More people living in rural, remote and First Nations communities will benefit from free ferry service when travelling for non-emergency medical appointments, thanks to an expansion to British Columbia's Travel Assistance Program.

Seven additional ferry routes are being added to the program, which supports patients with the cost of ground, air or ferry travel to access non-emergency medical specialist services not available in their own community. In 2023, almost 100,000 trips were covered by the Travel Assistance Program.

Health minister Josie Osborne, in a return to her home riding of Mid Island-Pacific Rim, made the announcement on Thursday, Dec. 19 at Lady Rose Marine Services in Port Alberni. Lady Rose offers passenger and freight service for the remote communities of Bamfield, Kildonan and Haggard鈥檚 Cove.

"Until today, the Travel Assistance Program covered BC Ferries routes," Osborne explained. "But today we're expanding the program farther to help more people have access to the care that they need by adding seven new ferry routes that are serviced by independent ferry operators, like right here at Lady Rose Marine Services."

The expansion includes round trip travel on the following independently operated ferry routes: Tahsis and Kyuquot to Gold River, Dodge Cove to Prince Rupert, Lasqueti Island to French Creek, Bamfield, Kildonan and Haggard鈥檚 Cove to Port Alberni, Ahousaht and Hot Springs Cove to Tofino, Metlakatla, Oona River, Kitkatla and Hartley Bay to Prince Rupert and Tuck Inlet to Prince Rupert, Aero Point (Lax Kw鈥檃laams Ferry).

Debra Toporowski, the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, says that this expansion will benefit 22 different First Nations.

"The more we can do to reduce financial burdens the better," she said. "This is going to help people get the care they need without worrying about costs."

Through the new expansion, someone living in Bamfield who needs to travel to West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni for an x-ray will be able to take the MV Frances Barkley and have their fare waived (with the TAP documentation issued by their specialist).

John Jack, Chief Councillor for Huu-ay-aht First Nations and chair of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District board, says this expansion will help increase health outcomes for communities up and down the coast. Although the road to Bamfield recently received an upgrade, Jack says many Huu-ay-aht residents in Anacla still use Lady Rose Marine Services to access health care in the Alberni Valley and beyond.

"Alternative travel is quite important, especially in an age where trees topple over and you can see flooding on roads," he said. "That redundancy can help protect people from losing access to medical services."

In her first announcement as health minister, Osborne says it was important to make the announcement "close to home" in Port Alberni. As the former mayor of Tofino, Osborne says she can personally attest to the challenges that come with living in rural and remote communities, especially when it comes to accessing health care. 

"We know there are lots of remote communities in Mid Island-Pacific Rim," she said. "I've visited places like Kyuquot and Ahousaht and know that it's a struggle and a cost to take the water taxi and the ferry to get into town for specialist appointments. It's a big burden for people and it's so important that we remove barriers to accessing care."

In the coming months, she says the province will continue to work on further expansions in the program and will look at other ways to improve health equity in rural and remote communities

"Ferry fares are only a portion of the costs that are associated with travel," Osborne acknowledged. "It might seem small for some, but it makes a huge impact for many people. Knowing that we can expand this program out into ferry-dependent communities that aren't covered by BC Ferries makes a big difference."