I live in a town of 12,000 souls on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. For those who are not hip to geography, please open your Washington state map. You'll notice a large island whose southern tip is opposite Bellingham. That's us. Were it not for some political tomfoolery centuries ago this land, or at least part of it, would be in the USA. As it is, the political boundary takes some odd twists and turns.
Vancouver Island, an area larger by far than New York's Long Island, is beautiful. The west coast beaches, though not much of an attraction to palm tree sunbathers, are spectacular. Surf-riders come from all over the world to plunge into the Pacific, protected from the cold water by wetsuits. Tourists from the US and Canada snuggle up in cosy hotel rooms, soaking in hot tubs, warmed by fireplaces, enjoying the view.
The weather on the west coast is the best in Canada and, surprisingly, better than many parts of the USA. Including nearby rainy Seattle. In the southeastern part of the island snow falls once or twice a year, on average. The grass stays green. Drop by a coffee house on a sunny January and you'll find folks sipping their brew outdoors. By mid-February early-blooming flowers are showing their face and within a week cherry blossoms make a spectacular appearance.
The island is not, however, an isolated paradise. The city of Victoria, British Columbia's capital, is a few miles from my home in nearby Sidney, currently the hottest real estate growth area on the planet. Other destinations are expanding, too, especially the mid-island city of Nanaimo. It is best-known for a desert called the Nanaimo Bar. Nothing special, to be honest, but how many cities can make a similar claim? I always thought someone should open a pub there and call it The Nanaimo Bar.
Our biggest problem is transportation. BC Ferries, formerly run by the province and now a non-profit corporation, operates trips between the mainland and the two prestige destinations of Victoria and Nanaimo, plus dozens of coastal routes ranging from the the popular Gulf Islands to small towns just south of Alaska.
The popular Spirit ferries that join Vancouver and Victoria resemble small ocean liners. They accommodate up to 2500 passengers and 1000 cars per sailing. Once on board you can't buy a drink. Okay, the concept of house-trailers hauled by GMC Yukons in the possession of giddy seniors from BC and Washington may be scary, but how is it that Switzerland, home of the world's finest transportation systems, can offer wine and liquors aboard a fleet of restored paddlewheelers?
I'll tell you why. Because the travellers happily leave their cars on shore. Bravo, Switzerland... boo, North America.
Those may be strange words coming from an avowed car nut but I believe that our transportation systems should be balanced between highways and mass transit. Though the car was once a ticket to freedom, the magic carpet to a promised land, population growth has expanded to the point where congestion, not open roads, is the norm. We need to re-learn how to travel in the company of others, even when it means accepting fixed timetables or limited routes. Our parents and grandparents did it... why not us?
From the perspective of one who enjoys driving, the more people who travel by public transit, the better. Less traffic, more room on the roads. Yet I'm not unwilling to use transit as long as it's convenient and comfortable. Trains, yes. Subways and Skytrains (as in nearby Vancouver), yes. Streetcars? Sure. Buses? No, unless there's a seat for everyone. City buses may be more adaptable than streetcars in terms of routing, but they're inevitably overcrowded and stalled in traffic. City and highway buses alike use too much fossil fuel and spew too much exhaust into the atmosphere.
Preaching to the populace on this subject seldom works. Special interest groups, who can't accept that transit is a social necessity to be paid through taxation, get involved to everyone's detriment. As a car fan I wish my fellow enthusiasts would speak out in favor because they'll benefit in the long run. And I do wish I could get a drink on our beautiful BC ferries. Limit of two per customer, please.
