BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez has clarified his position on community engagement amid controversy over the corporation's decision to do away with the current model.During an address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, he made it clear that far from eliminating British Columbians' ability to share feedback, an updated system would make it easier for people to do so.."In our view the strategy that we're doing is a strategy of more, not less," Jimenez began. "It's been in place in its current form for 31 years. It's great. We need community feedback on how to run the ferry system because we're connecting communities, so it's incredibly important, but it hasn't changed in 31 years!"He went on to note that the goal was to make the system "more inclusive," and "not to exclude voices, but to bring more in.""It's going to remain in-person, and we're gonna look at ways to go virtual and bring in other voices that can't meet requirements of coming and talking to us in-person," Jimenez continued. "There's been a lot of talk about 'we've eliminated the communities; we're going virtual'. No. It's an and not an or."He said BC Ferries wants to work with those already serving in advisory committees to design the new model, and that "they want to help us design something that is building on the community advisory model."Following his presentation, Jimenez told the Western Standard that contrary to what many have suggested, the move did not represent an end to community engagement, rather it was simply a necessary change after three decades of doing things the same way..BC Cons call on BC Ferries to reinstate community advisory committees .He pushed back on claims made by Conservative Langley-Abbotsford MLA and Transportation Critic Harman Bhangu, namely that the committees had been unceremoniously kicked to the curb when the news dropped in November, reiterating that committee members were integral to designing the new system, and would remain in their posts until it was ready to roll out."The Ferry Advisory Committees are going to be in place until the day that we launch our new ferry community engagement model," he said, "so the idea that we just shut them out isn't true."He said the in-person nature of the existing model was integral to any upcoming plans, but that it would be just one of many ways people could have their say."We also need to be talking to people where it's easy for them to talk to us," Jimenez added, "and one way we can do that is add to the in-person with virtual forms of engagement." He explained that BC Ferries had "an open canvas," and invited all British Columbians to "help us paint" a better solution.Jimenez's desire for a more inclusive community feedback model appears to be shared by BC Ferries' customers. According to a survey conducted prior to the decision to nix the established system, 80% of respondents wanted "more digital engagement options."
BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez has clarified his position on community engagement amid controversy over the corporation's decision to do away with the current model.During an address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, he made it clear that far from eliminating British Columbians' ability to share feedback, an updated system would make it easier for people to do so.."In our view the strategy that we're doing is a strategy of more, not less," Jimenez began. "It's been in place in its current form for 31 years. It's great. We need community feedback on how to run the ferry system because we're connecting communities, so it's incredibly important, but it hasn't changed in 31 years!"He went on to note that the goal was to make the system "more inclusive," and "not to exclude voices, but to bring more in.""It's going to remain in-person, and we're gonna look at ways to go virtual and bring in other voices that can't meet requirements of coming and talking to us in-person," Jimenez continued. "There's been a lot of talk about 'we've eliminated the communities; we're going virtual'. No. It's an and not an or."He said BC Ferries wants to work with those already serving in advisory committees to design the new model, and that "they want to help us design something that is building on the community advisory model."Following his presentation, Jimenez told the Western Standard that contrary to what many have suggested, the move did not represent an end to community engagement, rather it was simply a necessary change after three decades of doing things the same way..BC Cons call on BC Ferries to reinstate community advisory committees .He pushed back on claims made by Conservative Langley-Abbotsford MLA and Transportation Critic Harman Bhangu, namely that the committees had been unceremoniously kicked to the curb when the news dropped in November, reiterating that committee members were integral to designing the new system, and would remain in their posts until it was ready to roll out."The Ferry Advisory Committees are going to be in place until the day that we launch our new ferry community engagement model," he said, "so the idea that we just shut them out isn't true."He said the in-person nature of the existing model was integral to any upcoming plans, but that it would be just one of many ways people could have their say."We also need to be talking to people where it's easy for them to talk to us," Jimenez added, "and one way we can do that is add to the in-person with virtual forms of engagement." He explained that BC Ferries had "an open canvas," and invited all British Columbians to "help us paint" a better solution.Jimenez's desire for a more inclusive community feedback model appears to be shared by BC Ferries' customers. According to a survey conducted prior to the decision to nix the established system, 80% of respondents wanted "more digital engagement options."
