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Battle brewing over Balfour ferry terminal

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The crossing of Kootenay Lake at Balfour is one of the highlights of one's tour around the International Selkirk Loop. The crossing is essentially the northernmost point on the loop.

At the northeastern corner of the loop one crosses Kootenay Lake, which is a really long, wide spot in the Kootenay River as it meanders its way from the East Kootenays to its meeting with the Columbia River in the West Kootenays. The Kootenay River rises on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains and flows south across the border, where it changes its name to the Kootenai River, flows west for some distance then reenters Canada, becoming the Kootenay River again and forming Kootenay Lake. It empties from the lake along what is known as the West Arm, which is also the location of the western terminus of the Kootenay Lake Ferry.

The ferry crossing is via a large diesel powered ferry, the Osprey 2000, which can handle 80 passenger cars and 250 passengers. Crossing time, not including loading and unloading, is about 35 minutes. This is the longest free ferry ride in North America. The eastern terminus is at Kootenay Bay, from which Highway 3A proceeds south to Creston, BC. In the summer, and when the Osprey 2000 is down for maintenance, a second ferry, the MV Balfour, is put into service, adding five crossings per day. Smaller than the Osprey, its capacity is 28 passenger cars and 150 passengers

Over the course of several years a controversy has been brewing over the location of the Balfour end of the Kootenay Lake Ferry. The British Columbia Government has, for a few years, been considering moving the terminal, both in the name of efficiency and in the interest of minimizing damage to the Osprey 2000. It seems that the channel into which the ferry must enter to dock is becoming shallower and is beginning to cause damage to the vessel. As well, moving the terminal from Balbour to Queen's Bay would shorten the crossing somewhat. It seems that a zillion news stories have been aired and published on the matter, excerpts from one of which follow.

Battle brewing over Balfour ferry terminal

by Greg Nesteroff - Nelson Star
posted Jun 12, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Queens Bay residents are preparing to oppose any plans to relocate the Kootenay Lake ferry’s western terminal to their neighbourhood, but one prominent East Shore resident says such a move is long overdue.

An open house is set for next Wednesday at Redfish school from 5 to 8 p.m. to gather input on the possibility, although the preferred location hasn’t been made public yet.

The ministry says a move could shorten the crossing time, address congestion, and improve safety. It’s concerned the narrows at Balfour is becoming increasingly shallow, damaging the hull of the MV Osprey 2000.

The ministry said the hull was inspected in 2013 and light damage was noted, namely some pitting and breakdown of the coating, which was unexpected given the vessel’s age.

“Further investigation determined the shifting sands of the lake bed in the narrow channel were creating extremely low clearance for the vessel and causing sand to be churned up onto the hull,” spokeswoman Trish Rorison wrote in an email to the Star, adding that concerns about water depth were also raised last year by the Canadian Coast Guard...

...The president of the Balfour and District Business and Historic Association, meanwhile, said even if the ferry terminal stays put, significant investment is needed to bring it up to snuff.

“I fully understand they need to spend a lot of money to either repair what’s here or move it,” Randy Zelonka said. “They’re looking at the loading ramp and the paving on the landing needs to be repaired. Dredging might be needed and there are issues with effluent discharge. Business wise, I don’t particularly care for [moving the terminal] but as a taxpayer I think they need to look at all aspects. They’ve got to make sure they’re doing the best thing for the long term.”
From The Nelson Star