bc ferries summer 07_the wave

IN THIS ISSUE Remembering Ray Whitehead Page 2 Page 3 Page 5Queen of Alberni Returns Page 6 Page 8 1

Page 12 Page 14 Page 15Page 17 Page 18

THE WAVESUMMER 2007BC Ferries' Employee Newsletter

story on page 3BC BIKE RACE 2007

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It is with fond memories that we rememberRay Whitehead, who served on BC Ferries’ Board of Directors as the nominee of the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union from June 24, 1998 to June 11, 2007.

During his time with BC Ferries, Ray was an active and enthusiastic member on a variety of Board committees and served on the Boards of the B.C. Ferry Authority and BC Ferries’ subsidiary, Catamaran Ferries International Inc. Ray’s extensive service and contribution to BC Ferries have been invaluable to the evolution of the company.

Prior to his appointment to the Board of BC Ferries, Ray was a former Regional Director of the Canadian Union of Public

Employees in B.C., responsible for the administration of the main office and nine regional offices throughout the Province.

With more than 30 years experience in the labour field, Ray had extensive involvement in negotiating collective agreements both provincially and nationally. He was past Treasurer of Branch 263 of the Royal Canadian Legion and was a member at large of that organization. Ray also sat on the Board of Directors of the British Columbia Safety Authority.

Ray is deeply missed and remembered for his kindness, dedication, wit and commitment to his family, friends and colleagues.

RAY WHITEHEADJANUARY 15, 1941 – JUNE 11, 2007

IN MEMORIAM

Patricia Abbott passed away

on May 10, 2007. Patricia

joined BC Ferries on June 24,

1981 and worked as a Cashier,

Hospitality Services at Long

Harbour prior to going to long-

term disability in 1993. We send

our condolences to Patricia’s

family and friends.

Captain Robert (Bob) Ashmore

passed away on April 15, 2007.

Bob began his career as a mate

with the Black Ball Ferry System

in 1957 and retired as a captain

from BC Ferries in 1980 after

working for many years on the

Bowen Queen out of Horseshoe

Bay. We send our condolences

to Bob’s family and friends.

Jonathan (Johnny) Bennett

passed away on June 3, 2007.

Johnny began his 23-year career

with BC Ferries in 1964, working

as a deckhand and second mate

at Long Harbour and as first

mate at Fulford Harbour. We

send our condolences to Johnny’s

family and friends.


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IN MEMORIAM

Ernie Kiss passed away on

April 14, 2007. Ernie started

with BC Ferries in 1985 and

retired in January 2000 as

an engine room assistant

based at Alert Bay. Ernie was

a colourful, resourceful and

generous individual who leaves

many friends both at BC Ferries

and in the community of Alert

Bay. We send our condolences

to Ernie’s family and friends.

Reg Parsons passed away on

June 4, 2007 after a lengthy

illness. Reg joined BC Ferries

in 1984 as a painter at Swartz

Bay and held that position until

his retirement in 2004. Reg was

a dedicated employee who was

well thought of by his coworkers

and will be remembered fondly.

We send our condolences to

Reg’s family and friends.

Ken Simpson passed away on

March 29, 2007. Ken was a

third engineer on Route 2 until

he retired in January 1995 after

35 years with BC Ferries. We

send our condolences to Ken’s

family and friends.

BC Ferries was a proud sponsor of this year’s BC Bike Race that saw hundreds of cycling enthusiasts travel from Sooke to Whistler in a seven-day adventure that included travel onboard BC Ferries. Two lucky employees, Mike Cruickshank, Third Cook, Nanaimo, and Wayne Neumann, Chief Engineer, Swartz Bay, (pictured on the cover) were invited to join stage four of the race from the Comox Valley to Powell River, Earls Cove and Sechelt. Mike and Wayne had a fantastic time and say they were most proud of the terrific service their fellow employees provided to the competitors. For many, the journey onboard BC Ferries was the highlight of the event.

BC BIKE RACE 2007


GREETINGS FROM THE QUEENOF TSAWWASSEN

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Sue Bowen, Second Steward,

Nanaimo; Sasha Perret,

Terminal Attendant, Horseshoe

Bay; and Cale Burns, Customer

Service Attendant, Nanaimo.

I have to use a wheelchair to

get on and off the ferries and

these employees made my trip

onboard the Queen of Cowichan

that much easier by their kind

attention and efforts. Sue and

Sasha made all of the necessary

arrangements, which took the

stress out of my journey. When

I took the return trip a few days

later, there was a wheelchair

waiting for me at the coach

and, once again, Sasha was my

guardian angel. It is people like

these that give your service such

a good name. I know that as

long as you have Sue, Sasha and

Cale to look after people like

me, I will never have any qualms

about travelling on BC Ferries.”

–Nanaimo

“I’ve been in Vancouver for the

last several days for business

and stayed downtown in a well

respected high-end hotel during

my stay. On my return trip, I ate

at the Pacific Buffet and that

meal was the best I had during

my trip and was less than half

the cost of any other dinner I

had. The service and staff were

also fantastic. I don’t know what

you’ve done to achieve such

a great improvement in both

your food and your service, but

perhaps BC Ferries should get

into the land-based restaurant

business!”

–Victoria


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Construction is well underway at Vancouver Shipyards on our Intermediate class ferry, designated as the replacement for the Queen of Tsawwassen on Route 7 (Saltery Bay – Earls Cove).

Fabrication of the main hull structure is being carried out at both VanShip and Vancouver Drydock, with erection taking place in the adjacent W Building. The vessel’s superstructure is being fabricated at Victoria Shipyards, where major outfitting will also be carried out.

All four Niigata main engines passed through factory acceptance testing without a hitch, as have the Right Angle Drive units. The main hull construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of October with the launch scheduled for early November. Shortly thereafter, the hull will be towed across to Esquimalt where the superstructure will be fitted in place. Upon return to Vancouver Shipyards, the outfitting will be finalized and the systems tested before the vessel undergoes dock and sea trials prior to delivery in April 2008.

LENGTH OVERALL – 102.40 metres

BREADTH OVER FENDERS – 27.00 metres

DRAUGHT (MAX) – 4.80 metres

PROPULSION SYSTEM – 4 – Niigata Engines/RADs (4 x 1140 kW @ 750 rpm MCR)

SERVICE SPEED – 14½ knots

VEHICLE CAPACITY – 125 AEQ (including Gallery Decks)

PASSENGER COMPLEMENT – 600

The ship is scheduled to be commissioned into service by the summer of 2008.

INTERMEDIATE FERRY UPDATE

CORPORATE ROWING CHALLENGEIt was a great day at the races for the BC Ferries teams at the annual Community Corporate Rowing Challenge Regatta. The eight boat Rock-n-Rowers took the silver medal in their category, with the quad boat Star Oars taking the bronze in their division. Training was hard work and there were lots of aching muscles, blisters and bruises, but it was the great spirit and teamwork that won the races. The event was a terrific success with more than 80 teams from around Victoria competing to raise funds for Dynamic Opportunities for Youth. Fun was had by all and the BC Ferries teams are already preparing to take gold next year.


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QUEEN OF ALBERNI’S $40 MILLION UPGRADEOn June 30, the Queen of Alberni returned to service on the Duke Point – Tsawwassen run after a seven-month, $40 million mid-life upgrade that included significant mechanical and safety improvements, as well as new and improved passenger amenities. The upgrade, which prepared the vessel for another 20 years of service, included:

In addition to looking and running great, the ship has a host of new customer amenities ranging from expanded onboard food service facilities to a coin-operated shower for the convenience of long-haul truckers. The new shower was added after input from our commercial customers, who utilize this route frequently to move goods back and forth between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

$50,000 RAISED FOR KIDSPORT™

On June 1, 2007, more than 170 media, corporate and government representatives participated in the second annual BC Ferries Media Charity Golf Classic, which raised $50,000 for KidSport™ to help underprivileged children participate in organized sport. The event provides a unique opportunity to bring together three distinct sectors of our economy in support of a very worthy cause—helping kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in organized sports.


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“I would like you to know about

the VIP treatment I experienced

from your employees. I just

missed the 7 p.m. sailing from

Horseshoe Bay to Departure

Bay, so I locked my car and

walked over to the village. When

I returned I saw that I had

locked my keys inside the car,

so I approached an employee

and told her my problem. The

car is a Miata and proved to

be a real challenge. All of the

Nanaimo bound cars in the lot

were loaded when I saw the

inside latch move. With a quick

thanks I jumped in the car and

was the last vehicle loaded.

About 10:15, I asked the Chief

Steward about our ETA and

told her I didn’t think I would

make the Gabriola ferry. She

got the details of my car and

its location on the deck, and

when I got to my car there was

a deck officer there waiting to

direct me off the ferry. When I

pulled up to the ticket booth at

the Gabriola ferry, I was met

with the greeting “Red Mazda

Miata, so you're the one we've

been looking for!” Please let

the employees know how much

I appreciated their efforts.”

–Gabriola

RICHMOND CELEBRATES1,000 DAYS WITHOUT ATIME LOSS INJURY!On May 22, the Safety, Security and Environment Division presented the Richmond Regional Safety Committee an Award of Excellence for Workplace Safety plaque in recognition of 1,000 days without a time-loss injury and outstanding workplace safety leadership.

The Supply Chain team, consisting of 40 employees who provide purchasing, warehousing and logistic services to BC Ferries employees, actively promotes safety each and every day at our Richmond office. These skilled employees are involved in the safe handling of commodities, dangerous goods and large vessel components, as well as the operation of a range of mobile equipment, including high-capacity forklifts and heavy-duty trucks.

After the Richmond Regional Safety Committee identified the need to increase awareness of safe working practices and time-loss incidents, Committee member Mark Gazzola, Technical Storesperson, suggested the creation of a time-loss safety notice board. Today, an electronic ‘Days Without a Time-Loss’ sign resides in the main entrance at the Richmond office. As of the end of June, Richmond had achieved 1,000 days without a time-loss incident, with the last recorded time-loss incident occurring in July 2004.

Congratulations to the Richmond employees for their achievements and commitment to safety. Please contact your Regional SSE manager or safety officer regarding your departments’ safety achievements or visit the SSE site on the intranet.


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OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY& HEALTH UPDATE

“My wife and I travelled from

Horseshoe Bay – Nanaimo last

week and saw a vest in the

Gift Shop that we liked, but

decided to wait to purchase it on

our return to Nanaimo. As luck

would have it, the next week

we were on a different boat

and the Gift Shop did not have

the vest in the colour or size I

needed. I asked the lady at the

register if there were any other

vests on the ship. She said that

there may be some in storage

and that if I came back before

the crossing reached Nanaimo

she would check during her

break and let me know. When

I checked with her she informed

me that there were no other

vests in storage, but that if I

left her my name and phone

number she would have someone

check with the supplier and get

back to me. Yesterday afternoon

we got a call from BC Ferries

that a vest had been obtained

and that it could be picked up

at the administration office at

Departure Bay. I can’t thank

the Gift Shop staff and anyone

else involved in this enough.

The service from all involved

was above and beyond the call.

Please thank these folks for me.

Great job and great service!!!!!”

–Nanaimo

In Canada, a worker is injured on the job every 9 seconds, every day. With the participation of industry, labour and educational organizations, our goal is to reduce our time-loss injury rate in the workplace by 25 per cent over five years.

THE RIGHT TO KNOW

THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE– in safety and health

THE RIGHT TO REFUSE

FIRST AID ATTENDANT’S AUTHORITYThe first aid attendant has the authority to act and take charge when a person is injured and requires medical attention. This authority is established by the WCB in Occupational First Aid Regulation 24.

IN 2006–07, THERE WERE1,450 EMPLOYEE INJURIESREPORTED AT BC FERRIES.

KEY PRIORITIES:

work practices

injured at work and supporting an early return to work with modified duties

20% head/neck/shoulder

17% back/spine/chest

10% arm

31% hand/wrist

15% leg/hip

6% foot/ankle

1% other

FACTSThe body parts that a worker is most likely to injure are:

Almost one of every three workplace injuries is hand-related (31%).


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“In April, I attended a sea burial

on the Powell River Queen just

off Quadra Island. I want to

thank Captain Gord Nettleton,

Marine Superintendent ,

Nor thern I slands , and

Captain Wayne Maxted,

Senior Master, for assisting

with the arrangements and

conducting such a moving

service. Captain Maxted met

us on dock in full dress uniform

with a bouquet of flowers for

the mother of the deceased,

escorted us onboard and made

us welcome. When the time

was right, he had the ferry

stopped and consigned the

ashes to the sea. It didn’t take

long, but the compassion offered

by the captain and the deckhands

was above and beyond the

duties of running a ferry. Please

commend the staff members

who provide this personal and

compassionate service to the

public. Thank you.”

–Powell River

“I would like to say that your

onboard gift shop has gone from

okay and interesting to new

stratospheric highs in retailing

in the past few years. The focus

on ‘Made in Canada’ goods, as

well as made locally in BC, has

really caught my attention. The

product selection and displays

are very creatively done. Keep

up the good work and give a pat

on the back to whoever has the

job of keeping the store products

current and fresh looking.”

–Vancouver

INJURIES ARE UP

16%

REGION 2005–06 2006–07

Admin./DPMI 4 5

North Islands 35 36

South Islands 38 34

North 9 16

Central 74 96

South 97 111

TOTAL 257 298

INCREASE

WCB INCIDENTS BY REGION

SAFETY, SECURITY & ENVIRONMENT IS NOW ONLINE!For details and up-to-date information about injury statistics for your point of assembly, visit the Safety, Security & Environment site on the Operations Division pages on the intranet.

BUILDING A SAFER WORKPLACETHROUGH TEAMWORKOur Occupational Safety & Health team, which is here to help all of us create a safer workplace, is responsible for a range of OSH-related matters, including:

and Fleet Regulations regarding occupational safety and health;

Visit the OSH site on the intranet to read more about our OSH team, who is responsible for what and how you can make a difference in creating a safer workplace!


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Queen of Cowichan as foot

passengers. My wife’s arthritic

knees make it difficult for her to

walk any distance. The employee

in the ticket booth showed

genuine concern for our welfare,

ordering up a wheelchair and

assuring us that the ferry would

not depart without us. The

crew member who accompanied

the wheelchair was equally

attentive to our needs. Smiling

and cheerful, she treated us like

we were the only passengers on

the ferry. Our sincere thanks to

both of them.”

–Courtenay

“This evening, I drove my

daughter and her cousin to

get the 9:15 p.m. sailing from

Horseshoe Bay to Langdale.

I missed the village exit

and instead ended up at the

tollbooth. The staff member

inside the tollbooth listened as

I apologized for my stupidity

and then directed me to go

down lane 1 and the ferry staff

at the bottom of the hill would

direct me back around. They

did, and they were polite and

friendly. Thank you and please

commend the staff at Horseshoe

Bay, particularly the girl in the

tollbooth for Langdale, for their

exceptional service.”

–West Vancouver

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR COASTAL CRUISING!It was an historic moment for BC Ferries and a time of great pride for all of us when the Coastal Renaissance was launched on April 19. The bridge decks have been added to the vessel and the countdown is on for the ship to set sail and begin its exciting journey from the shipyard in Germany to its new home in Departure Bay. While the steel production is complete, extensive insulation, painting and piping work is continuing. The vessel is in the outfitting stage where the interior of the vessel is being completed. Some of the interior work, such as finishing work on flooring and the installation of wall panels, stainless steel counters and bulkheads, has already been completed.

Construction of the Coastal Inspiration is also in full swing with 100 per cent of the steel modules completed and being assembled in the erection shed. The BC Ferries team is hard at work during the pre-outfitting stage where they are called upon to conduct detailed inspections of connections of steel sections. The third ship, Coastal Celebration, is in the fabrication stage, with the keel laying scheduled for late August.


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“I would like to commend one of

your staff, Margaree Porteous,

Senior Chief Steward,

Nanaimo, who went above and

beyond to return a memory stick

to my research centre. There

was much valuable information

on the stick and we were very

appreciative to have her call

and then mail the stick to us. I

have always had good service on

BC Ferries and I would like

to see Ms Porteous recognized

for her excellent customer

service.”

–Campbell River

“I just wanted to thank you for

the excellent service I received

several weeks ago. Early in the

morning, my father underwent

emergency surgery. My sister

phoned at 6 a.m. to tell me

I should come immediately as

the next few hours were critical.

I arrived at the terminal

15 minutes to 7 a.m. and the

ferry was full. When I asked

the ticket agent if there

were provisions for medical

emergencies she did not

hesitate. She phoned ahead to

the loading staff and directed

me to the assured loading

line. I arrived at the hospital

and spent the next few days

waiting for my father to turn the

corner. I am happy to say he

is home and recuperating, but

those extra few hours made

a huge difference to me and

my family. Please let your staff

know how much I appreciated

their assistance and compassion

that morning.”

–Victoria

Our three new Super C-class ferrieswill deliver a special invitation to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games when the ships begin sailing from Europe to British Columbia this fall. The Coastal Renaissance, Coastal Inspiration and Coastal Celebration will be wrapped with massive photo-graphic images and branding colours representing the 2010 Winter Games and the beauty of British Columbia.

The wrapped ships will sail from Flensburg, Germany through the Panama Canal to British Columbia, with promotional stops in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle to raise awareness for the 2010 Winter Games and promote British Columbia

as a tourism destination. The Coastal Renaissance will be unveiled with its 2010 Winter Games livery in Flensburg on September 21 and will arrive in British Columbia in mid-November. The ship will enter service in January 2008, with the remaining two vessels, the Coastal Inspiration and the Coastal Celebration, joining the fleet by the summer of 2008.

We are proud to have joined forces with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and 3M Canada to design and create these giant decals—the largest marine application of printed graphics ever undertaken. The decals will be produced in Vancouver and applied at the shipyard in Germany.

NEW VESSELS TO PROMOTE2010 OLYMPIC GAMES


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DUKE POINT CELEBRATES TENYEARS IN BUSINESS

“I would like to comment on

the wonderful help we received

from Phil Jones, Senior

Chief Steward, and Customer

Service Attendants Darren

Ko and Danielle Pfeifer. We

were passengers on Spirit of

Vancouver Island departing

Vancouver at 21:00 and needed

help as our final destination

was Campbell River, which was

a problem at that hour of the

night. All your staff onboard

were terrific, but especially

those named as they went

beyond the call of duty to solve

our problems. Danielle and

Darren drove all four of us all

the way to Campbell River after

the ship docked at 10:45. They

didn’t get home until around

6:30 am the next morning as it

was a very long drive. We are

extremely grateful and cannot

say thank you enough. They are

a credit to your company.”

–Australia

“I would like to take a moment

to thank the loading/unloading

crew for their help in putting

us at ease on our first ferry

trip with our 32 foot RV.

We were quite apprehensive

about getting on and off the

vessel, but starting with the

ticket agent right through to

offloading, we were treated

with patience and guidance. The

B watch crew from Little River

are the best. We have always

been treated to their friendly

and cheerful service.”

–Powell River

“Offering free burgers and hot dogs at Duke Point on the 10th anniversary was a fantastic surprise. The sense of accomplishment and pride came through loud and clear from all the staff. As a ferry traveller for 38 years, this ‘share our success offering’ was wonderful! Good on whoever came up with the idea.”–Nanaimo

There was fun to be had on June 15 as employees and customers joined together to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Duke Point terminal.

Chefs including David L. Hahn, President & CEO, Mike Corrigan, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer; Manuel Achadinha, Vice President, Terminal Operations; Captain Andrew Poole, Marine Superintendent, South Coast; and Terminal Managers Jay Whitlaw and Melanie Lucia served up complimentary burgers, hot dogs and soft drinks throughout the afternoon.

DID YOU KNOW?The route between Tsawwassen and Nanaimo was first established in 1991 and was operated from our Departure Bay terminal prior to the opening of the Duke Point terminal in 1997. Service between Tsawwassen and the mid-Island is a route favoured by commercial customers as the early morning sailing allows truckers to get a jump-start on the day. Since 1997, more than 13.9 million customers and 5.7 million vehicles have travelled through Duke Point terminal.


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“On behalf of the Sidney &

District Cane Club, we would

like to thank your excellent

staff for the assistance they

gave our group of visually

impaired members and their

guides during a trip onboard the

Queen of Cumberland. All of the

employees made our trip very

easy and delightful.”

–Sidney

“My 77-year-old friend from

Singapore and I took the ferry

from Vancouver to Nanaimo.

She felt the walk to board the

ferry was too much for her so

I asked if she would like me to

wheelchair her off the ferry. We

were then walking by a group of

your staff who were waiting to

disembark because they were off

shift. Julie Johnson, Customer

Service Attendant, Nanaimo,

heard my question, caught up to

us and asked if she could help

get a wheelchair for us. She did

and even wheeled my friend all

the way to the terminal. This

was definitely beyond the call of

duty. We are so touched by her

gesture. My friend was thrilled

because she had dreaded the

walk out. Julie certainly saved

her a lot of pain and exhaustion.

Thank you, Julie, for caring

and being special and thank

you management for selecting

wonderful people like Julie

to be on staff. We are truly

grateful!!”

–Vancouver


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7“Thanks to everyone who helped

me fulfill my husband’s wish to

have his ashes scattered at sea.

My husband and I have fished in

BC waters for more than 30 years.

Thanks to Mary Anne Foote,

Administrative Assistant,

Marine Superintendent, who

was so gentle and kind to my

daughter and helped out greatly

to bring the service to fruition.

When we arrived onboard the

Queen of Vancouver, Captain

David Milligan met us and

was so gracious to our party

of seven. He helped make the

moment so much easier and

made us feel so secure. We truly

appreciated his caring, empathy

and attentiveness to our needs.

Also, Chief Officer Richard

Wong was so helpful and saw to

it that we were escorted down to

the car deck for the scattering

of ashes service. His patience

and help were an immense

relief as we didn’t know what

to expect. Please convey our

heartfelt thanks to all involved

and to BC Ferries for providing

this great service.”

–Langley

“The staff at the Prince Rupert

Terminal are awesome. When I

travelled last month I was helped

by one of the nicest women I

have met in my dealings with

BC Ferries. She is deserving of

5 stars.”

–Prince Rupert

THE B WATCH FRAUD SQUADThe use of stolen, cloned or fraudulent credit cards is a risk for any retail operation. BC Ferries is not immune tothis activity and relies on its cashiers andticket agents to be vigilant and to scrutinizecredit cards tendered for purchases. The B Watch, Queen of Cowichan, catering crew stands out as been particularly successful in recovering a number of bad credit cards.

In March, Gift-shop Cashier Cindy Pleasance was suspicious of a credit card being used by a customer. Cindy alerted Sheila O’Neill, Chief Steward, who contacted the credit card company for an authorization. It was determined

the card was indeed fraudulent and the credit card company asked that the police be called. The customer was paged and returned to the Chief Steward’s office where he was met by a uniformed RCMP member who happened to be onboard. The customer attempted to avoid being nabbed by throwing his wallet and identification overboard. Nonetheless, he was arrested and taken ashore where he was subsequently charged with forging a credit card. Scotia Bank, the issuer of the credit card, recognized the efforts of Cindy and Sheila and issued each employee a cheque for $100 for a job well done. Congratulations, Cindy and Sheila!

Cashiers and ticket agents recover many fraudulent credit cards using a process known as a Code 10 Authorization. A phone call to the credit card issuing agency will confirm the validity of any suspect card. Our company has an internal program in place to reward cashiers and ticket agents with a gift certificate in the amount of $50 for each card recovered. Thanks to all employees for your continuing efforts in identifying perpetrators of this crime and contributing to the reduction of revenue losses.

BE PART OF THE FRAUD SQUAD


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Are you familiar with enCompass? If not, you’re missing out on a fantastic one-stop shopping experience where you’ll find lots of great information to help you in your day-to-day activities. While the enCompass site was originally designed to make the busy and fast-paced lives of the customer service employees a little easier, the result is a great resource bank for the rest of us.

Zoe King, Manager, Customer Service Centre, along with Customer Sales & Service Representatives Erika Lax and Dave Kotorynski, led the Customer Service team on a page-by-page review of the old reference pages to develop new pages that would improve access to information for the service centre group. Together, the entire Customer Service team participated in the content reviews and design feedback.

Roberta Chartier, Manager, Customer Service, says she is “very proud of enCompass and the role that it plays in providing the Customer Service representatives with easy to find, consistent information. I am equally delighted that it provides a resource to many other departments of BC Ferries. By collaborating with our partners in other areas of the company, we are ensuring that the same information is accessible to everyone simultaneously.”

Visit enCompass to find links to fares, schedules and current conditions, policies and procedures, exchange rates and conversion calculators, ship dispositions, current promotions and partnerships, route maps, terminal contacts and much, much more.

If there is information that you would like to see on enCompass or if you have suggestions for improvements, click on the feedback link on the left side of the page to send your comments directly to the Customer Service team.

VISIT ENCOMPASS AND NAVIGATE THE BC FERRIES WORLD!

BC FERRIES TAKES SIX TRIPLE O AWARDS!On June 19, 2007, BC Ferries was a big winner at the 2007 White Spot Triple O awards banquet, taking home six awards for the evening. The Spirit of Vancouver Island, Spirit of British Columbia, Queen of Oak Bay and Queen of Cowichan all received sales recognition awards for passing the $1,000,000 level in burger sales, while the catering crew on the Queen of Surrey won the Highest Standard of Operations award for 2006/07. In addition, our BC Ferries Test Kitchen received special recognition for their work over the year. Congratulations to all the employees involved for their outstanding work!

From Left: Zoe King, Manager, Customer Service Centre, along with Customer Sales & Service Representatives Dave Kotorynski and Erika Lax, were instrumental in the design of enCompass.

Hans Zimmermann, Manager, Food & Beverage (centre), with Warren Erhart, President, White Spot, and Leah Norton, Director of Triple O’s, accepted the special recognition award on behalf of the BC Ferries Test Kitchen.

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7“We would like to send a huge

thank you to the captain of

the afternoon shift on the

Bowen Island ferry. On our

departure, he encountered

approximately 40 sail boats that

he had to manoeuvre through.

His patience and experience

were commendable. He waited

until there was an opening and

then proceeded to make his way

through at a very cautious pace

without using any horns. Please

pass this thank you along from

the Bowen Island Yacht Club.”

–Bowen Island

“I was travelling to Victoria with

a group of 48 seniors to see the

Titanic Exhibit. One of the ladies

in our group was celebrating her

92nd birthday. On our return

trip from Swartz Bay, we went

to the buffet and I mentioned to

Kevin Lee, Customer Service

Attendant, Swartz Bay, that

it was my friend’s birthday.

He sat us at a very nice table

and brought over a tablecloth

and a wine glass for her water.

Later, he brought over a special

cake. I have travelled all over

the world and have never seen

anyone do more. Kevin was just

wonderful and the birthday girl

was thrilled! I just wanted you

to know what a wonderful young

man you have as an employee.

Please convey our appreciation

to Kevin.”

–White Rock

This summer, in conjunction with Parks Canada, we’re providing an expanded Coastal Naturalists program onboard more than 1300 sailings between Tsawwassen - Swartz Bay and Horseshoe Bay - Departure Bay. The program, which was first introduced last summer, provides memorable experiences that both educate and inspire passengers as they travel through the southern Strait of Georgia and Gulf Islands region.

Using the outstanding local scenery, their own creative talents and a variety of props, nine coastal naturalists will host thirty-minute educational presentations on the outer decks of the vessels. Passengers will learn about:

Islands, its Mediterranean-like climate and the unique species of plants and animals that live here.

visible from the surface of the water.

and settlement in the islands.

Gulf Islands and beyond.

The presentations also highlight the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, one of Canada’s newest national parks, and other protected areas. Operated by Parks Canada, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve includes many pieces of land spread over numerous islands, islets and reefs in the southern Strait of Georgia to

safeguard some of the most endangered natural areas in Canada.

The Coastal Naturalists program will run on the two major Mainland – Vancouver Island routes from June 28 through September 9. Visit www.bcferries.com for a detailed schedule of the Coastal Naturalists presentations.

COASTAL NATURALIST PROGRAM


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“Imagine 50 teenagers, 13 to

18 years old, travelling on their

way to a regatta on Vancouver

Island. This is what happened on

the morning of April 27. All of

them are members of the Deep

Cove Rowing Club who were

going to the Brentwood Regatta,

the biggest high school regatta

on the West Coast. For almost

half of them, it was their first

regatta outside of the Lower

Mainland. They were excited!

They could not wait to go and

show off what they had been

practicing for in the past two

months. Taking the ferries for

these kids is always an event

as they use the crossing time to

prepare for their races, meet

with the rowing coaches, chill

together and take photographs

of each other.

Thank you to BC Ferries and

Sport BC for the Sporting Life

on the Coast grant that we used

to pay for the trailer transporting

our rowing shells. Because the

rowers’ families are responsible

for all of the expenses, this grant

helped all of the athletes.”

–Deep Cove Rowing Club

“Thanks to all the staff on

the Spirit of British Columbia

for their assistance after I took

ill on the sailing to Tsawwassen.

I have a heart problem and

the sick bay attendants were

absolutely wonderful. They were

helpful, nice, confident and very

reassuring, even as I was taken off

by ambulance. Please convey my

most heartfelt thanks to them.”

–Victoria

GET INVOLVED IN OUR CAREERDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM!Did you know we have a fantastic Career Development Program (CDP) that is a great way to develop your skills for management or supervisory positions? Our CDP takes up to six participants at a time and, over two days, involves them in a series of processes, exercises, experiences and interviews that simulate the realities of a management and supervisory positions. On the third day, participants take part in a program that helps them develop individual action plans to enhance their personal and career development. After completion of the interactive part of the program, participants meet with the administrator to discuss their experiences and receive feedback and coaching.

The CDP is administered by world-wide trainer, author and psychologist Bob Power. Experienced BC Ferries managers, specifically trained to evaluate and provide objective feedback to the participants, are also part of the program.

Since the CDP was introduced in December 2005, we have completed nine programs with 54 employees participating, with approximately 60 per cent of these employees subsequently attending other

training programs designed to advance their management and leadership skills. Eight of these employees have since been promoted to exempt management positions with several others acting in management positions in a developmental capacity.

If you are interested in putting your name forward for this program, please speak with your manager to discuss your career goals and interest in the program prior to contacting Lonni Swanlund, Director, Employee Development, at [email protected] or (250) 655-6170. Employees are prioritized to attend the program by their line manager and local Employee Relations staff based on local succession needs and the following criteria:

current job with potential for further development

judgment and maturity

We look forward to hearing from you!

FLASHBACK!


Sum

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7“As we were returning home

after my husband’s angioplasty

surgery, my husband experienced

some difficulty breathing. Four of

the crew came to help, including

Thomas Proietti, Customer

Service Attendant, Horseshoe

Bay. With his quiet, calm help,

Thomas made sure my husband

was okay and our trip continued

uneventfully. There is no doubt

the crew deserves tremendous

praise for the help they can

give passengers. Thank you to

everyone, especially Thomas, for

their effort in getting us home.”

–Qualicum Beach

“I just want to say a thank

you for the terrific service this

evening on the last ferry from

Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. The

ferry was delayed 22 minutes

at Tsawwassen because of a

passenger’s medical emergency.

I had a throughfare ticket to

Fulford and was concerned that

I might miss the last sailing.

The staff in the Chief Steward’s

office was very helpful, and I was

delighted and relieved that the

Fulford ferry was held for us.”

–Salt Spring Island

SNAPSHOTS AROUND THE FLEET


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“Thanks to Sheila Burdon

Murphy, Terminal Attendant,

who brought me tea after I

missed my sailing from Horseshoe

Bay. Sheila is a wonderful lady

and I really appreciated her

kindness. She is truly a sunshine

to everyone.”

–Ladysmith

“Nadine Suitor, Switchboard

Operator, Nanaimo, provided

tremendous assistance to my

family and me. She was friendly,

helpful, honest and comforting.

First of all, she accommodated us

as best she could and then went

the extra mile. As luck would

have it, my daughter accidentally

took my wallet onboard. Nadine

persevered for us with regard to

getting the wallet back before

the ship sailed. Unfortunately, it

did not happen, but we were very

grateful at the service we got from

her. In addition, the ticket agents

at Departure Bay were very

helpful, the deckhand was kind

to my daughter and the stewards

were so very gracious. Thank you

all for making this unfortunate

experience less stressful.”

–Nanaimo

“My mother was using one of

your wheelchairs and was given

deluxe service on and off the

ferry to Galiano and back to

Victoria. Thank you so much for

being so helpful as my daughter

was not able to be with us on the

ferry at this time. We travelled

from Manitoba to be with her on

the island and now that we are at

home we will certainly let others

know about the super care you

gave us. Thanks again.”

–Manitoba

SNAPSHOTS AROUND THE FLEET


THE WAVE is looking for stories, events and photos from throughout the fleet.

The next deadline for submissions is September 30, 2007.

Contact THE WAVEErinn Grant, Editor 1112 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8V 4V2 Tel: 1-877-280-1419 Fax: (250) 978-1119 [email protected]

THE WAVE

SAILING THE NORTHERN ADVENTURE

Thanks to Brian Baynes, Occupational Safety & Health Department, for submitting this terrific photo that he took as he travelled onboard the Northern Adventure from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert.


bc ferries summer 07_the wave

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