BC Ferries gears up for long weekend with ‘travel tips’

A day after a major website mishap inaccurately told BC Ferries customers there was a nine-sailing wait on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route, B.C.'s transportation minister says a similar situation won't happen again. Kier Junos reports.

By Mike Lloyd and Hana Mae Nassar

Posted August 1, 2023 7:13 am.

Last Updated August 1, 2023 9:23 am.

With the B.C. Day long weekend nearly upon us, and the potential for frustrations to mount, BC Ferries is trying to get ahead with a series of social media posts, accompanied by photos of smiling passengers, offering “Travel Tips.”

The corporation is recommending passengers who have a reservation arrive early — 45 to 60 minutes before their sailing.

“If you don’t have a booking, consider travel at less busy times or walk on board to avoid waits,” BC Ferries writes.

This summer, three ferries are in service between #Tsawwassen and #DukePoint (Nanaimo). If #HorseshoeBay – #DepartureBay (Nanaimo) sailings are sold out, consider travel between Tsawwassen and Duke Point where there is more deck space available. (4/7)

— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) July 31, 2023

Speaking of walking on, the corporation says foot passengers on the busiest routes should also consider booking in advance. It adds parking lots at its terminals “fill up quickly so transit, ride-sharing, or pick-ups and drop-offs are good options if they work for you.”

BC Ferries notes the most popular travel days from the mainland to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning, while Monday and Tuesday morning are the busiest heading back to the Lower Mainland.

It notes terminals are “less busy” Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and is even recommending you consider travelling on the Wednesday after the holiday if you can.

Flexibility seems to be theme in BC Ferries’ travel advice thread, with passengers told to think about booking on other sailings if their plans allow to avoid busier routes and smaller vessels.

Some travellers are taking the advice to heart.

“If you prepare and you show up early or on time, it shouldn’t be a hassle. Preparation is everything,” one passenger at the Horseshoe Bay terminal told CityNews Tuesday.

“I always reserve ahead, always do. And I showed up early,” another passenger said.

But others aren’t so sure. Some travellers say you can prepare all you want — sometimes there’s just no way to get around ferry frustrations and delays.

“No,” one woman told CityNews with a laugh when asked whether she was confident the long weekend would go off without a hitch.

“I walk on anyway, I don’t travel by car.”

The tips and tricks for travel come after BC Ferries has faced a number of challenges in recent weeks, starting with a mechanical issue that forced the removal of the Coastal Celebration vessel from service.

That led to several daily cancellations, and overloaded the Current Conditions page, leading to inaccurate information being shared with hundreds of thousands of people.

In some instances, the website was telling people there as a nine-sailing wait — when in reality, there was only about a one-to-two sailing wait.

“What we were seeing represented on Current Conditions simply wasn’t matching up with what knew was happening at the terminal,” Karen Johnston, executive director of communications and engagement for BC Ferries, told CityNews at the end of July.

The ongoing frustrations have drawn criticism from many, and even prompted a promise to British Columbians that the issue would be resolved and never happen again.

“Technology and a complete overhaul is one of the strategic goals of the new CEO and it can’t come fast enough. What happened yesterday, they have assured our ministry, will be fixed within a week,” Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said on July 26.

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