Local government and BC Ferries are in preliminary support of an idea to redistribute ferry vouchers to allow Lower Mainland youth sports teams to travel to the Sunshine Coast on discount.
Elphinstone Secondary volleyball coach Andrew Appleton appealed to School District No. 46 trustees at a Nov. 15 board meeting to support his efforts to find a solution to the dearth of home games on the Coast.
BC Ferries/Shutterstock
Appleton also asked BC Ferries to consider modifying the voucher system currently in place to give Lower Mainland teams a discount.
Darin Guenette, public affairs manager with BC Ferries, later confirmed with Coast Reporter the idea could work so long as the Lower Sunshine Coast community supports it.
Currently, Sunshine Coast youth teams can apply for vouchers through the SCRD and SD46 to travel on Route 3 between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay to participate in sports events on the Lower Mainland. The vouchers do not cover the fares for cars and drivers.
The voucher system is funded through a half per cent increase on Route 3 fares. It was launched to give Coast teams a break on travel expenses, which is why the discount currently only applies to them. Adding off-Coast athletes to the program would not require extra funding, Guenette said.
At the SD46 meeting, Appleton said he鈥檇 like to find a way to make travel for Lower Mainland teams less expensive to entice them to the Coast. 鈥淲hat we really need if we want to have home games is to have access for those kids on the mainland that would come over here if they didn鈥檛 have to pay $30 for every kid,鈥� Appleton told trustees, adding that 鈥渨ithout the home crowd, I really do think that something is missing in that sports program.鈥�
Board chair Pammila Ruth noted that the South Coast branch of the BC School Trustee Association (BCSTA) had previously lobbied to get student vouchers for ferry travel. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a fight I know we鈥檇 be willing to keep going at the BCSTA. That鈥檚 something we can see going forward,鈥� she said.
Appleton said his goal is to find a solution in time for next year鈥檚 volleyball season. He said Sunshine Coast-Powell River MLA Nicholas Simons supports the initiative. Appleton has also contacted the Ministry of Education and was redirected to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Related: BC Ferries plans to revamp reservation fares on three major routes
Guenette of BC Ferries said the idea would likely have to be raised at the Southern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee, given that the current system was intended to support Coast athletes and because it鈥檚 funded through fares. 鈥淚n a way this is still helping the sports teams because they are getting home games,鈥� added Guenette.
On Nov. 3, Appleton organized an exhibition volleyball tournament and invited eight teams from the North Shore, all of which declined. The competition was held anyway with participation from upper and lower Sunshine Coast teams. It drew a home crowd of about 200 supporters.
鈥淓very school in the province doesn鈥檛 have this issue where they have to pay to play team sports,鈥� Appleton told Coast Reporter following the SD46 board meeting. 鈥淎ll we鈥檙e looking is to have it equal across the board.鈥�
