With the provincial election weeks away, British Columbians are experiencing another busy holiday weekend at ferry terminals, and party leaders are weighing in on how to improve service. B.C. NDP Leader David Eby was on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday with MLA candidate Randene Neill, announcing an initiative to ensure locals on the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale and Westview-Little River routes have reserved space, and reservations aren’t all taken up by vacations. This NDP campaign promise would introduce a pilot program that reserves 12 per cent of advance booking space—10 per cent for up to four days before a scheduled sailing, and 2 per cent for up to 24 hours before—for people living on the Sunshine Coast, if they’re elected. “Ferries are not a luxury for coastal communities; they are critical infrastructure. People rely on them for everything from medical appointments to seeing loved ones,” Eby said. “We want to make it easier for locals to get where they need to go while continuing to welcome visitors who support our small businesses.” Further, a release from the B.C. NDP explains that it would “work with B.C. Ferries and other ferry-dependent communities to improve access for local residents on both reservable and first-come, first-served routes.” The party didn’t specify which communities or routes it was referring to, but B.C. Ferries has 47 terminals, many in small island communities that operate on a first-come, first-served basis. ‘Fix B.C. Ferries’ The B.C. Conservatives issued a release on Sunday outlining how the party will “fix B.C. Ferries” if elected. Among the party’s solutions was implementing a B.C. Ferries Charter, which they explain would set “clear standards for reliability, on-time performance, capacity, affordability and customer service.” The party wrote that Eby’s and the NDP’s leadership has “devastated B.C. Ferries,” and brought up the cancelled sailings, overloaded routes and long waits British Columbians face. In a statement, B.C. Conservative Party Leader Lorne Doerkson said, “coastal British Columbians have waited long enough.” “A Conservative government will deliver the reliable, accountable ferry service they have been promised for years,” he said. Among the party’s promises would be bringing “dependable high-speed Wi-Fi to major routes and terminals. B.C. Ferries vessels have had wireless internet service before but removed it along most popular routes in July 2021 after complaints about its quality. “Extensive research and analysis of various technology solutions has shown it is not possible to improve the Wi-Fi service on our ferries to the level expected by users and we continually receive complaints about the quality and reliability of the service,” an update from the ferry service explained at the time. Different approach The B.C. Greens didn’t directly address ferries—instead issuing a broader release on Friday focused on transit and province-wide passenger rail—but touched on the party’s direction on the topic. B.C. Greens Leader Emily Lowan said the province has the capacity to run more ferries, but unsustainable funding and consistent delays have caused the ferry service to become neglected. “The B.C. Greens will make sure communities, workers, and families from across B.C. can stay connected through supporting a future for our rail corridors, building and maintaining ferries locally, and supporting the union workers we’ll need to connect B.C.,” she said. Lowan’s solutions include working with the federal government to increase funding, building and maintaining ships locally to support union work, expanding terminal infrastructure, and planning for electric ferries. B.C. Ferries began using some electric ferries in the last few years, with the Island Class ships—seven new boats gradually brought into service along inter-island routes, with the last coming in 2027—coming battery-equipped and using diesel-hybrid technology, according to the ferry service’s website. Eby, Doerkson and Lowan are scheduled to participate in a live, televised debate on Oct. 14, 10 days before the provincial election.
