Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this pilot happening?
The North Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee submitted a request for BC Ferries to consider providing direct service between Texada Island and Comox in response to community feedback. The pilot has been designed to explore whether direct service on certain days of the week could ease travel for Texada Island residents needing to make day trips to Vancouver Island.
When did the pilot start?
The pilot has not started yet.
The pilot we are considering now is a restart of a pilot that was first initiated in February 2020. The initial pilot suggested changes were required, and was then paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now ready to restart the pilot with the community's buy-in.
How many sailings will there be?
We are exploring two potential sailing schedules with the community. Both potential options involve using the Island Class vessel to provide direct service between Texada and Comox for specific sailings on specific days of the week. This means that a pilot would create gaps in sailing times between Texada and Powell River while the vessel makes the return trip to/from Comox.
The proposed schedules can be viewed in the Engagement Materials section on the right hand side of this page. No decisions have been made, and we will use community input to help us determine whether to restart the pilot, and if so, which options would be preferred by the community.
Does this pilot impact service between Powell River and Comox?
No. There are no impacts to service between Powell River and Comox.