Weather blamed for spike in BC Ferries cancellations

4:08 p.m.: This article has been updated to include comment from BC Ferries

As we mark Earth Day, we’re finding out how much climate change and inclement weather is hampering BC Ferries service between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Annual statistics show the number of round-trip cancellations on four major routes has gone up significantly in the last two years.

CityNews looked at numbers from 2015 to 2021 and found the weather is consistently playing a big factor in sailings being cancelled, which typically leaves thousands of people stranded at terminals.

Between April 2015 and March 2018, there were an average of of 8.5 annual weather-related cancellations.

But in the fiscal year ending March 2019, there were 24. The following year, that figure nearly doubled to 52.5. Then in 2021, it rose again to 66.

Looking at total cancellations, there were 53.5 round-trip sailings pulled in the fiscal year ending March 2020, all but one of which was due to weather.

In 2021, there were a total of 79 cancellations, 66 of which were weather-related, accounting for 84 per cent of the service disruptions.

Although the number of cancellations has been rising, the total in 2021 on those four main routes only make up 0.64 per cent of all core round trips.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall points out across the entire fleet, 275 sailings were cancelled due to weather, which makes up an extremely small proportion of the trips.

“One must take into account we provided over 160,000 sailings. So cancellations due to weather last year was less than 0.4 per cent.”

Planning for the future and possible BC Ferries alternatives

Liberal BC Ferries Critic Jordan Sturdy admits the changing weather is something we’ll be grappling with in the years ahead and it’s time to start making adjustments to handle what’s coming.

“And as we look at upgrading vessels and also standardizing vessels … one of the challenges BC Ferries has faced over the years is that there are some 17 or 18 different types of vessels on routes, so that creates challenges around parts, interoperability and that sort of thing,” said Sturdy, who is the MLA for West Vancouver – Sea to Sky.

“So, I think what they’re hoping to do is to consolidate to five or six different models of ferries and in choosing those models and making those long-term decisions, it makes good sense to make sure those vessels are capable of dealing with the anticipated weather or the forecast with regard to climate change on various routes over the years going forward.”

Sturdy says the vessels are typically in service for up to 50 years and there’s no question, climate change will be a factor for even newer boats.

“I think it’s absolutely important … we be able to build and design for all weather conditions on all routes at all times.”

In response, Marshall says weather-related cancellations isn’t so much about whether the ferries can stand up to the conditions.

“Our vessels can actually withstand more weather than our customers can. People can become ill if they are traveling on a ferry in rough weather. So that’s certainly a consideration,” she said.

Docking in high winds is also an issue.

“You can cause a lot of damage to a vessel if you are docking in high weather, and you can also cause damage to the terminal … There are lots of other factors that go into the determination to cancel sailings due to weather,” Marshall explained.

Meanwhile, Sturdy says it’s also worth looking at alternatives to ferry service.

“I imagine that the idea of a fixed link to Vancouver Island, for example, is something that does need to be considered or I’m sure it will be raised again as an issue that could create some resolution in terms of reliability.”

As many British Columbians know, there has long been talks about building a bridge between the two regions, but they have never gotten very far.

“Whether that’s a reasonable option in terms of costing and engineering, it’s hard to say. It’s something that’s been floated for as long as I’ve been around or alive, frankly, and I’m sure that conversation won’t go away,” Sturdy said.

He feels regardless of what’s causing the cancellations — be it weather, mechanical issues, or even COVID-19 staffing levels — Sturdy thinks BC Ferries needs to find some solutions and could perhaps benefit from recommendations from the Office of the BC Ferries Commissioner.

“BC Ferries needs to pay attention to those numbers they report out to the Ferries Commissioner and are accountable for those numbers. In terms of some of the other issues, I think BC Ferries needs to ensure they are considering all options and doing their best to anticipate challenges coming forward. And … what can we do on the major routes, in terms of vessels that will provide resiliency in the face of increasingly challenging weather for those crossings? There’s no question about that, so how do they design vessels that manage that heavy weather better? Certainly, it’s their responsibility because the disruptions really do create havoc with people’s lives.”

Sturdy says his experience taking BC Ferries has always been pretty good and notes that out of the tens of thousands of sailings each year, the vast majority go off without a hitch, however, as we deal with more nasty weather, the system may need to look at improvements.

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There have been instances in the past when BC Ferries has paid out because of disruptions and Sturdy thinks that’s something that should also be considered by the service.

“I think it’s important to look at those issues with regards to, for example, the airlines — I think there are certain situations where compensation is provided, typically when it comes down to the airline having that internal issue, as opposed to weather delays [which are] something you’re normally compensated for. There’s a responsibility for any carrier, whether it’s transit or BC Ferries or airlines or trains. I think passengers’ rights are valid, for sure.”

Figures for the fiscal year ending March 2022 are complete but won’t be available for a few weeks.

“But … we did see some weather events this past year,” Marshall said on behalf of BC Ferries.

“While we did see some weather events around the November timeframe around the province, one thing to note is while the Malahat highway was shut down due to damage from heavy rain, we actually provided 24-hour service on the Mill Bay run to get people from the Victoria area up to around the south-of Nanaimo area. There is an example where you see an impact of climate change, and the ferry came in and provided service that people really needed.”

BC Ferries is concerned with its environmental footprint, says Marshall, who adds the company is making efforts to be more green.

“For example, we’ve introduced six new hybrid electric ferries. And once the shoreside technology, the infrastructure, and funding is in place, those ships will be fully electric. We also have six vessels now operating on liquefied natural gas. And while that isn’t the cleanest burning fuel, it’s a lot cleaner than ultra-low sulfur diesel.”