BC Ferries

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Set up in 1960 to provide a similar service to that provided by the Black Ball Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which were affected by job action at the time, BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America, operating a fleet of 41 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 47 locations on the B.C. coast.

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.

Trade name	BC Ferries
Company type	Organized as a privately held company, with the provincial Crown as sole shareholder
Industry	Transportation
Founded	Victoria, British Columbia (June 15, 1960)
Headquarters	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Key people	Joy MacPhail, Chair Nicolas Jimenez, President & CEO
Products	Ferry service
Revenue	C$769.5 million (2023)
Operating income	(7.070) million (2023)
Net income	C$1.842 million (2021)
Owner	BC Ferry Authority (Government of British Columbia)
Number of employees	4,500 (2017)
Website	www.bcferries.com

The federal and provincial governments subsidize BC Ferries to provide agreed service levels on essential links between the BC mainland, coastal islands, and parts of the mainland without road access. The inland ferries operating on British Columbia's rivers and lakes are not run by BC Ferries. The responsibility for their provision rests with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which contracts operation to various private sector companies.

Structure

At its inception, BC Ferries was a division of the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority, a provincial Crown corporation. Through successive reorganizations, it evolved into the British Columbia Ferry Authority and then the British Columbia Ferry Corporation, both of which were also provincial Crown corporations. In 2003, the Government of British Columbia announced that BC Ferries, which had been in debt, would be reorganized into a private corporation, implemented through the passage of the Coastal Ferry Act (Bill 18–2003). The single voting share of BC Ferries Corporation is held by the provincial government's BC Ferry Authority, which operates under the rules of the Act.

History

In the summer of 1958, a strike by employees of CP Steamships and the Black Ball Line caused the Social Credit government of W. A. C. Bennett to decide that the coastal ferry service in British Columbia needed to be government-owned, and so it set about creating BC Ferries. Minister of Highways Phil Gaglardi was tasked with overseeing the new Crown corporation and its rapid expansion.

Tsawwassen terminal was constructed by filling in a large area at the end of a causeway in 1960

Toll booths at Tsawwassen Terminal

A BC Ferries loading dock (berth 4 at Tsawwassen terminal)

Final loading of cars onto a ferry

BC Ferries' first route, commissioned in 1960, was between Swartz Bay, north of Sidney on Vancouver Island, and Tsawwassen, an area in Delta, using just two vessels. These ships were the now-retired MV Tsawwassen and the MV Sidney. The next few years saw a dramatic growth of the B.C. ferry system as it took over operations of the Black Ball Line and other major private companies providing vehicle ferry service between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. As the ferry system expanded and started to service other small coastal communities, BC Ferries had to build more vessels, many of them in the first five years of its operations, to keep up with the demand. Another method of satisfying increasing demand for service was BC Ferries' unique "stretch and lift" program, involving seven vessels being cut in half and extended, and five of those vessels later cut in half again and elevated, to increase their passenger and vehicle-carrying capacities. The vast majority of the vessels in the fleet were built in B.C. waters, with only two foreign purchases and one domestic purchase. In the mid-1980s, BC Ferries took over the operations of the saltwater branch of the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, which ran ferry services to very small coastal communities. This action dramatically increased the size of BC Ferries' fleet and its geographical service area. The distinctive "dogwood on green" flag that BC Ferries used between 1960 and 2003 gave the service its popular nickname "the Dogwood Fleet".

During the 1990s, the NDP government commissioned a series of three fast ferries to improve ferry service between the Mainland and Vancouver Island. The ships proved problematic when they suffered many technical issues and cost double what was expected. The fast ferries were eventually sold off for $19.4 million in 2003.

A controversy began in July 2004 when BC Ferries, under a new American CEO, announced that the company had disqualified all Canadian bids to build three new Coastal-class ships, and only the proposals from European shipyards were being considered. The contract was estimated at $542 million for the three ships, each designed to carry 370 vehicles and 1600 passengers.

The argument for domestic construction of the ferries was that it would employ numerous British Columbia workers, revitalize the sagging B.C. shipbuilding industry, and entitle the provincial government to a large portion of the cost in the form of taxes. BC Ferries CEO David Hahn claimed that building the ferries in Germany would "save almost $80 million and could lead to lower fares."

On September 17, 2004, BC Ferries awarded the vessel construction contract to Germany's Flensburger shipyard. The contract protected BC Ferries from any delays through a fixed price and fixed schedule contract. Coastal Renaissance entered service in March 2008, while Coastal Inspiration was delivered the same month and entered service in June that year. The third ship, Coastal Celebration, was delivered in June of the same year and entered service in November.

On August 18, 2006, BC Ferries commissioned Flensburger to build a new vessel for its Inside Passage route, with the contract having many of the same types of terms as that for the Coastal-class vessels. The new northern service vessel, Northern Expedition, was delivered in March 2008, and entered service in May of the same year.

On August 26, 2012, BC Ferries announced that it would be cutting 98 round trips on its major routes starting in the fall and winter of 2012 as part of a four-year plan to save $1 million on these routes. Service cuts have included the elimination of supplementary sailings on the Swartz Bay–Tsawwassen route, 18 round trips on the Horseshoe Bay–Departure Bay route, and 48 round trips, the largest number of cuts, on the Duke Point–Tsawwassen route, with plans to look for savings on the smaller unprofitable routes in the future.

Free ferry trips for seniors were suspended from April 2014 to April 2018.

In the fall of 2014, BC Ferries announced the addition of three new Intermediate-class ferries to phase out Queen of Burnaby and Queen of Nanaimo. These three vessels were to be named the Salish class; Salish Orca, Salish Eagle and Salish Raven. In 2022, Salish Heron, the fourth Salish-class vessel, entered service. All four ferries were designed and built by Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland, and are dual-fuel, capable of operating on liquefied natural gas and marine diesel. These vessels are a part of BC Ferries standardized fleet plan, which will take the number of ship classes in the BC Ferries fleet from 17 to 5. The proposed replacement classes are Northern, Major, Salish, Shuttle and Island. Additionally, there will still be three unique (unclassed) vessels in the fleet after standardization is complete. BC Ferries has stated, however, that this total standardization of the fleet will not be achieved for another 40 years. As of March 2024, the fleet has so far been reduced to 11 classes of vessels, with 8 unique (unclassed) vessels remaining as well.

Financial results

Year End	Operating Revenue ($M)	Operating Earnings ($M)	Service Fees (Ferry Tspt.) ($M)	Other Govt. Subsidies ($M)	Net Regulatory Earnings ($M)
2005	422	00(4)	092	024	040
2006	436	011	092	025	050
2007	452	007	091	025	049
2008	481	008	104	026	037
2009	523	021	103	026	009
2010	549	035	126	027	003
2011	557	030	125	027	004
2012	555	025	127	027	0(16)
2013	571	047	149	028	015
2014	594	062	144	028	025
2015	620	082	148	028	041
2016	673	099	144	029	065
2017	697	113	155	029	088
2018	735	104	159	030	071
2019	712	065	188	031	057
2020	707	033	198	031	022
2021	460	(146)	194	218	022

Current routes

Patronage

Route numbers are used internally by BC Ferries. All routes except Route 13 and the Unregulated Routes carry vehicles.

Figures displayed are annual vehicle equivalent and annual passengers.

Route 1 – Georgia Strait South (Highway 17): Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen

Route 2 – Georgia Strait Central (Highway 1): Nanaimo (via Departure Bay) to Horseshoe Bay

Route 3 – Howe Sound: Langdale to Horseshoe Bay

Route 4 – Satellite Channel: Swartz Bay to Saltspring Island (via Fulford Harbour)

Route 5 – Swanson Channel: Swartz Bay to the Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano Island (via Sturdies Bay), Mayne Island (Via Village Bay), Pender Island (via Otter Bay), and Saturna Island (via Lyall Harbour)

Route 6 – South Stuart Channel: Crofton to Saltspring Island (via Vesuvius)

Route 7 – Jervis Inlet (Highway 101): Earls Cove to Saltery Bay

Route 8 – Queen Charlotte Channel: Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island (via Snug Cove)

Route 9 – Active Pass Shuttle: Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano Island (via Sturdies Bay), Mayne Island (via Village Bay), Pender Island (via Otter Bay), Saturna Island (via Lyall Harbour), and Saltspring Island (via Long Harbour)

Route 10 – Inside Passage: Port Hardy (via Bear Cove) to Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island)

Route 11 – Hecate Strait (Highway 16): Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) to Haida Gwaii (via Skidegate, on Graham Island)

Route 12 – Saanich Inlet: Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay

Route 13 – Thornbrough Channel: Langdale to Gambier Island (via New Brighton) and Keats Island (via Keats Landing and Eastbourne). (Foot passengers only, no vehicles). (Operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Ltd.)

Route 17 – Georgia Strait North: Powell River (via Westview) to Comox (via Little River)

Route 18 – Malaspina Strait: Powell River (via Westview) to Texada Island (via Blubber Bay)

Route 19 – Northumberland Channel: Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island (via Descanso Bay)

Route 20 – North Stuart Channel: Chemainus to Thetis Island (via Preedy Harbour) and Penelakut Island (via Telegraph Harbour)

Route 21 – Baynes Sound: Buckley Bay to Denman Island (via Denman West)

Route 22 – Lambert Channel: Denman Island East (via Gravelly Bay) to Hornby Island (via Shingle Spit)

Route 23 – Discovery Passage: Campbell River to Quadra Island (via Quathiaski Cove)

Route 24 – Sutil Channel: Quadra Island (via Heriot Bay) to Cortes Island (via Whaletown)

Route 25 – Broughton Strait: Port McNeill to Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island) and Sointula (on Malcolm Island)

Route 26 – Skidegate Inlet: Skidegate (on Graham Island) to Alliford Bay (on Moresby Island)

Route 28 – Central Coast Connector: Port Hardy (via Bear Cove) to Bella Coola (seasonal direct summer service)/Route 28A: Port Hardy to Bella Coola (with stops at Bella Bella (via McLoughlin Bay, on Campbell Island), Klemtu, Ocean Falls, and Shearwater)

Route 30 – Mid-Island Express (Highway 19): Nanaimo (via Duke Point) to Tsawwassen

Unregulated routes

These are contracted routes that carry foot passengers only, but no vehicles, and are sponsored by BC Ferries.

• Route 25u – Broughton Strait: Port McNeill to Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island) and Sointula (on Malcolm Island) (Acts as a water taxi/school trip ferry) (Operated by Western Pacific Marine Ltd.)
• Route 51 – Vancouver Island West: Ahousat (on Flores Island) to Hotsprings Cove and Tofino (Operated by various water taxis)
• Route 53 – Vancouver Island Northwest: Kyuquot to Tahsis and Gold River (Operated by Get West Adventure Cruises)
• Route 54 – Inside Passage: Dodge Cove (on Digby Island) to Prince Rupert (via Cow Bay, on Kaien Island) (Operated by West Coast Launch)
• Route 55 – Georgia Strait North-Central: French Creek to Lasqueti Island (via False Bay) (Operated by Western Pacific Marine Ltd.).
• Route 59 – Vancouver Island West: Bamfield to Kildonan and Port Alberni (Operated by Lady Rose Marine Services)
• Route 60 – Inside Passage: Hartley Bay to Kitkatla (on Dolphin Island), Oona River (on Porcher Island), Metlakatla, and Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) (Operated by North Co Corp.)
• Unnumbered Route – Inside Passage: Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) to Port Simpson (also known as Lax Kw'alaams) (Operated by the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation).

Maps

Numbers in blue circles are ferry route numbers. Provincial highway trailblazers are added where appropriate.

• 
  Zone 1 – Southern Gulf Islands
• 
  Zone 2 – Central Georgia Strait
• 
  Zone 3 – Northern Georgia Strait
• 
  Zone 4 – Queen Charlotte Sound
• 
  Zone 5 – North Coast

Fleet

Main article: List of BC Ferries ships

BC Ferries has the largest fleet of vehicle ferry vessels in the world. There are at least 45 vessels, ranging from small passenger-only water taxis, up to the 358-car Spirit-class ferries. All of the vessels in use by BC Ferries are roll-on/roll-off car ferries. Most of the major vessels are based on similar designs, which are aggregated into classes of ferries:

• Island-class ferry
• Salish-class ferry
• Spirit-class ferry
• Coastal-class ferry
• C-class ferry
• I-class ferry
• Century-class ferry
• Q-class ferry
• T-class ferry
• K-class ferry
• N-class ferry
• Unclassed ships of BC Ferries

Accidents and incidents

Main article: List of BC Ferries accidents and incidents

In film

Film	Year	Vessel or class
Five Easy Pieces	1970	Mill Bay
Food of the Gods	1976	Howe Sound Queen
The Other Side of the Mountain	1978	Queen of Victoria
Shoot To Kill	1988	Queen of Vancouver
Bird On A Wire	1990	Queen of Burnaby or Queen of Nanaimo
Another Stakeout	1993	Powell River class
Mr. Magoo	1997	Queen of Esquimalt
Disturbing Behavior	1998	Queen of Capilano
Double Jeopardy	1999	Quadra Queen II
Black Point	2002	Mill Bay
Scary Movie 3	2003	Powell River class
Battlestar Galactica miniseries	2003	V class
Walking Tall	2004	Albert J Savoie
Elektra	2005	Albert J Savoie
The Mermaid Chair	2006	Mill Bay
The Suite Life Movie	2011	Northern Expedition
The Killing	2012	Queen of Capilano

See also

Other ferry services

• Barnston Island Ferry – a ferry operated by the BC Ministry of Transportation
• Black Ball Line
• Kootenay Lake Ferry – a ferry in the British Columbia interior operated by the BC Ministry of Transportation

Ferry services elsewhere

• Alaska Marine Highway – Alaska's Marine Highway System, similar to BC Ferries. Also serves Prince Rupert.
• Inter-Island Ferry Authority
• Marine Atlantic – An east-coast analogue of BC Ferries.
• Washington State Ferries
• Baja Ferries - a Mexican analogue of BC Ferries

Shipyards

• Allied Shipbuilders Ltd.
• Burrard Dry Dock
• Vancouver Shipyard
• Victoria Machinery Depot
• Washington Marine Group – Originally called the Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd.
• Yarrow Shipbuilders
• Damen Shipyard

References

References

• Bannerman, Gary and Patricia. The Ships of British Columbia – An Illustrated History of the British Columbia Ferry Corporation. Surrey: Hancock House Publishers, 1985

Press releases

• BC Ferries Corporation (June 13, 2005). Upgraded Queen of Oak Bay Returns to Service Archived July 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (June 30, 2005). Queen of Oak Bay Loses Power and Runs Aground Archived September 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (June 30, 2005). Update on Queen of Oak Bay Grounding Incident Archived September 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (July 1, 2005). Investigation into Queen of Oak Bay Incident Continues Archived September 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (July 3, 2005). BC Ferries to Meet with Horseshoe Bay Boat Owners Archived September 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (July 5, 2005). Queen of Oak Bay to Undergo Extensive Sea Trials Archived September 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (July 7, 2005). Preliminary Investigation into Queen of Oak Bay Incident Released Archived September 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.
• BC Ferries Corporation (March 22, 2006). Queen of the North grounded and sank Archived March 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Press Release.

External links

• Official website
• BC Ferries Tracking – realtime vessel positions
• West Coast Ferries Discussion Forum
• BC Ferry & Marine Workers Union
• BC Ferries Commission
• BC Ferries and Ships on the BC Coast (very extensive photo galleries)