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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 27, NO. 58
Foot ferry service open for bidding I PORT AUTHORITY grows impatient with island Ferries.
BY TaMaRa CUNNINgHaM ThE NEwS BULLETiN
Whole hog
NICHOLAS PESCOD/THE NEwS BuLLETIN
Rupert, a four-month-old kunekune mixed-breed pig, listens to a command from his owner, Jessica Babcock, at Best Paw Forward, where he is enrolled in obedience classes. For the story, please see page 3.
Parents concerned about school-closure plan BY KaRL YU ThE NEwS BULLETiN
A group advocating to keep Rutherford Elementary open said it’s irresponsible for Nanaimo school district to shutter the north-end school without provincial funding. According to the latest facilities plan recommendations, Rutherford could close by June 2017. Some of the student
population would transfer to nearby Frank J. Ney Elementary, which would be expanded to accommodate the influx, but with the proviso that the province provide funding. Trustees must also give approval. “I think they know that they’re not likely to get funding for that…” said Tina Bray, spokeswoman for Rutherford Open and Thriving. “Ruther-
ford is a well-utilized school. Two out of the three surrounding schools are over capacity. There is no way the Ministry of Education is going to pay for an unnecessary expansion to Frank J. Ney, especially when it leaves SD68 so poorly prepared to deal with the future. It’s plain and simply a bad plan. Let’s hope trustees realize this.” See ‘WOODLANDS’ /3
Island Ferries isn’t the only company interested in launching a passenger ferry from Nanaimo – and the port authority aims to prove it. The Nanaimo Port Authority announced Friday it will seek requests for proposals in the new year for a daily foot ferry service between Nanaimo and Vancouver. The bid comes as Island Ferries, a company that’s proposed a $63-million passenger service along the same stretch of industrial waterfront, continues to work on final investment. It has been looking for money to start its service since 2013, including millions in federal dollars. The port has been patient, according to Bernie Dumas, CEO and president of the port authority, but he says it feels there are other candidates willing to talk about a service and wants to see what those opportunities are. The community is also voicing a need for a passenger service and the port has the infrastructure to support it. “The port authority has just been sitting on the sidelines, working with the city and economic development … and
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“
We’re of the opinion that, why are we waiting so long?
Island Ferries spokesman Dave Marshall said the port wanted an exorbitant amount of money that wasn’t sustainable for a start-up business. He said his company is “extraordinarily disappointed” with the port’s recent action. Marshall said Island Ferries met with port officials in June to discuss progress on equity and so it is shocked by this announcement, which is unilateral and puts the company’s work at “great risk.” See ‘PORT’ /3
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we’re of the opinion that, why are we waiting so long?” Dumas said. “We’re going out to see if we can find an operator that has the financial support and the experience to do a good service for our community.” The operator would lease infrastructure from the port, but the service would be privately funded and operated. Island Ferries would also be welcome to apply, although a previous five-year effort among the two parties to arrive at terms for the site were unsuccessful.
Drop off entries to Nanaimo’s News Bulletin, 777 Poplar St. Nanaimo. Draw Thurs. Dec. 3 at noon.