Gabriola Island Community Page

This spring and summer we’re getting back out with our Ferry Advisory Committees and the communities we serve. With a focus on resetting conversations, we’ll be looking at what we’ve heard from FACs and communities over the past two years. We’ll work together to:

• Review the list of feedback we’ve received from each community
• Prioritize the feedback we can action
• Establish criteria that will help a new Community Prioritization Panel make recommendations about what’s most important across the ferry system

This work will result in a prioritized list of action items for each community. From there, a Community Prioritization Panel (CPP) will work to consolidate these items into a prioritized list for the whole BC Ferries system.

All FAC chairs have been invited to participate in the CPP and the panel will deliver a final public report by October 31, 2024. This report will help guide how BC Ferries reviews and makes decisions on changes needed to improve service and experience for customers, and also help inform long-term decisions that align with the ongoing Charting the Course vision process.

Timelines

• May: Virtual meetings with all Ferry Advisory Committees
• June/July: In-person community workshops

Dates and details for community workshops will be posted to this page shortly.

New Safety and Security Measures

In order to create a safe and respectful environment for all, BC Ferries has implemented changes based on recommendations made in its safety review, including:

• Establishing safety and security policies for public events that align with WorkSafe BC requirements.
• Rolling out a new mandatory respectful workplace policy and training across the company, including training in Prevention of Violence in the Workplace for all BC Ferries representatives who will take part in community events.
• Establishing plans and templates to support safety and security assessments in advance of FAC and community meetings.
• Establishing new processes for public events, including the request for participants to RSVP ahead of time, new sign-in requirements, and a new Code of Conduct that will apply to all public events. We’ll provide more information on what you can expect to see at events in an upcoming post to this page.
• Updating the Terms of Reference and Code of Conduct to ensure the correct foundations are in place to support a mutually respectful and productive relationship with FACs.

Stay Informed

We’ll be providing updates to this page in the coming weeks, click the ‘Stay Informed’ icon on the right hand side of the page to receive updates to your email inbox.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

The BC Ferries Community Relations Team

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 Gabriola 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 Gabriola and Nanaimo Harbour terminal?

As we note above, we have prioritized the work required to ensure the maintenance and continued reliability of our infrastructure for Gabriola Island residents and travellers. As a result, uplands work at both Descanso Bay and Nanaimo Harbour terminals has been deferred for the foreseeable future.

The Nanaimo Harbour and Gabriola Island terminal projects will focus on improvements to the marine infrastructures at both terminals. This includes the addition of a lay-by berth at Nanaimo Harbour that will enhance the safety and efficiency of vessel docking, and reduce weather cancellations of the second vessel on this route.

Work also continues for the introduction of the two new fully-electric Island Class vessels to the route in 2027.

We have heard community concerns around safety at the terminals, and while no uplands work is planned for the terminals, we are committed to staying connected with our partners including Islands Trust, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, local transit and other stakeholders, to work on operational improvements for vehicle staging, lighting, traffic control and communication.

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

March 19 - June 19

We're happy to announce that over the last month, we have been working with People for a Healthy Community to facilitate a shuttle bus. The pilot will help provide more accessible travel for residents while reducing vehicle congestion at our terminals and vessels.

As an essential service, we are committed to reducing our GHG emissions while maintaining a safe, reliable and efficient ferry system for our passengers. Which is why we are excited to see more community projects that encourage travellers to go by bus and high-occupancy vehicles.

For Gabriola Island, People for a Healthy Community has taken the lead to initiate the second community shuttle program in the Southern Gulf Islands, and we welcome other communities to reach out with similar projects to see how we can work together to connect people to the places they need to go.

The shuttle will travel between Descanso Bay and Nanaimo Harbour on Tuesdays and Wednesdays depending on the needs of the ridership. You may notice the shuttle staged in the medical loading area at the terminals. If you have any questions on the program, please visit People for a Healthy Community website at https://www.phcgabriola.org/ for more details on eligibility and scheduling

Gabriola Islanders can expect water taxi-only service on specific late night and early morning sailings January 15 – 19, 2024 to allow for overnight geotechnical work on the marine structures at the Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) and Nanaimo Harbour terminals. This work is in support of future terminal development.

We have carefully chosen days and times for this work based on historical data of when the fewest people are travelling to mitigate the impact on those who rely on ferry service for access to work, school, and medical appointments.

As service will not be available for vehicles, complimentary water taxi only service will be provided for the following sailings:

Water taxis (view water taxi locations here) will run at the regularly scheduled sailing times, and will provide service as long as needed to help ensure you get to your destination. If you choose to leave your vehicle in Nanaimo overnight, reimbursement can be claimed through Customer Care: https://www.bcferries.com/contact-us/helping-you-during-a-service-disruption.

Night Work will take place at the Descanso Bay terminal on January 12, 15-17, and 19, and at Nanaimo Harbour on January 18.

If you live near the terminals, there’s a chance of increased noise levels between the hours of 9:00pm and 6:00am. Our construction contractors will do everything possible to mitigate noise impacts for our neighbours during this period.

Despite our best efforts, we recognize customers may still be impacted when travelling on this route, and we thank the community in advance for your patience as we complete this crucial work.

For up-to-date sailing and departure information, visit bcferries.com or follow @BCFerries on X.

Now is the time to shape the vision of the coastal ferry service in BC.

Transportation, transit and ferry systems around the world are under pressure resulting from the pandemic, population growth, climate change, inflation and other factors. BC’s coastal ferry system is no exception, and BC Ferries is responding with actions to address current operational issues. We are also embarking on a long-term transformative journey to reshape our coastal ferry services in response to the evolving needs of the communities we serve.

We invite you to participate in Charting the Course, an initiative that aims to define what is needed to keep people, goods, and services in coastal communities connected and moving through to 2050 and beyond.

Hearing from you is an important part of this initiative to help us build a more sustainable and resilient ferry system. The first phase of engagement is open until November 28. Learn more and participate here: https://www.bcferriesprojects.ca/bc-ferries-charting-the-course

Nanaimo Harbour Terminal: Update October 30

Tresetle and Pontoon Life Extension Project

September 27 - November 6, 2023

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the safe operation of our terminal facilities, BC Ferries will be carrying out necessary marine work activities to extend the life of the pontoon and timber trestles at the Nanaimo Harbour Ferry Terminal.

The First phase of the project will begin on Wednesday, September 27, and take place during the day. This will include work on the timer trestle with no impact to operations expected.

Beginning October 10 - November 6, the remainder of the work will be completed. To mitigate traffic disruptions for our customers, during this time, construction activities will take place overnight until November 3 between the hours of 5:00 pm and 4:00 am. We anticipate that residents in the nearby vicinity may experience an increase in noise levels due to crane operations and pile driving.l Construction crews will make every effort to minimize noise as much as possible.

We would like to thank our customers and neighbours for their patience and understanding as we complete this work.

For more information or traffic updates, follow our @BCFerries X Account or visit bcferries.com

On June 13, due to adverse weather conditions, the Island Gwawis cancelled all afternoon sailings starting at 12:55pm between Nanaimo Harbour and Descanso Bay on Gabriola Island. Subsequently, the Island Kwigwis sailed on a reduced license. This combination of factors resulted in overloads, causing frustration for customers and leading to questions around what happened to the sailings that day. In this update, we would like to provide clarity about these events and what we will be doing moving forward.

What happened

The Island Gwawis ties up each day at the Visiting Vessel Pier in Nanaimo. The conditions for docking at this pier present more challenges in adverse weather than docking at the BC Ferries’ terminal. With winds predicted to be too high to safely dock the vessel later that day, the decision was made to cancel the afternoon sailings for the Gwawis in the interest of safety.

Because the Island Kwigwis docks at the BC Ferries terminal, it continued to sail that day. However due to our inability to fully staff the vessel to Transport Canadas regulation levels, the vessel’s license was reduced. This led to lower passenger capacity on the Kwigwis and with just one ship in operation, some passengers experienced longer waits at the terminal. Crew were found and the Kwigwis sailed at full capacity for the 4:35pm sailing onward.

What about other docks near by

During the initial project for the alternate dock, all locations were looked into and considered. These included Departure Bay and the Cruise Ship dock. After all options were explored, it was concluded the Visiting Pier was the most suitable for the vessel and the needs of the route. When service disruptions do happen our teams will look at all available options. In making these decisions, several factors including crew and berth availability are considered.

What we are doing

The central question we have heard is, could the crew from the Gwawis have been reassigned to the Kwigwis so it could sail at full capacity between 12:55pm and 4:35pm?

The simple answer is yes. However, on this day that reassignment did not happen. We have conducted a review with our staff and have addressed this oversight so that it will not happen again. We recognize the major disruption this caused to all those travelling on this day and we apologize for the frustration customers experienced. Our teams continue to work on improving our policies and procedures for two-ship service on this route, to avoid or mitigate disruptions moving forward. We thank everyone for their patience and understanding.

Today marks National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day we celebrate and recognize the diverse cultures, traditions and immeasurable contributions of First Nations, Inuit, & Métis across Canada. Indigenous Peoples are the traditional stewards of the rivers, lakes, land & sea where we are privileged to live and work.

#NIPD2023 serves as an opportunity to learn and deepen our understanding of the Indigenous cultures throughout Canada.

• Learn more about Indigenous Peoples land, languages, history and culture: https://maps.fpcc.ca/
• The First Peoples’ map highlights BC's Indigenous language regions, artists & artworks, place names & landmarks: https://native-land.ca/
• Native Land is an app that allows users to map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages: https://ow.ly/1pUt50OPX10
• Use the @BCGovNews map to find events happening in your community celebrating National Indigenous History Month: https://ow.ly/fif850OPX4l
• Learn more about the history, cultures, and experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada: https://ow.ly/mJ4250OPX91

Learn about National Indigenous People’s Day and how you can participate in celebrating their culture and heritage.

#BCFerries remains committed to fostering meaningful relationships with the Indigenous communities we serve. We recognize the importance of collaboration and partnership as we work toward a future of mutual respect, reconciliation and inclusivity.

The new BC Ferries app is now available for download to your mobile device in the App Store and Google Play Store. Designed with convenience and personalization in mind, the app makes it easier than ever to check schedules and current conditions, book sailings and manage your trips.

New features and enhancements include:

• Travel Preferences: Allows customers to save travel details for quick access to schedules and current conditions and make faster bookings on frequently travelled routes.
• Current Conditions: Route sailing status and estimated deck space will be easier to view with the updated app layout.
• Making and Managing Bookings: New designs and personalized travel preferences will enable easier bookings. Customers can quickly jump to the next available sailing with the new Express book feature, and manage existing bookings on-the-go.
• Schedules: Enhanced features on daily and seasonal schedules and the introduction of travel preferences will make it easier to trip plan.
• Alerts: Gives customers the option to receive timely push- notifications for service notices and upcoming sailing reminders on their device.
• Seamless check-in: Customers can find their upcoming trips on their app dashboard to access the booking barcode for seamless check-in at the terminal.

This is BC Ferries first release and the company already has plans for new features and functionality. The app will also continue to evolve based on feedback from customers and evolving digital trends.

More information about the mobile app, including how to and helpful tips, is available online at https://www.bcferries.com/app

Since filing in September 2022, an elevated risk of recession, coupled with higher inflation and cost pressures across BC Ferries operations, has forced a recalculation of estimates and plans contained in the company’s Performance Term Six Submission to the independent BC Ferries Commissioner.

Revisions to the plan are in three key areas:

• Traffic Outlook – BC Ferries’ traffic outlook has been updated to reflect the growing certainty of a mild recession occurring during Fiscal 2024;
• Capital Program and Maintenance – continued inflation and higher maintenance costs associated with maintaining an ageing fleet have been factored into an updated schedule and 12-year capital plan.
• Labour and Talent Development – a more comprehensive view of actions necessary to secure required crew levels in response to the growing gap of both exempt and bargaining unit wages relative to the marketplace.

The revised plan also acknowledges the recent commitment of $500 million in new funding from the Province to support the lowering of fare increases for people who rely upon the coastal ferry service. While funding terms are not finalized, the Commissioner will determine the impact on BCF’s revised four-year plan, and will make a final determination on the Performance Term Six price caps by September 30, 2023. The plan is now posted on the Commissioner’s website bcferrycommission.ca for public feedback.

Click here to view the full media release.