PORT ANGELES — The MV Coho and its passengers Saturday were greeted with fanfare when the ferry docked in Port Angeles.
The celebration at the Black Ball Ferry Line terminal was to commemorate the resumption of service between Port Angeles and Victoria after a two-month hiatus to allow construction of a new wharf at its Canadian terminal.
The Coho resumed service last Monday.
“We are celebrating the economic success and benefit of the Coho in our community and how important it is,” said Edna Petersen, owner of Necessities and Temptations gift shop in Port Angeles, past president of the Port Angeles Business Association and an event organizer.
“This is a way to let the Canadian Back Ball Ferry Line know how important they are to us,” Petersen said.
“The Coho blows its whistle every morning and we know life is good.”
About 80 Port Angeles residents — including local politicians and business owners — attended the celebration, which included traditional songs by Lower Elwha Klallam tribal members, refreshments and an assortment of food catered by local restaurants.
A group of Canadians representing Victoria were greeted by Port Angeles Ambassadors, who gave roses as a sign of kinship.
Ryan Malane, Black Ball Ferry Line co-owner and vice president of marketing, said Saturday it was “wonderful to see the community come out like this.
“There are a number of people in the community that came together to put this on. We really do appreciate it.”
Mayor’s remarks
“I cannot tell you how happy I am to be here with each of you to congratulate and celebrate the Black Ball Ferry Line,” Port Angeles Mayor Patrick Downie told the gathered audience.
“We are so fortunate to have this company and this ferry be a very important part of the very fabric of the culture and business community.”
According to a study by the University of Victoria, the ferry line each year helps generate $45 million for the North Olympic Peninsula by allowing unfettered travel across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Robert Utz, general manager of the Red Lion Hotel, said the ferry “is such a lifeline of business and tourism to this economy.”
Its absence in January and February was noticeable, he added.
“I think the hotel community has made it through it, but we didn’t want to go through another day beyond February,” he said.
“As so many others have said it has been kind of weird not seeing the boat coming in and out each day.
“And so it was neat to see it running again this week. We are so glad the Black Ball is back in service.”
Dock construction
Crews on the Victoria side remain busy completing the $17.4 million project, in Canadian dollars, to replace the aging wooden dock off Belleville Street.
“We are not quite done in Victoria,” Malane said.
“We have a little bit of piling work left to do, some work on the dock.
“We are getting there, slow but steady. We’ve got another couple of months left to go.”
On the Port Angeles side, crews used the downtime to complete upgrades to the mooring dolphins, a cluster of piles used for mooring vessels.
The break in service coincided with the vessel’s annual dry dock for maintenance, but typically, the 57-year-old ferry is out of service for 17 days in late January and early February.
Increase in traffic
An ongoing promotion has resulted in a noticeable increase in traffic on the Coho, Malane said.
The inaugural “At Par” promotion, sponsored by the Red Lion Hotel, the Black Ball Ferry Line and multiple area businesses, began last Monday.
The promotion — running through April — offers discounts to Canadians at local eateries and hotels.
During the promotion, participating businesses on the North Olympic Peninsula will offer products at a 27 percent discount — for the average exchange rate between the currencies — to those who present an “At Par Passport” issued by organizers, a Canadian ID or a “Get off the Rock” button received from Black Ball or a hotel.
The promotion began in tandem with the resuming of the Coho’s service.
“As a result of this ‘at par’ promotion, we have seen a real increase from last year as far as walk-on traffic coming over to take advantage of it, and we see the bookings are increasing,” Malane said.
“That is a great thing.”
Malane did not have specific numbers on hand Saturday but said “we are doing better than we were last year at this time.”
All offers are featured on www.GetOfftheRock.com.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
