There are not enough local, qualified employees to meet Transport Canada safe sailing requirements for each scheduled sailing. In fact, every day since June 2019, the employer has relied on overtime by the few local employees, favours from retirees, and flying in out-of-town temporary hires to meet service levels on Kootenay Lake.

When any of these workers get sick, injured, or delayed – which happens due to frequent long hours, reliance on flight status, and life in general – they are unable to get to the ferry for the scheduled sailing. And without adequate crews, ferries cannot sail.