VICTORIA - One of the owners of an eco-friendly lodge in British Columbia's remote Bella Coola Valley says recent ferry service cuts are threatening local businesses and costing governments almost $1 million in lost tax revenues.
Tweedsmuir Park Lodge co-owner Beat Steiner says the impact of the ferry route and service cuts to B.C.'s mid-Coast were almost instant, with passenger traffic down by about 50 per cent and some businesses reporting losses of up to 90 per cent.
Steiner says the decision to cut the Discovery Coast ferry route between Port Hardy and Bella Coola, replacing it with a milk-run 16-vehicle ferry, threatens to turn Bella Coola into a dead-end community.
The West Chilcotin Tourism Association commissioned an impact study that concludes tourism revenue dropped by $3.9 million since the service cuts.
Opposition New Democrat Leader John Horgan says he blames the Liberal government for imposing the cuts without properly studying their potential impact.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said earlier the cuts were introduced to ensure ferry fare increases were kept in check.