Capital Planning Update March 2024

As an essential public service, it is our job to keep people moving safely and reliably. We review our capital plan regularly to ensure it’s helping us achieve those goals. Inevitably, that means some tough decisions as we must work within our budget.

During this year’s annual review, we prioritized two main aspects of our capital investment plan:

1. The work required to ensure the maintenance and continued reliability of our infrastructure
2. The delivery of vessels to replace our aging fleet and meet the growing capacity demands of the communities we serve, and the replacement of berths required to support new vessel introductions.

As a result, we have had to defer or adjust the scope of some of our previously planned projects to work within available funds. For more on project impacts for Salt Spring Island, please read on.

Although some adjustments have been made, our plans continue to include $356 million in capital investments this year, and approximately $2.2 billion over the next four years (Performance Term Six). We also plan to pursue additional funding opportunities that would allow us to re-evaluate capital expenditures before the end of the next performance term (March 31, 2028). We will keep you updated as we continue to re-evaluate.

What does this mean for Fulford terminal?

As we note above, we have prioritized the work required to ensure the maintenance and continued reliability of our infrastructure for Salt Spring Island travellers.

Fulford terminal project planning has been deferred, but work continues on providing increased capacity for Salt Spring Island travellers with:

• Additional peak season capacity between Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay
• Berth infrastructure upgrades to support the introduction of two new Island Class vessels on Route 6 in 2027, which will bring increased capacity and frequency for Salt Spring Island travellers.

This increase in capacity and frequency also means moving vehicles through the terminals and off the road ways more efficiently. We will also continue to stay connected with Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Islands Trust, and BC Transit to work on operational improvements for vehicle staging, traffic control and intermodal connections.

What does this mean for Crofton and Vesuvius Terminals?

Crofton and Vesuvius terminal projects will focus on the berth replacements in their original location to ensure the continued reliability of our infrastructure and to prepare the terminals for the introduction of two new Island Class vessels in 2027.

Understanding the effects of peak season traffic on our neighbours, we will continue to utilize all traffic control measures to minimize impacts. The increase in capacity and frequency offered by the Island Class vessels will also mean being able to move vehicles through the terminal and off the roadways more efficiently. In addition, we continue to look for all opportunities to effectively manage vehicle capacity at the terminals. This includes increasing vehicle space at Vesuvius terminal with the berth replacement project, by providing widened lanes on the trestle, to help move more vehicles off the roadway.

We will also continue to stay connected with Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Municipality of North Cowichan, and BC Transit to work on operational improvements for vehicle staging, traffic control and intermodal connections.

Thank you for your understanding as we work to balance the work required to ensure the maintenance and continued reliability of our infrastructure.