BURST
B.C. Ferries is bracing for what it expects will be its busiest summer on record as peak travel season gets underway starting this long weekend.
VP of engineering Stephen Jones said the company has been making preparations and its “assets are ready to go,” but advised it is constrained by an aging fleet and limited infrastructure with no relief on the horizon until at least 2026 when new ferries are expected to arrive.
“Summer is when our system faces its toughest test,” said Jones during a news briefing at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta on Wednesday. “It’s no secret our vessels and terminals are aging and rising demand is only adding additional pressure.”
Last year, B.C. Ferries set a new record for summer travel, with nine million passengers and 3.7 million vehicles from May to September, with similar or higher demand expected this summer.
The company already saw a record-breaking number of passengers on the Easter long weekend, with its vessels carrying 7,000 more passengers compared to the same period last year with one vessel out of operation.
B.C. Ferries said all 37 vessels in its fleet will be operating this summer.
It has carried out 21 major refits since last summer. The company spends $75 million a year on refits, and that’s expected to grow to more than $100 million over the next five years as the vessels age.
“With no backup ships available, our focus is making the most of the capacity we have,” said Lindsey Matthews, B.C. Ferries VP of public affairs and marketing.
Starting in January, it has hired 600 seasonal workers to meet demand.
The company will add 1,000 extra sailings on popular routes, up from regular off-peak travel, including a new one-way 4:30 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Departure Bay in Nanaimo starting June 19.
It has also received regulatory approval to add an extra 150 passengers aboard the Queen of Capilano during peak times, boosting capacity to 600 passengers and crew. The vessel sails between Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island.
B.C. Ferries has worked to improve call waiting times on its customer service phone line from seven minutes to 75 seconds and improved its “current conditions” website to show how many reservations have already checked in and how many are still expected to allow customers to better gauge availability, said Matthews.
Jones said the company is prepared for summer, “but we are transparent about our limits. In peak season, all our players are on the pitch and the bench is empty.”
B.C. Ferries said customers should book in advance and travel on an alternate, less busy route between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, or during off-peak hours such as early mornings or late evenings, if possible.
Customers with bookings should arrive 45 minutes before sailing. Those without reservations should be prepared to wait.
There is some relief on the way.
Four new island-class vessels are expected to arrive in 2026. These vessels, which can carry about 45 vehicles and 400 passengers, are expected to serve smaller routes between Vancouver Island and Gabriola and Quadra islands.
The B.C. Ferry Commission has recently approved the purchase of four replacement vessels on the system’s major routes. The vessels are expected to arrive starting 2029 to 2031.