Clipper Vacations is seriously looking at a passenger ferry service between Nanaimo and Vancouver.
Clipper Vacations participated in a site visit at Nanaimo’s south industrial waterfront last month, along with Fast Reliable Seaways, a global ferry and shipping group that acquired a majority interest in Clipper Vacations this year.
Merideth Tall, founder and chairwoman of Clipper Vacations, told the News Bulletin the company is committed to serving the Victoria to Vancouver route, but is also looking at other routes in the area.
The City of Nanaimo and Nanaimo Port Authority issued an expression of interest for a high-speed foot ferry service between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver in April. The new process allows proponents to choose whether the service runs at the port authority’s cruise ship terminal or city-owned property at 1 Port Drive.
A recent site visit, also attended by Island Ferries, included tours of the two locations, city documents show.
“We don’t normally comment during a tender process, but I will tell you that we’ve long looked at Nanaimo as being on a trajectory for growth and so we’re looking at this seriously,” said Tall.
She isn’t certain there is market demand yet, but does feel Nanaimo is growing.
The company is interested in seeing the region develop and Tall said Nanaimo holds a great geographical location as the gateway to upper Vancouver. She said her company is watching with interest as the region becomes more and more desirable for tourism and other economic opportunities.
“We’ve been operating between Seattle and Vancouver Island for 30 years. We are interested in the region and the growth of the region and providing infrastructure to help it grow,” said Tall.
Her company has had a tourism model in the past, she said. It would be looking at whether it’s a fit to look at a commuter model, which is what Nanaimo is believed to be.
The city will not release the number of expression of interest submissions it has until the process closes, May 31.
The city and port authority plan to establish an independent technical advisory group to recommend a preferred proponent if there is more than one response.