B.C. Ferries is a crucial part of the province’s infrastructure,┬аconnecting the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Gulf Islands.
Independently managed but provincially owned, the ferries transport tourists to popular vacation destinations and provide┬аessential services to people who live and work on the islands that dot B.C.’s coast and in communities on the central and north coasts.
But this summer, getting on a┬аferry has felt like scoring tickets to the hottest concert in town, as B.C. Ferries has been plagued by technical difficulties with its vessels, last-minute cancellations, staffing shortages┬аand confusion about the availability of reservations online.
Even B.C. Premier David Eby┬аhas weighed in, saying the repeat┬аcancellations are unacceptable.
“Every Islander knows that the ferries are part of our highway system. It’s not, just as it is for our family, a good way to visit grandma and to come over to the island for a visit. It’s an essential part of the island economy,” Eby said.
“It’s how people get goods. It’s how people get around. And we know the urgency of ensuring that B.C. Ferries delivers for British Columbians.”
So what is behind the seemingly never-ending sailing┬аwaits and vanishing vessels, and how can you ensure the smoothest possible passage through B.C. waters?
What caused the last-minute cancellations this summer?
Cancellations throughout the summer of 2023 have been frequent but the biggest impact came when, just┬аhours before one of the busiest long weekends, B.C. Ferries┬аpulled one of its largest vessels from service, leading to eight daily sailing cancellations on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route.
The Coastal Celebration, which┬аcarries up to 310 cars┬аand 1,604 passengers and crew between Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria, was scheduled for refits in mid-May in Victoria. But after just one company bid on the contract, the refit was moved to Vancouver and delayed to mid-June.
Once work finally started, it was discovered that the maintenance issues were more complicated than expected, further delaying its seaworthiness.
Spokesperson Karen Johnston told CBC News at the time that B.C. Ferries schedules most of its refits between September and May, before the busy summer travel months.┬а
“We do our best to control and plan ahead for our refit schedule,” explained Johnston.
“This was a situation where there were circumstances beyond our control.”
The problems with the Coastal Celebration didn’t end there. The vessel saw┬аseveral cancelled sailings┬аin the past weeks due to a mechanical issue with its propulsion system.┬а
And on July 24, the vessel was taken in for repairs after it developed a hydraulic oil leak because of a broken or otherwise ineffective seal.
- What questions do you┬аhave about this story? Send us an email at ask@cbc.ca
How is staffing impacting sailing schedules?
Besides ongoing issues with critical vessels, B.C. Ferries says staff shortages combined with record-high demand from travellers is making for┬аturbulent travel conditions.
B.C. Ferries vessels are only able to sail with a set number of licensed and trained crew, in accordance with┬аa regulation set by Transport Canada.
Johnston said the ferries┬аhave┬аhired around 1,200 employees over the past 12 months to avoid the kind of critical staff shortages that lead to cancellations┬атАФ but they are still running into issues with backfilling staff.
“While we have a number of these key positions filled, what we don’t have enough of is the backup crew. So┬аif somebody has a family emergency, sometimes it can be difficult to find that fill-in crew and therefore the run has to be cancelled,” she said.
Like many industries that rely on a workforce certified to operate at sea,┬аB.C. Ferries says it is also being severely impacted by an international shortage of around 21,000 mariners.
B.C. Ferries says it is┬аcurrently focused on┬аretention┬аand training, and are working directly with post-secondary institutions to up recruitment.
Why does the┬аwebsite say┬аthere are no reservations available?
On July 20, some customers logged on to the B.C. Ferries website to find that bookings were closed entirely.
B.C. Ferries later┬аconfirmed that new reservations were being blocked for some sailings as they worked to rearrange cancelled reservations onto different sailings for the same day.
What about travel for medical appointments?
B.C. Ferries offers free reservations and travel┬аfor patients travelling to and from medical specialist appointments as part of the provincial government’s Travel Assistance Program (TAP).
The Medical Assured Loading (MAL) program is also available for those with a letter from their medical practitioner saying it’s necessary for them to avoid a long wait at the terminal.
How can I┬аensure I get on a sailing?
The advice from B.C. Ferries has remained the same: make a reservation when you can and show up early.
If you are travelling last minute during┬аa popular time, it’s recommended to travel as a foot passenger.┬а
The unofficial advice? Pack snacks, a book, sunscreen for hot days at the terminal тАФ and bring your patience.
Are there other options?
If you can’t get on a ferry, you can travel to and from various destinations by plane.
Gulf Island Seaplanes, Harbour Air Seaplanes and Seair provide quick, scenic trips to and from a number of locations across B.C., although┬аthe hefty price tag for a flight could make it an unsustainable way to travel┬аfor most.
A new foot passenger ferry service┬аis also scheduled to launch┬аlate summer between Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver.
The ferry line, called Hullo, is being operated by the Vancouver Island Ferry Company and is set to launch with┬аtwo high-speed catamaran vessels, each with a capacity of 354 passengers.
There are set to be up to seven round-trip sailings daily between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver, each lasting around 70 minutes each.
