Thanks to new owners, the MV Frances Barkley will continue to sail the Alberni Inlet.
What a relief!
For 75 years, Lady Rose Marine Services has ferried people and goods between Port Alberni and Bamfield. A lot of folks think of their boat, the MV Frances Barkley, as a tourist attraction.
But for many people, the ferry is an important part of their regular transportation.
Nobody wanted the Lady Rose Marine Services to close down. Especially its owner, Mike Surrell, and his wife, Pauline.
But COVID was too much. Tourism dried up, and when the economy re-opened, they couldn’t find enough staff. So Surrell announced that the ferry would stop sailing on August 31, 2021.
Thanks to a chance conversation with two business people from Nanaimo, the Frances Barkley will continue to sail.
Greg Willmon and Barrie Rogers, owners of Devon Transport Ltd., were unloading their truck on the dock when they started chatting with Surrell.
“It started with a question,” Willmon told Alberni Valley News. “‘How are things, Mike?’ He commented, ‘They could be better Greg, there is a 50/50 chance the Frances Barkley won’t be sailing next year, possibly sooner.’”
Willmon asked if Surrell would consider selling to him and Rogers instead of shutting things down. He was open to the idea. Surrell has now accepted their letter of intent to buy the company.
Devon Transport Ltd. already has ties in the Alberni Valley. They run the Budget Rent A Car & Truck and Budget Self-Storage location on Third Avenue. Greg Willmon even has a family home in Bamfield.
The new owners plan to keep all of the existing staff. If things go well, they’ll keep sailing with no interruptions into September.
For the people and businesses along the Inlet, this comes as fantastic news.
