A commentary by a resident of the Southern Gulf Islands.
I’ve long accepted that ferry travel is part of our daily reality — early morning departures, late-night returns, and of course, delays due to weather or mechanical issues.
These inconveniences come with the territory, and I appreciate the downtime and beautiful scenery the trip offers.
I also regard the ferry system as a natural check on overdevelopment on islands with limited freshwater and essential services.
However, in recent years, one aspect has become increasingly difficult to accept: B.C. Ferries’ apparent inability — or unwillingness — to run anything close to a punctual schedule.
Service notices routinely cite “crew taking time to get extra vehicles loaded given heavy volume of traffic” as the cause of late departures.
This is no longer an occasional hiccup. It’s become the norm. On complex Southern Gulf Islands routes, even one late departure can create a domino effect of missed connections, blocked docks, and further delays.
For example, the Aug. 8 evening sailing from Galiano to Tsawwassen departed one hour and 34 minutes late, again, due to “heavy volume of traffic.”
For residents, these extreme delays disrupt far more than convenience; they can derail medical appointments, work schedules, and critical commitments in town.
If meeting schedules means fewer sailings but reliable departure and arrival times, I would gladly make that trade.
Punctuality is fundamental to any public transportation system, yet B.C. Ferries seems to have normalized chronic lateness.
The abrupt dissolution of the islands’ Ferry Advisory Committees in November 2024, without any replacement, has left us with no formal channel for constructive input.
Surely B.C. Ferries has the data and statistical tools to forecast traffic volumes, both seasonal and daily, and to create timetables that realistically account for them.
I urge B.C. Ferries to:
1. Publish a punctuality and efficiency report so the public can see the actual record of on-time performance.
2. Adjust schedules to reflect predictable traffic surges, ensuring departures and arrivals happen when promised.
3. Reinstate the Ferry Advisory Committees with a renewed commitment to address concerns.
Anticipating traffic and delivering passengers on time is not an optional courtesy — it is the core business of B.C. Ferries.
We are tired of the apologies and excuses. Islanders depend on B.C. Ferries to get this right.
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