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December 14, 1983

Newsroom 985-2131

Classified 986-6222

HIGHER

pag |

WEDNESDAY
cloudy. with sun
THURSDAY
cloudy, with sun

Point Atkinson
Wednesday

IRK ISLANDERS

RESIDENTS OF Bowen Island will meet with
representatives of the B.C. Ferry Corporation Fri-
day to discuss the recently announced fare increases
for the Bowen Island ferry run.

The increased fares, effec-
tive January 1, see the Bowen
Island passenger fare mse
$1.14 return for passengers,
while the fares for cars will
increase 70 cents for each
tp.

Georg Helenius, GVRD
director for Bowen Island,
told the North Shore News

Monday the Bowen Ferry
Committee intends to
prepare a brief on the issue,
in addition to contacting
Alex Fraser, Minister of
Highways, George Baldwin,
General Manager of the B.C.
Ferry Corporation, and

Stuart Hodgson, the Cor-
poration’s chairman of the
Board.

He said the Committee
decided on this route at a
meeting held at the Bowen
Island Community School
last Saturday. Attending the
meeting were representatives

of the Island Trust, the
GVRD, and the School
Board, three members at
large, and about 175

members of the public.
‘John Rich (an island
trustee) phoned the B.C.

Ferry Corporation on Friday
to find out why the rates went
up and they refused to give
him any information,’’ said
Helenius. ‘'This is so out-
Tageous, and it just doesn’t
make any sense ... What we
think is that the B.C. Ferry
staff made a mistake in
calculating the Bowen Island
runs. If it was just a matter of
imcreasing the fares by 15
cents then it wouldn't be as
bad.”’

Citing Alex Fraser’s com-
ments last June that all

Crown corporamons would
have rates or fares increased
in accordance with the
government's six and five
formula, Helenius _ stated,
“*“We could understand
that.’’

However, he added if the
Tates go through as announc-
ed ‘‘a totally different and
chaotic parking situation’’
would be created both in
Horseshoe Bay and on
Bowen Island.

**Horseshoe Bay would be
inundated with people try-

NEWS photo Buen Davia

JAUN-PAUL ST. LOUIS angrily displays the extra $1.65 a trip it will cost him to ase the
Bowen Island ferry come January |. St. Louls says the increases will coat him and his
flancee as much as $600 more a month to commute to the mainiand. See story above.

ing to find parking spots and
in the summers it would be
even worse. There’s about
210 cars a day commuting
from Bowen Island and there
are no real parking facilities
here to speak of,’’ said
Helenius.

He said he now plans to
mention the fare increases at
Wednesday’s meeting of the
GVRD and to ask for the
group’s support in the
Island’s drive to have the
fares reduced.

‘*l think we have a good
chance of setting up a
meeting with the corporation
this week, and | feel our
chances are equally good at
getting the rates lowered,’" he
said.

Return ticket prices for
ferry passengers to and from
Bowen Island will cost adults
$2.50, and chiidren ages 5-11,
$1.50. Students will travel
free from Monday to Friday,
as will BC semors) from
Monday to Thursday

Cars, which were previous
ly charged $6 60 will
cost $8 return, while com
munter vehicle tickets will be
set at $6

In comparison, passengess

now

travelling the Gulf Islands
Schwarts) Bay run will pay
$2.50 for an adult) return
ticket, up from $1 85 with

vehicles Costing $8 ceturn

The Manager of Com
munications for the bers
Corporation Bill Bouchard
says be has not been notified
as tothe reasons for the fare
hike fer Bowen Island
travellers but he added thc
fees hase been passed by an
Order in © ound

We reverse a subsidy ot
over $40 anit through che
proovinctal government which
together with ‘tre faree-
chables us te operate Che bee
res Sata Boous tiara

Comer XO C0 Cons Ot COORD CES OO
last annual repoct for the oo
Pree rerdn OPP nat reg OSES Fone
the preciod crabs Nbased &i
PORN rota dle dh BEAM rablbon
while operating  Fevenuaes
ariountedh boo FLO XO GOG
Phe poxvernment subsidy due
rig the sae period was bat

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