Latest news with #B.C.Ferries
Vancouver Sun
14-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Ferries braces for another busy summer with an aging fleet
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. Stephen Jones, vice-president of engineering, said the provincially owned company has been making preparations and its 'assets are ready to go.' But he warned it is constrained by an aging fleet and limited infrastructure with no relief on the horizon until at least 2026 when some new ferries are expected to arrive. 'Summer is when our system faces its toughest test,' Jones said during a news briefing at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta on Wednesday. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It's no secret our vessels and terminals are aging and rising demand is only adding additional pressure.' 'We are transparent about our limits. In peak season, all our players are on the pitch and the bench is empty.' Last year, B.C. Ferries set a record for summer travel, with nine million passengers and 3.7 million vehicles from May to September, with that many or more expected this summer. The company had a record-breaking number of passengers on the Easter long weekend, with its vessels carrying 7,000 more passengers than in the same weekend last year, despite one vessel being 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, the vice-president of public affairs and marketing. Starting in January, it has hired 600 seasonal workers to meet summer demand. The company will add 1,000 extra sailings on popular routes, compared to the regular off-peak winter period, 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 to 75 seconds from seven minutes, 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. B.C. Ferries said customers should book in advance and try to travel on less-busy routes between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, or during off-peak hours such as early mornings or late evenings. 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 large replacement vessels on the system's major routes. The vessels are expected to arrive starting between 2029 and 2031. chchan@
Vancouver Sun
14-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
With its aging fleet, B.C. Ferries braces for another busy summer
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 com pany 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.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 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. chchan@
Vancouver Sun
11-05-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
Derelict former B.C. ferry Queen of Sidney burns: What happens now?
When a derelict former B.C. ferry burned while moored in the Fraser River last weekend, it was a reminder of the intractable problem of abandoned wrecks and washed-up boats of indeterminate ownership in waterways all over the province. Mission Fire Rescue Service, the RCMP, Canadian Coast Guard and officials from the B.C. Ministry of Environment all responded to the blaze, which destroyed the already dilapidated former Queen of Sidney. Environment Ministry spokesman David Karn said the boat was moored about 15 to 20 metres offshore and that the fire was contained to the ferry without causing pollution — other than the toxic smoke that led to a stay-indoors order for nearby Mission residents as the ferry smouldered in the early hours of May 3. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Queen of Sidney was retired as a ferry 25 years ago and has been tied up in the Mission area in the two decades since. B.C. Ferries sold the decommissioned ship to a private owner in 2002 and no longer bears responsibility for the vessel. But Ceilidh Marlow, a spokesperson for B.C. Ferries, said the boat, like dozens of other obsolete vessels, was languishing in something of a boat graveyard because recycling them is difficult and expensive. 'Responsibility for any vessel rests with the registered owner, including decisions related to moorage, upkeep and end-of-life disposal,' said Marlow in an email. Owners must make sure vessels are safely and legally disposed of, a process that is highly regulated to manage the environmental risks, she said. 'One of the major challenges in responsibly disposing of vessels — whether privately or publicly owned — is the lack of fully certified ship recycling facilities on the west coast,' said Marlow. 'This is a growing issue that affects not only B.C. Ferries, but also other public agencies and private owners.' Marlow said without local options, owners are left with the task of transporting them to other regions, often across the country, which is complex and costly. The lack of reliable local recyclers is a 'known issue, and one we continue to flag as part of broader discussions on environmental stewardship and end-of-life vessel management,' she said. With more ferry vessels due for retirement over the next decade, Marlow noted, the ferry service is making recycling and disposal a priority and has pushed for provincially recognized ship recycling infrastructure to be expanded locally. The ferry that burned is moored off a property on Cooper Avenue in Mission that is owned by Bob and Gerald Tapp. They have, over the years, collected a fleet that includes the ferry and several other dilapidated boats that were either bought or abandoned there by others. The City of Mission has been trying for more than a decade to get federal and provincial agencies to deal with the potential environmental hazards of the boat graveyard, with little success. 'Given existing laws and the fact the (ferry) is not 'abandoned,' we are told there is not much that can be done,' said Mission chief administrative officer Mike Younie. The city tried to arrange a scrap metal deal with the Tapps several years ago, but it collapsed at the last minute, he said. In 2012, the ferry and the other boats off Cooper Avenue were flagged as a concern during high water flows, but there was no plan to remove them — only to ensure they didn't break away from moorage and create a safety hazard. And indeed, the big boat would be dangerous if it became unmoored. The Queen of Sidney was a 102-metre, 3,127-tonne ship when in operation. It went into service between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay in 1960 and was the first ferry to sail under B.C.'s new official flag. Two years ago, the Canadian Coast Guard assessed the Queen of Sidney — perhaps ironically now christened the MV Bad Adventure — to determine whether it posed an environmental hazard. At the time, it was found to be 'a low risk to pollute under both the Canadian Shipping Act and the Wrecked Abandoned Hazardous Vessels Act, as there were no bulk pollutants on board,' said a coast guard spokesperson. That may be largely because the ship had been stripped. Soon after it was retired as a ferry, it was bought by Art Klassen of Abbotsford, who paid $100,000 for it then hauled out copper wire, generators and other fittings to recoup the investment. Now that it's a burnt-out wreck, there are plans to 'conduct a more thorough onboard assessment, with a specialized hazardous environment response team, in the near future,' said the coast guard. But early assessments have shown it doesn't appear to be causing pollution at the moment. The coast guard said it will board the vessel once the scene is fully cleared by the RCMP, who are investigating the cause of the fire. So far, there are no signs it was arson. Any hazard-related costs, like cleanup, repairs or remediation done by the coast guard, are the responsibility of the owners under federal legislation. However, abandoning a vessel in Canadian waters only became illegal in 2019, and an inventory of abandoned and wrecked vessels wasn't established until 2022. That leaves the coast guard playing catchup, sifting through and trying to manage an inventory of over 2,000 boats reported wrecked or abandoned in Canadian waters. As of March 2024, 1,389 vessels remained on the list, while federal authorities had removed 791 others. So far, the Canadian Coast Guard has levied only five fines since the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessel Act took effect. While municipal police and fire departments, provincial ministries and agencies like B.C. Ferries might be involved in trying to manage derelict boats, the wrecks are ultimately the responsibility of the federal government. Under the act, owners 'are liable for the costs of addressing hazardous vessels, and enforcement measures can be taken against them to ensure compliance,' said Transport Canada spokesperson Sau Sau Liu. Liu said the response to the fire aboard the Queen of Sidney/Bad Adventure is being led so far by the RCMP and B.C. Ministry of Environment. Depending on the outcome of the early assessments, Transport Canada might be called in to decide if further action is warranted under either the abandoned vessel act or the Canadian Navigable Waters Act , which restricts what kind of work can be done on, over or under navigable waters. 'Transport Canada reminds vessel owners they remain responsible for their vessels and any related costs under federal law,' said Liu. Other derelict vessels on the list have languished in B.C. waters for decades, such as the MV Spudnik, a U.S. navy freighter removed from the Fraser River in 2020, and the cargo vessel Mini Fusion, a human smuggling ship formerly known as the MV Ocean Lady, which was removed from Desolation Sound in B.C. last year. With files from Postmedia News, The Canadian Press, and research from Carolyn Soltau jruttle@
CBC
03-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Residents of Mission, B.C., told to shelter in place after fire on derelict vessel
Some residents of the Fraser Valley city of Mission have been told to shelter in place after a fire on a derelict vessel overnight on Saturday. The City of Mission issued an emergency alert just before 4 a.m. PT warning of a fire on the abandoned Queen of Sidney ferry, which was moored just northwest of Matsqui Island approximately 55 km east of Vancouver. B.C. Ferries says the ship was in operation from 1960 to 2000. The 102-metre vessel was sold in 2002. Its current owner is unknown. On its website, Mission says the cause of the fire is not yet known but it is considered to be suspicious. Residents near the fire — from Chester Street to 287 Street, including the Silverdale area — have been told to stay indoors, close all windows and doors, and turn off any ventilation systems that draw in air from outside. "Police attended the area and confirmed a large plume of smoke coming from the vessel, which had an obvious impact on air quality in the area," read a statement from Mission RCMP on Saturday morning. Police said that, as of Saturday morning, there was nothing to indicate the fire was intentionally set — but investigators haven't been able to board the vessel due to the hazardous nature of the smoke. CBC News has reached out to the Canadian Coast Guard for this story. A spokesperson for the Environment Ministry deferred comment to the Mission fire department. The Queen of Sidney is among a number of derelict vessels along B.C. waterways that have raised environmental concerns in recent years, particularly given they could pose public safety risks. In late March, the iconic McBarge vessel — a barge which housed a McDonald's restaurant during Expo 86 — sank on the Fraser River near Maple Ridge, B.C., northwest of where the Queen of Sidney was moored.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Residents of Mission, B.C., told to shelter in place after fire on derelict vessel
Some residents of the Fraser Valley city of Mission have been told to shelter in place after a fire on a derelict vessel overnight on Saturday. The City of Mission issued an emergency alert just before 4 a.m. PT warning of a fire on the abandoned Queen of Sidney ferry, which was moored just northwest of Matsqui Island approximately 55 km east of Vancouver. B.C. Ferries says the ship was in operation from 1960 to 2000. The 102-metre vessel was sold in 2002. Its current owner is unknown. On its website, Mission says the cause of the fire is not yet known but it is considered to be suspicious. Residents near the fire — from Chester Street to 287 Street, including the Silverdale area — have been told to stay indoors, close all windows and doors, and turn off any ventilation systems that draw in air from outside. CBC News has reached out to the Canadian Coast Guard for this story. A spokesperson for the Environment Ministry deferred comment to the Mission fire department. The Queen of Sidney is among a number of derelict vessels along B.C. waterways that have raised environmental concerns in recent years, particularly given they could pose public safety risks. In late March, the iconic McBarge vessel — a barge which housed a McDonald's restaurant during Expo 86 — sank on the Fraser River near Maple Ridge, B.C., northwest of where the Queen of Sidney was moored.
