and initiating some line painting on the existing road.
“But the current project scope will include only the berth portion of the terminal at this time,” he said.
Tamara Olson, another spokesperson for BC Ferries, added that while no work is currently planned for the upland areas beyond the ferry terminal, when the two new vessels come onto the route in 2027, it will help with traffic flows.
Oprea said the two vessels that will replace the Quinsam ferry that currently works the route between Crofton and Salt Spring Island will be slightly smaller, but the capacity with two vessels will be larger than it currently is with one and there will be more sailings each day, although those details have yet to be determined, and agreed that will help with traffic flows.
Mayor Rob Douglas said that, while he appreciates that Oprea and Olson are not the decision makers at BC Ferries, he is disappointed the ferry company isn’t moving ahead with the upland improvements that were originally planned.
“We understand you are facing cost pressures, like some other public-sector organizations, but in 2019-20, there were expectations created among our residents on improvements taking place in this area,” Douglas said.
“There are some real issues with congestion on Chaplin Street, which is a residential area. We had hoped that either of the two concepts presented in 2019 would have gone a long way to address these issues, which folks in Crofton have been bearing for years.”
