Crofton Terminal Projects

We want to thank everyone who came out and attended the Open House held in Crofton this past May. It was a great opportunity to talk with customers, neighbours and local businesses on the updated plans for Crofton Terminal. If you were not able to attend, you can view the information we shared by visiting the documents section on the right hand side of the page, or by clicking here: Crofton Terminal Information Boards.

Over the past months the project team have continued to assess the berth rebuild and berth repair options for the Crofton Terminal Berth work. This review is part of the process to help inform the decision on scope of the project. This has included design development and field investigation to support it. In addition the work continues on regulatory and permitting process to keep the project moving through the approvals.

We are committed to keeping you updated on the progress of this project, and expect to have an update on next steps and decisions in early 2025.

To stay up to date, you can subscribe to receive proactive updates via email by clicking 'Subscribe' on the right hand side of this page.

We will be hosting a Public Information Session in Crofton to discuss the berth work being planned for the Crofton terminal. This is an opportunity for us to provide the community with an update on our plans and answer their questions about the work that is proceeding in the near term.

The session is scheduled for:

• Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
• Time: 4:00 – 7:00 pm
• Location: Crofton Community Centre, 8104 Robert Street

Key points to be discussed during the session include:

1. Berth Upgrades: BC Ferries is planning to proceed with berth upgrades at the Crofton terminal, with work anticipated to commence in 2026
   
2. Introduction of Island Class Vessels: The berth work is necessary to accommodate the entry of the Island Class vessels onto the Crofton-Vesuvius route in 2027. With the introduction of these vessels, we anticipate improvements in traffic congestion similar to those observed at other terminals like Gabriola and Hornby Islands, where increased capacity allows us to move traffic more frequently.
3. Traffic Management: The berth and vehicle holding space will remain in their current locations. We know there are concerns regarding congestion created by terminal traffic and are committed to managing it to the best of our ability within the existing constraints.
4. Future Plans: While major improvements may not be possible at this time due to space and capital funding limitations, we will look for opportunities that may arise as we plan for the required berth work.
5. Community Engagement: We are excited to be back to engaging in-person, and thank you for your support while we aligned our safety and security practices for public events with those already in place at terminals and on vessels. For this project, we continue to stay connected with the Municipality of North Cowichan and are committed to keeping everyone informed as we progress towards the commencement of berth work.

As an essential public service, BC Ferries is committed to keeping people moving safely and reliably. We review our capital plan regularly to ensure it aligns with our goals. During this year's annual review, we prioritized the maintenance of our infrastructure and the delivery of vessels to meet growing capacity demands. We appreciate your understanding as we strive to ensure the continued reliability of our infrastructure.

Thank you for your continued support of BC Ferries. We look forward to your participation in the Public Information Session and your valuable input as we plan future development at the Crofton terminal.

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 Crofton and Vesuvius Terminals?

As we note above, we have prioritized the work required to ensure the maintenance and continued reliability of our infrastructure for our passengers who rely on it.

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.