Latest news with #HorseshoeBay
CBC
08-08-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. Ferries to double number of Horseshoe Bay fare discounts for upcoming renovations
B.C. Ferries says it will double the number of fare discounts on its Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route starting on Oct. 15 to coincide with construction at the site that will reduce vehicle space in the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal by 25 per cent and require reservation-only trips to Nanaimo. In May, the ferry operator announced that anyone taking a vehicle on B.C. Ferries from the Lower Mainland's Horseshoe Bay terminal to Nanaimo will need to make a reservation starting this fall due to the upgrading or replacing of three berths, relocating the control tower and upgrading elevated structures. The Horseshoe Bay terminal has been in continuous operation for 65 years, serving 7.1 million passengers and 3 million vehicles in 2024 alone, said B.C. Ferries. On Thursday, it announced measures to help support travellers wanting to get from the busy Horseshoe Bay terminal to Departure Bay in Nanaimo during the upgrades. They include saver fares for a vehicle and driver starting at $49 on select off-peak sailings and $89 on peak sailings, and waiving change fees for travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay between Oct. 15 and Nov. 30. The total amount of saver fares on this route will increase from 20 per cent to 40 per cent. The goal behind these measures is to make early booking more affordable and easier for customers to adjust plans during this transition, said the ferry operator. B.C. Ferries also said it will launch two digital tools to "to reduce stress and improve planning during peak travel times." One is a "Sailing Space Alert" that will allow customers to subscribe to email notifications when space becomes available on previously sold-out sailings. A wait-list tool will also be introduced for the route for both directions to give "customers a better chance of securing a spot when their preferred sailing is full. " While vehicle reservations will be required for travellers sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, this will not be the case for those going the opposite direction, though bookings are recommended. The reservation requirement also will not affect foot passengers. In an effort to manage demand for sailings to Nanaimo, B.C. Ferries added a sailing from Tsawwassen to Departure Bay. In the past, passengers going from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo went to Duke Point, south of Departure Bay and farther from the city's centre. The new sailing, at 4:30 p.m. PT daily, started running on June 19 and will run until Sept. 1. This sailing will also be available for travel during peak periods over Christmas and the Easter break. Other route changes Also beginning in October and during shoulder seasons, B.C. Ferries said a new 6:10 p.m. sailing from Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to the Sunshine Coast (Langdale) will replace the current 5:30 p.m. departure to help reduce terminal congestion and improve on-time performance. Minor schedule adjustments will also be made to Sechelt (Earls Cove) to Powell River (Saltery Bay) and Gambier (New Brighton) - Keats (Keats Landing) - Sunshine Coast (Langdale) to align with this change.
CTV News
08-08-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nanaimo-bound Horseshoe Bay sailings will require advance booking this fall, BC Ferries says
In an effort to accommodate construction at the aging Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, BC Ferries will begin requiring all Nanaimo-bound travellers with vehicles to book and pay in advance this fall. The change is scheduled to take effect Oct. 15, and applies only to travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, not in the opposite direction, BC Ferries said in a news release Thursday. 'We understand this is a big change, and for a terminal that already has limited space, it may feel frustrating at first,' said Melanie Lucia, the company's vice-president of customer experience, in the release. 'No one wants to be turned away when they've made the trip to the terminal. By requiring advance bookings, we're giving customers more certainty and a better chance of securing their spot, especially as space becomes even tighter during construction. It also helps our crews manage the terminal more smoothly and safely, so they can focus on getting everyone where they need to go.' The multi-year construction program at the terminal is expected to reduce vehicle staging space by 25 per cent, necessitating the elimination of drive-up vehicle traffic, according to BC Ferries. Once the changes take effect, only 'Prepaid' and 'Saver' fares will be available for travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay. 'Drive-up' and 'Reservation-only' fares – the latter of which require only a $20 booking fee to be paid in advance – will no longer be available in that sailing direction. 'Commercial vehicles will also need to reserve in advance, but their fare structure and payment process will remain unchanged,' BC Ferries' release reads. To help travellers adjust to the change, the ferry service is doubling the availability of Saver fares in the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay direction. From Oct. 15 through March 31, Saver fares for vehicles – which start at $49 for off-peak sailings and $89 for peak sailings – will make up 40 per cent of all available vehicle fares. BC Ferries will also be waiving change fees for the route between Oct. 15 and Nov. 30 and introducing two new digital tools to help customers plan their trips. Travellers will be able to subscribe to 'Sailing Space Alert' email notifications, which will inform them when space becomes available on previously sold-out sailings. They'll also be able to add themselves to a waitlist for their preferred sailing. The ferry service is also adjusting sailing schedules for other routes departing Horseshoe Bay this fall to improve on-time performance and reduce terminal congestion. Additional information about the terminal construction work and the changes it will necessitate can be found on the BC Ferries website. 'This isn't just a change in how you book, it's part of a bigger effort to keep people safely moving during a major terminal upgrade,' said Lucia. 'We're asking customers to plan ahead, and we're doing everything we can to make that planning easier.'
CTV News
18-06-2025
- CTV News
‘Extremely dangerous': Video shows water scooter ducking underneath B.C. ferry vessel
A person on a water scooter rides underneath the stern of a BC Ferries vessel. (Instagram/ Social media video of someone on a water scooter ducking underneath a massive ferry off the B.C. coast is being investigated by the RCMP. The recording shows an individual on a personal watercraft speeding directly behind a BC Ferries vessel, then advancing underneath the stern. The shocking video was posted on Instagram last week, but it's unclear when or where the incident was captured. BC Ferries spokesperson Shiryn Sayani called the manoeuvre 'extremely dangerous.' 'We've seen the video and are taking it seriously,' Sayani told CTV News, in a statement. 'This type of behaviour is illegal under federal marine safety regulations.' Social media commenters suggested the video was captured on the Horseshoe Bay-Sunshine Coast route, and depicts the Queen of Coquitlam – a vessel with a 316-car capacity and maximum displacement of 6,465 tonnes of water. BC Ferries confirmed the incident was reported to the Sunshine Coast RCMP, and that an investigation has been launched. CTV News has reached out to the detachment for more information. Sayani urged any recreational boaters and watercraft users who watch the video not to attempt a similar stunt, but to 'keep a safe distance and follow marine navigation rules at all times.'
CTV News
04-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Father of 4-year-old killed in B.C. crash asks people to give a flower to their bus driver
Leonardo Machado is seen riding a bus in this image posted to the family's GoFundMe. The father of a four-year-old boy who died in a bus crash in Horseshoe Bay last week has a request to honour his son's legacy. Give a flower to your bus driver, ask them how they're doing, or buy them a coffee. In a message written in his son's voice, Clineu Machado revealed Leonardo loved transit and enjoyed riding buses and the SkyTrain with his family, or simply watching them go by. 'Every time a bus was coming or a SkyTrain was showing close my father tells me: 'Look Leo ... look the bus ... the bus,' and I laugh and laugh because I just love them so much. They became my best friends and they brought me everywhere around this beautiful city,' the letter reads. Read more: Community rallies around family of 4-year-old boy killed in Horseshoe Bay bus crash 'You must be sad and I am too, when you heard about the Horseshoe Bay accident and my best friend, the bus, separate me from my best friend in life, yes ... my mom. We were inseparable and went everyday out to enjoy Vancouver.' Leonardo was killed last Wednesday afternoon when a TransLink bus jumped a curb at the corner of Bay Street and Keith Road, near the ferry terminal. His mother, Silvana, was taken to hospital in critical condition. Read more: 4-year-old boy killed, mother in critical condition after Horseshoe Bay bus crash To ease the pain of the tragedy, the letter asks everyone to bring a flower to the 'friends that drove me around this beautiful city,' and show the drivers kindness 'because they are my heroes.' 'My friends who drove me throughout the city are devastated and impacted by what happened with me, and I want to thank them for all the enjoyment they provided me and put love and confidence into their hands that they drive all of us safely and comfortable,' it continues. The father also shared that Leonardo's mother is in stable condition at Vancouver General Hospital, though 'her kidneys and her physical trauma remain a concern,' and asked people to pray for her. The message was shared on a GoFundMe page set up by Clineu Machado's colleagues at AJ's Brooklyn Pizza Joint, raising money for family members to travel from Brazil for Leonardo's funeral and medical expenses. As of Tuesday, the fundraiser has received more than $120,000. The police investigation into the incident continues.
CTV News
01-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Online fundraiser created for family of 4-year-old boy killed by bus in Horseshoe Bay
A four-year-old boy who was killed in a bus crash is shown in this photo with his mother, who was critically injured. (Image credit: gofundme/support-for-clineus-family) A GoFundMe has been launched for the family of a four-year-old boy who was killed when an articulated transit bus jumped the curb outside the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal on Wednesday. The little boy, identified as Leonardo in the online fundraiser, died at the scene. His mother, identified as Silvana, was taken to hospital in critical condition. The fundraiser says the family moved to Canada from Brazil years ago and are now Canadian citizens. It says Silvana and her husband Clineu struggled to have a child, and when they welcomed Leonardo in late 2020, they called him their 'one per cent miracle baby.' Family Image credit: gofundme/support-for-clineus-family It goes on to say: 'Silvana wanted nothing more in life than to be a mother, and she was an incredible one. She and Leo were inseparable. On that beautiful Wednesday she wanted to adventure with Leonardo to Bowen Island for the day, as they loved to travel and see new things. They had a wonderful day, sharing pictures with Clineu throughout.' Leonardo Image credit: gofundme/support-for-clineus-family The fundraiser says the family is now faced with the difficult decision of whether to bring Leonardo's body back to Brazil for burial if his mother is well enough to travel, or have their extended family fly here to say goodbye to the little boy. It says donations will be used for funeral expenses and care for Silvana as she recovers from serious injuries and mental trauma. 'Silvana's path ahead is long and uncertain. Beyond the physical trauma, there will be the overwhelming emotional toll of losing her only child,' the GoFundMe reads. 'Her care and rehabilitation will require extensive, specialized support as she works to regain both her physical ability and her sense of purpose.' Silvana and Leonardo Image credit: gofundme/support-for-clineus-family Police say the bus involved in the collision was seized for mechanical inspection and speed is not believed to be a factor. Officers have spoken to the driver, but no other information has been released.
