MOTI says Balfour location right choice for Kootenay Lake Ferry Terminal
By Claire Paradis
On the eve of the upcoming open house happening next week regarding the Balfour Ferry Terminal, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) said the existing location remains the best viable option for the project to move forward.
This comes after a resident, who did not want to be identified, raised the issue about why the government did not consider land at the end of Busk Road near the mouth of the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.
“The ‘Queens Bay South’ location was eliminated as a possible site for relocation of the terminal because the site still required the use of two vessels to maintain the service and would result in significant community/property impacts, including upgrades to Busk Road,” said the MOTI representative in an emailed statement.
“Ferry traffic travelling directly through a residential area and the financial cost of investing in both a new terminal and a new vessel made the change in location not viable when compared to other options.”
The 73-page report, published July 15, 2008, suggested (Page 30) a site just 1.2 kilometers northeast of the existing Balfour terminal maybe a possible location.
The report said, “a second site, slightly to the south where a temporary ferry access was used during reconstruction in 1984 also warrants consideration and may be preferable for various reasons.”
The 2008 report said the potential site, near Queens Bay (South), had favourable topography and highway access and was reasonably sheltered, offering no real operational constraints when it was used as a temporary landing site in 1984.
The report also said the former temporary ferry landing was “worth consideration and evaluation.”
However, the MOTI spokesperson said moving the terminal the short distance north, near the mouth of the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, would still require the use of two vessels to maintain service.
A move of such kind would also compact local residents living in the area with construction and higher traffic flow.
“The site would result in significant community/property impacts in order to build the terminal holding compound (ferry queuing lot) and upgrade the Busk Road (existing residential area),” the MOTI spokesperson said.
“The resulting traffic would be traveling directly through a residential area (and) the financial cost of investing in both a new terminal and new vessel was not viable when compared to other options.”
Now that Kootenay Lake ferry terminal is staying in Balfour, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure(MOTI) is asking for more public input into improvements to the terminal.
The participants in the 2016 public consultation ranked washrooms, public parking, and a public transit area as the top three amenities they wanted to see at the improved ferry terminal.
One of the concerns raised at the last round of public consultations was that more time needed to be given for the consultation process itself.
The ministry is currently undertaking additional consultation on a vision for the Kootenay Bay ferry service, with public open houses scheduled for February 27 and 28.
There will be temporary changes to service due to low water levels. From March 11-24 and April 8-24, the MV Osprey will be running at a reduced capacity, and between March 25 and April 7 the MV Balfour will be used to ferry cars across Kootenay Lake.
The MV Balfour has a carrying capacity for 28 vehicles, and the MV Osprey will be running with fewer than its 80-vehicle capacity, so the MOTI recommends the public should plan ahead if traveling during this period.
DriveBC has up-to-the-minute information as well as a highway cam that shows the ferry queue, and there are alternate routes.
More information about the Balfour Ferry Terminal public consultation is available online at gov.bc.ca/balfourterminal
