CAMPBELL RIVER - Armed with signs, superheroes, and a lot of frustration, a group of protestors marched onto the ferry in Buckley Bay Thursday. They say BC Ferries fare increases are decimating their communities on Denman and Hornby Islands - both economically and socially. Families are moving away because they can no longer afford to live there, and tourists are spending their dollars elsewhere.

A man dressed as Spiderman and about seventy friends gathered at Buckley Bay saying they want their marine highway back. They say the fares have risen 85% since 2003 with another 25% projected through 2011.

They say the makeup of their communities is changing. Families are being forced to move away, and the population is aging. One protestor notes the sharp drop in school enrollment over the past decade – from 149 to 36.

As the crowd made their way onto the ferry Thursday, there’s also a lot of talk about visitors to their islands stopping by less often. The protest comes just as tourist season is set to kick in on Denman and Hornby – when “daytrippers” from the Comox Valley or Nanaimo often hop across on the ferry. But the people here say those numbers are decreasing. “Nobody’s going to come for a day for a picnic for $59 for two people and their car.”

But according to Martin Crilly, BC’s Ferry Commissioner, numbers on this run are holding steady in the face of higher prices. “Overall, traffic is staying stable. It’s not increasing in a big way, but we haven’t seen a softening of traffic yet.”