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Global News
26-04-2025
- Business
- Global News
Mayors of Gibsons and Bowen Island issue ‘urgent' demands on ferry reliability
The mayors of Gibsons and Bowen Island have written to British Columbia's premier demanding 'urgent action' on ferry reliability. The two communities are both heavily reliant on ferry service out of Horseshoe Bay, and have both dealt with recent headaches. On Monday, a vessel serving the Sunshine Coast route had mechanical problems that left passengers stranded for hours and resulted in multiple sailing cancellations and the deployment of water taxis. 2:39 Mechanical issue leaves BC Ferries passengers floating In February, Bowen Island went without ferry service for several days when its ferry dock was damaged in rough weather. Story continues below advertisement The company has also faced a recent litany of mechanical woes across vessels serving its major southern routes. 'We've had very severe ferry service issues, both on the Sunshine Coast and Bowen Island,' Gibsons Mayor Silas White told Global News. 'We've seen a deterioration of service on Bowen Island over the last number of years,' added Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard. 1:51 Bowen Island ferry remains out of service 'Despite repeated attempts to get their attention, to see operational changes, to see capacity changes and to see them address the issues our residents are facing … we haven't gotten a meaningful response.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The mayors say Premier David Eby committed in 2023 to making BC Ferries a 'top priority,' but that they continue to deal with unreliable service that is affecting both residents' travel plans, health and livelihoods. Story continues below advertisement The letter makes four demands of the provincial government. The mayors want an 'accountable governance table' that would include local governments alongside BC Ferries leadership and regulators. They also want more transparency on BC Ferries operational data, including real-time and historic performance metrics, along with immediate service improvements on their two routes, including better vessel redundancy and a timeline for vessel and terminal upgrades. The mayors are also calling for the reinstatement of 'meaningful community engagement' to replace the disbanded Ferry Advisory Committee. 0:56 Queen of New Westminster ferry out of service until October Along with the demands, the mayors say they want a meeting with Eby and Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth. Global News is seeking comment from the provincial government. Story continues below advertisement BC Ferries is in the midst of launching a major vessel replacement program, with new diesel-battery hybrid ferries to replace the aging Queens of Alberni, New Westminster, Coquitlam, and Cowichan, which are the oldest major ships still in use. The company applied to procure five vessels, but the independent British Columbia Ferries Commissioner approved four. The company is aiming to have the first of the new vessels in service by spring 2029.
CBC
31-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. Ferries approved for 4 out of the 5 new vessels it had requested
The British Columbia Ferries commissioner has approved the purchase of four replacement vessels for the system's major routes, one fewer than B.C. Ferries had requested. "We're disappointed and obviously at odds with this decision," said Nicolas Jimenez, president and CEO of B.C. Ferries. "While four vessels will still provide some much-needed benefits, we believe we're missing a critical opportunity to build a more resilient transportation network for the future at a lower price now." The four approved vessels are diesel-battery hybrids to replace the aging Queens of Alberni, New Westminster, Coquitlam, and Cowichan. The fifth vessel was requested to meet predicted demand increase and to provide long-term cost savings, according to Jimenez. B.C. Ferries CEO warns of 30% fare hike in 2028 "B.C. Ferries believes that a fifth vessel, which will be needed in the future, will only get substantially more expensive and put even more upward pressure on fares over time," he said. This is the most affordable a fifth vessel will ever be, due to unique market conditions, fixed-price bids, and economies of scale. Building a series of five now will be significantly cheaper than building one or two at a time. Commissioner Eva Hage said the four new ferries, the first of which is expected to go into service in 2029, will bring a "much-needed increase in capacity and reliability." "A fifth vessel, however, is neither essential nor affordable at this time, and approving it would be fiscally irresponsible," she said. B.C. Ferries said the commission's decision highlights the systemic funding gap in sustaining B.C.'s marine highway and disagreements about future demand and acceptable levels for waits, delays and mechanical breakdown. The four new vessels are expected to increase capacity on the busiest routes between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island by 12 per cent. A fifth ferry would have increased capacity by up to 40 per cent, according to B.C. Ferries. "We hear from customers every single day. We see the full fares, the long waits, and the economic impact of service constraints," said Jimenez. "Our customers have been very clear and very loud; they need more sailing capacity and fewer delays and a ferry system that can keep up with demand." A decision on a shipbuilder is expected in the early summer. The price tag for the four vessels is confidential pending final approval of the project.
