Village resident readies boat, as B.C. cable ferry strike set to expand

Kokanee Glacier, right, is pictured shrouded by low cloud above Kootenay Lake north of Nelson, B.C., Jan. 17, 2011. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

Andrew Doran, a resident of the tiny B.C. Interior community of Harrop, has been getting ready for expanded strike action on the cable ferry across Kootenay Lake that is a community lifeline.

"I've spent the afternoon fixing up a borrowed 1970s 14-foot boat with a similar vintage motor, hoping I won't have to use it to take my wife and four-year-old across the frigid lake in the dark so they can get to work and daycare," he said in an email Thursday.

Doran said the village was "pretty stressed" about the prospect of job action.

It's now set to become a reality after the union for striking workers issued notice of expanded industrial action on Friday, cutting sailings on two Kootenay Lake cable ferries from Monday.

The Kootenay Lake villages of Harrop, Procter and Glade -- which have a combined population of about 900 people -- will experience fewer crossings to the nearby communities of Nelson and Balfour, where many residents shop, work and receive essential services, including health care.

"The union is issuing the required 24-hour notice of our intention to expand the current strike action to include the Harrop and Glade ferries effective 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2025," the B.C. General Employees' Union says in a letter to employer Western Pacific Marine.

"At that time, we will begin following the requirements of the amended essential service order," the notice says. "We remain available for mediation or negotiations at any time."

The BCGEU, representing ferry workers who have been on strike since Nov. 3, is seeking wage increases, scheduling adjustments and extended benefits for auxiliary workers.

So far, the strike has limited but not halted service on a longer ferry run across Kootenay Lake, from Balfour to Kootenay Bay. Like the smaller routes, it is subject to an essential-service designation and cannot be halted entirely.

The escalation of the strike to include the cable ferries resulted from a B.C. Labour Board ruling on Dec. 27 granting the union approval to reduce service of the Harrop-Procter ferry to eight round trips daily and 16 round trips for the Glade ferry.

The Harrop ferry usually runs on a 24-hour on-demand schedule, while the Glade ferry's regular schedule is 5 a.m. to 2:20 a.m.

The union was not immediately available to comment Friday, but spokesman Aaron Donovan said earlier it would provide a statement on the situation.

Residents of the communities say they are concerned reducing sailings of the on-demand, free services will cut people off from neighbours and jobs.

For some residents, the only alternative to the cable ferry routes that run a few hundred metres across a narrow section of the lake is an hours-long drive, while other residents say they fear being cut off completely.

Melinda Foot, co-owner of the Procter General Store, said earlier the cable ferry crossings to Nelson and Balfour only take five minutes, but the sailings are the only link for the communities.

Western Pacific Marine general manager Odai Sirri said the company was working on a revised service schedule and expected to make it public Friday afternoon.

"Creating a limited and fixed schedule for the cable ferries is complicated as there are significant logistical and capacity realities that must be considered," he said in a statement. "That being said, we expect to have the revised schedule available (Friday) afternoon. It will be emailed to all and published on our website."

Opposition B.C. Conservative MLA Pete Davis called on Rural Services Minister Brittny Anderson, who represents the Kootenay communities, to ensure the needs of local residents are put first.

Travel on B.C.'s inland ferries, which includes the Harrop and Glade cable ferries and the Kootenay Lake Ferry, is free.

Western Pacific Marine has a contract with B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation to operate the Kootenay area ferries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2025.