Despite BC Ferries managing to get some boats back in the water on Good Friday, the ripple effect of the past week’s service disruption is not sitting well with the Mayor of Nanaimo.
Frustration is mounting among Vancouver Island and Gulf Island residents, many of whom rely heavily on ferry service. Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog says the situation reflects a long-standing issue.
“Speaking on behalf of nearly the one million people who live on Vancouver Island, it’s an ongoing frustration with the failure of service at times when we need it the most,” Krog said. He added the root of the problem is years in the making, pointing to a lack of investment in fleet renewal by successive governments. “This is essential public infrastructure.”
The past week has seen multiple vessel issues impacting major routes. Although the Spirit of Vancouver Island has returned to service on the busy Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay run, BC Ferries is still asking travellers to arrive ahead of scheduled sailings and that stand by spots are limited.
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Concerns aren’t limited to just major BC Ferry routes.
Saturday, April 4 BC Ferries alerted travellers that for the second day in a row, all sailings had been cancelled on the Blubber Bay (Texada) – Westview (Powell River).
The cancellation comes after a mechanical issue with the propulsion system on the Island Discovery took the vessel out of service, cancelling sailings on Friday.
In the meantime, BC Ferries says it’s providing foot passenger service on two 12-seater water taxis between Westview and Texada Boating Dock (Van Anda).
Sailings between Chemainus, Penelakut and Thetis Island were shut down for three days after a large tire became tangled in a ferry’s propeller.
BC Ferries Marine Workers’ Union president Eric McNeely says service disruptions on any route have a ripple effect across the entire system.
“Anytime there’s service disruptions, regardless of the route, that creates stress on the system,” he said. “That stress is also felt by travellers and our members working.”
McNeely emphasized that frontline workers are not responsible for the broader operational challenges.
“Those unionized workers aren’t the ones making the decisions. They are the ones putting into action what they can with the resources they’ve been provided,” he said. “At the end of the day, union members are not the ones who have the yes-or-no vote, that’s at the C-Suite level in Victoria at the atrium.”
A CHEK viewer photo of a tire seemingly stuck in the Pune’luxutth Ferry’s propeller,
For travellers without reservations, the message has been clear: expect limited standby space, long waits, and in some cases, consider rethinking travel plans altogether.