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Kootenay Lake, Harrop/Proctor, Glade Ferries Strike Information

by Ingrid Baetzel, Editor

photo by Daniel Seguin Photography

Regarding potential strike action by Kootenay Lake, Harrop/Proctor and Glade ferry workers: Paul Hindson, in conversation with Mainstreet, spoke about his time at the Labour Relations Board hearings in Vancouver last week. Following are points regarding what we might/can expect:

1. The hearings are continuing today and tomorrow (Aug 27/28) and then wrapping up with a decision.

2. The union can give contingent notice to strike at any time. They need to give 72 hours strike notice. That means that if the hearings result in the ferry being deemed a non-essential service, the strike can occur as early as Thursday, Aug 29. If it’s deemed an essential service, strike action would not be occurring.

3. In conversation with ferry hands and workers, Hindson said that there are very legitimate reasons for concern and that the crew have asked for a long time for changes and are aware of the ramifications for travelers (and East Shore residents) if strike action occurs.

4. If strike action occurs, the ferry would run a morning and afternoon run. If the pass closed, they would do more runs to clear traffic. Prioritization will likely be given to those traveling for health and education purposes.

Watch for more info to follow and if there are any corrections/additions/changes, please inform. We are posting what we know as we go.

10 Responses

  1. Can we get the ferry landing moved from Balfour to gravel pit by Queens Bay as well as treating our under staffed and under payed ferry employees better. Crawford Bay residents and businesses our suffering. Majority of west kootenay side Balfour and Nelson who vote against these things don’t even use the ferry. So it is a novelty for them not a need. Ours is a need.

    1. Majority of people from the east shore dont use the nice parks and beaches in queens bay. There is a ferry landing in balfour already. People from the west part of the lake will suffer all this is destroyed. You live on the est shore you make a choice. You can drive to creston.

      1. I do have since I was a child.The hwy to Creston is un safe in the winter and there is no emergency hospital services.Most people work in Nelson. Kids go to school across the boat.The current ferry landing is inadequate.The arm gets dregded and the ferry is down often do to damage from the arms water depth.The parking lot is to small. Most businesses at Balfour landing our seasonal. There is a gravel pit owned by hwys past Queens Bay that is actually a better spot than the beach. So Queens bay beach and all the illegal houses could be left undisturbed. This could work for bith sides

        1. There are no illegal houses in Queens Bay!!!!! Most businesses in Balfour all there all year around, with the exception of the tie-dye T-shirt Bus and Blue Sky. DUck and Dock takes January off and some in February.
          Blue Sky employs the same people every year that are counting on this job!!!!

    2. The ferry certainly is NOT a novelty for us residents of the West Shore, …..we need the ferry on a regular basis! It’s an essential service!!!!

  2. Actually a good chunk of the water front homes in Queens Bay are built on hwy easement. No permits. I hope it would never happen but hwys could give notice to the owners to remove those homes. Other than the gas station, bakery and grocery store.Nothing wad open last winter.The bakery has cut there hours as well

    1. It concerns , I think, the last 10 homes….they have been in people.s families now for 3 and 4 generations, they all have land on the upper part of the highway , that’s why they are tolerated there. When the highway came through many years ago, these homes were allowed to stay. One of the old timers said that it was in those early days with a handshake of someone in a government office in Victoria….of course now this person in Victoria has long deceased. I go to Balfour Ferrylanding in Winter all the time, to get gas at or pick up parcels at GILL AND GIFT….. to get bread or a snack at BAKERY, eat lunch at Lang’s (which is opened again with other people running it) ….Balfour Store for organic Milk and eggs……KOOTENAY GOURMET for fish and chips…..
      Sorry they were closed when you were there…it’s good to have a warm place to go in Winter while waiting.

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