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b.c. ferries cancels sailings on major routes before busy easter long weekend
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the spirit of vancouver island is one of two vessels out of service before the easter long weekend, said b.c. ferries.
darryl dyck
/
the canadian press
b.c. ferries cancelled several sailings ahead of the busy easter long weekend due to two major vessels being out of service, raising concerns of continuing disruptions, particularly with thousands of visitors expected to travel to vancouver and the region for the world cup.
service was gradually returning to normal friday afternoon after lengthy sailing waits earlier in the day, after repairs were completed to the spirit of vancouver island, which had been taken out of service for generator repairs. the queen of surrey, which was expected to be returned from its annual refit before the weekend began but needed additional work, is expected to return on sunday.
at a news briefing thursday, b.c. ferries president nicholas jimenez said he was confident the ferry system will be ready for the world cup coming to vancouver in june and july, despite the challenges of an aging fleet.
“we are working extra hard to make sure that we are ready for the surge in people using the system that will happen earlier than normal,” he said, noting the company has a reliability rate of more than 99 per cent. “our ships work incredibly well even though they’re old. we don’t have issues often, but when we do, understandably, they cause people challenges for travel.”
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cancellations and schedule changes hit two major routes — the tsawwassen-duke point and tsawwassen-swartz bay routes — heading into the easter weekend, a popular time for travel between the lower mainland and vancouver island.
earlier, jimenez said crews were working round-the-clock on the spirit of vancouver island.
swartz bay ferry terminal. long weekend travel will be affected by several b.c. ferry cancellations.
adrian lam, tc
nanaimo mayor leonard krog said such cancellations have become too common during long weekends. “it’s become a sad holiday ritual for the ferries to face mechanical difficulties and cancellations,’ he said. “no one expects perfection but we need and expect more.”
krog noted that ferry disruptions affect more than just holiday travellers. vancouver island communities, including nanaimo, rely heavily on ferries to transport goods and people.
while there are alternatives, such as airlines, helijet, and hullo passenger ferries that offer alternatives for foot passengers, it’s not a substitute: “it’s not the same as having a ferry that brings your goods and hauls your cars and people.”
krog suggested b.c. ferries consider buying or leasing ferries that are compatible or easily adapted to fit existing docks to help bridge the gap while new ships are being built. it wouldn’t matter to passengers whether the vessels are “electric, diesel or propane,” he said. “they just want a boat that floats.”
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b.c. ferries has eight new vessels on the way, including four island class ships for shorter routes that are expected to arrive this year and next year from romania, and four china-made larger vessels for major routes. construction on those vessels is expected to start next year, with delivery scheduled starting 2029.
the ferry company had made an application for a fifth ship designed to serve as a relief vessel, but was turned down by the ferries commissioner, who said an extra ship was “not fiscally prudent.”
in the meantime, jimenez said b.c. ferries is spending about $150 million annually to maintain the current fleet, including upgrades at the shipyard in richmond, terminal renewals, and hiring engineers and tradespeople.
transportation critic harman bhangu said immediate action is needed to prevent future disruptions.
“right now we are seeing our current system just depleting, and that’s really concerning,” he said, adding he is not reassured by the company’s confidence ahead of the world cup. “it’s months away and look at what’s happening right now. that is a huge concern.”
bhangu also questioned whether the new ships would provide enough capacity to meet demand in the future and said a more “proactive approach” is needed.
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