BC Ferries wants to improve engagement by replacing the Ferry Advisory Committee with a new model.
In a release, the ferry-line says they are designing a new engagement model to better address the needs of coastal communities, with plans to incorporate digital engagement more effectively.
Because of this model, the Ferry Advisory Committee model will be replaced starting in May 2025.
Senior Communications Advisor for the ferry-line Sonia Lowe says while the committee has been important for engagement efforts these past 30 years, communities’ needs and expectations are growing.
“BC Ferries is retiring the Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) process to modernize and expand our community engagement efforts that will allow us to hear from a broad cross-section of people in our community,” said Lowe.
“Feedback from local governments, First Nations, people in community, and other interested and impacted groups have emphasized the need for greater transparency, a more collaborative approach with elected officials, and engagement that includes currently underrepresented voices.”
Lowe also says community feedback highlights the need for a more refreshed, inclusive, and expansive approach to engagement, which they hope to achieve through the model.
That feedback includes an August 2024 survey showing 81 percent of customers prefer to engage digitally, while 8 percent prefer the current format. The survey also found 48 percent of customers were aware of the current model and only 38 percent of them felt that it represents community concerns.
The model would include real-time surveys, interactive feedback portals, virtual forums, and continued in-person outreach to try and get wider participation from communities.
The new model is expected to come in by spring 2025.
