A commercial fisherman and his company are suing British Columbia Ferry Services for allegedly using confidential information about the viability of cable ferries on the ferry corporation's short haul routes. Ivan Askgaard claims that in 2004 he conceived of a concept for a cable ferry system and developed a methodology to bring the concept to life.
According to the notice of civil claim filed with the BC Supreme Court in February, Askgaard incorporated Strait Solutions Ltd. and applied to patent a cable ferry propulsion system, with the blessing of top brass at BC Ferries. As part of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2007 with the ferry corporation, Askgaard claims he and a partner went to work on feasibility studies which they shared with BC Ferries along with their methodology. But a few years later, Askgaard claims the ferry corporation wrongfully terminated the deal and subsequently revealed his company's proprietary methodology in a public announcement in 2008.
Two weeks ago, BC Ferries announced that it has tapped Seaspan to build a $15 million cable ferry for the Buckley Bay to Denman Island route to be up and running by summer 2015. The plan was touted as a no-brainer, with cost savings estimated at $2 million per year, which "will help reduce pressure on future fare increases across the coastal ferry system," according to Mark Wilson, the company's vice-president of engineering.
None of the allegations has been proven in court and BC Ferries hasn't filed a response. BC Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said in an email that the company doesn't comment on matters before the courts.
Neither Askgaard nor his lawyer, Bruce Green, replied to interview requests by press time.
