By Ian Holmes

Gabriola Island leads list of terminal improvement priorities for BC Ferries

Oct 14, 2018 | 11:02 PM

NANAIMO — BC Ferries calls a much-needed overhaul of the Gabriola Island ferry terminal a “top priority” with major upgrades potentially getting started as early as next year.

Darin Guenette, manager of public affairs for BC Ferries, said the plan, featuring three holding lanes and a widened road leading to the terminal, are vital to reducing constant lengthy single-file lines.

He said construction will start in 2019 if permitting and zoning issues are dealt with in a timely manner, clearing the way for eased congestion and improved safety.

“As soon as all of that’s done it’ll be shovels in the ground, this is work that the community deserves and we have to make it safer for them,” Gunette told NanaimoNewsNOW.

The multi-million dollar terminal improvement plan on Gabriola also includes a new waiting room building.

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Guenette said the Gabriola  terminal has grown in use over the years and needs extensive work to create a safer environment for everybody.

“Whether it’s the bus, people dropping off school kids, tourists and regular commuters, it’ll help everybody and we want everyone to be safe.”

BC Ferries is eyeing a reconfigured vehicle holding lot on the Nanaimo side of the route. Guenette said the Nanaimo terminal across from Port Place Shopping Centre will see less significant upgrades, due in part to space restrictions and a reasonably sized existing holding lot.

Word of a potentially accelerated time line to vastly upgrade the Gabriola Island ferry terminal is viewed as “great news” by Steven Earle, chair of the Gabriola Ferry Advisory Committee.

“If they can actually get this moving in late 2019 that would be terrific,” Earle told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Earle said the outdated Gabriola ferry terminal has many shortfalls, headlined by an often long and chaotic single lane of traffic waiting to get on the ferry.

“That road is busy and winding, a lot of people wanting to get into the line do U-turns in the middle of that road,” Earle said. “It’s really dangerous, there have been accidents.”

BC Ferries plans to do a final round of public consultations on the Nanaimo-Gabriola Island terminal improvement plan before the end of the year and expects a formal plan to be released in the new year.

Earle is also encouraged by BC Ferries’ pledge to replace the current Queen of Quinsam with two smaller ferries to serve the Nanaimo-Gabriola run. BC Ferries plans to award a contract by the end of 2018 to build a pair of ferries for the route, which is aimed at more frequent sailings and increased capacity.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes