Frustrated Sunshine Coast mayor wants answers after BC Ferries service ground to a halt for a second time this month
Posted April 17, 2026 10:04 am.
Last Updated April 17, 2026 11:41 am.
Thousands of passengers were stranded yet again this week after the Queen of Surrey broke down due to a failed generator.
The 45-year-old ferry also didn’t sail for part of the Easter Weekend due to a separate issue.
Gibsons Mayor Silas White says BC Ferries has to do something to come up with a better contingency plan.
“This is our highway,” said White.
“This is an absolute essential transportation service to our residents. People do make a decision when they move here. They know there’s going to be a bit of isolation.”
BC Ferries spokesperson Ritinder Matthew said the company is committed to serving communities on the coast but didn’t offer any guarantees.
“From our side, we’re focused on what we can control: maintaining the vessels, improving operations, and investing in fleet renewal,” said Matthew.
“And we know there’s more work to do, and we’re committed to doing that work.”
While Matthew is not making promises or solutions, she did admit how frustrating it’s been for passengers at the terminals.
“What we’ve seen with the Queen of Surrey were separate unrelated issues” she said.
“So, it wasn’t one ongoing problem, but taken together, you know, they do reflect the reality of operating older vessels with complex systems.”
BC Ferries continues to blame the problems mostly on an aging fleet.
“We know this route is critically important to the community, and we’re continuing to look at how it fits within the broader system” Matthew said.
“There is active work underway, including a recent review through the ferry commissioner to better understand demand, service levels, and the long-term needs of the route, and our focus really is on making the system work as reliably as possible for the people who depend on it.”
Despite an acknowledgement from BC Ferries, White says action is needed right now to avoid these kinds of service disruptions in the future.
“We’ve been neglected for years,” he said.
“We tend to fall between the definition of a major route, which have four new vessels being built right now, and a minor route, many of whom are served by newer vessels that have been built in recent years.”
White says having smaller, newer vessels running between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale could be a good option to increase the number of sailings and the reliability of service.
“What needs to be done is, at least as a short-term measure, is some attention being paid for it from all the authorities involved in BC Ferries,” he said.
“Not just BC Ferries themselves, but the provincial government, the BC Ferry Authority Board, and in meeting with our local communities.”
— With files from Maria Vinca
