To whom it might concern:
There are often long line ups at the Kootenay Bay ferry landing when the weather is cold. This occurs because the small Balfour ferry gets backed up for several weeks fall and spring or in the winter because the pass is closed. It is all too easy to spend three to four hours at Kootenay Bay with several trucks that don’t want to tackle the snow on the Kootenay Pass.
Vehicles have to run to keep warm with the fumes are penetrating everyone – highly dangerous and polluting. There are also times when someone misses that last ferry and don’t know where to find accommodation.
We need highways to provide a warm shelter building other than bathrooms at Kootenay Bay and Balfour for these times when there are as many as 70 closely packed vehicles waiting for many hours.
If you have any questions regarding this letter of support, please feel free to contact us.
Thank you for your attention in this matter,
The Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce