Modernize federal ferry funding
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to modernize federal ferry funding policies and provide fair, stable, long-term federal operational support for BC Ferries as essential national transportation infrastructure.
Why we would sign this petition
- Provides stable federal funding to ensure continuous ferry service that connects coastal communities, workers and supply chains.
- Modernizing funding formulas could correct outdated arrangements so support reflects current population and usage on Vancouver Island.
- Recognizes BC Ferries as national transportation infrastructure, supporting economic activity and social ties across coastal regions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Increased federal operational support could be costly and require trade-offs in federal budgets or other priorities.
- Changing federal funding may raise constitutional and jurisdictional issues with provinces and existing agreements.
- Alternatives like targeted subsidies, efficiency reforms, or negotiated cost-sharing might achieve fairness without broad federal commitments.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Ferries are essential marine highways connecting coastal communities, workers, families, businesses, and supply chains to the rest of Canada; Vancouver Island is approaching one million residents and BC Ferries carries more than 22 million passengers annually; According to analysis prepared by the Library of Parliament, BC Ferries received approximately $1.63 in federal operational support per passenger in 2024-25, compared to approximately $291 for federally supported East Coast ferry systems; Canadians in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia both deserve strong federal ferry support because these services are essential national transportation infrastructure; Current federal ferry funding agreements rely on outdated constitutional arrangements and formulas created decades ago, when Vancouver Island had roughly half its current population; Vancouver Island and coastal communities should not have to become separate provinces in order to receive fair federal ferry support; and It is no longer sustainable to operate one of the world’s largest ferry systems without stable, long-term federal operational support. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to modernize federal ferry funding policies and provide fair, stable, long-term federal operational support for BC Ferries as essential national transportation infrastructure.
Government response
No government response is available yet.