Gambier Island Community Page

Langdale (Gibsons) to Gambier (New Brighton) & Keats (Keats Landing)
Additional Keats Landing Stop on September 20, 2023

On September 20, 2023, BC Ferries will be hosting a community drop-in at the Gibsons Public Market. This event will be an opportunity to chat with our teams about topics that are important to you.

To provide an opportunity for those on Gambier Island and Keats Island to attend the event, an additional stop has been added to the schedule for the day.

• Lv. Langdale (Gibsons) 6:20 PM
• Lv. Gambier (New Brighton) 6:30 PM
• Lv. Keats (Keats Landing) 6:45 PM
• Arr. Langdale (Gibsons) 7:00 PM

If you are interested in attending the community drop-in, details are listed below. The event is an open house format, there will be no formal presentation.

• Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
• Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023
• Location: Gibsons Public Market, 473 Gower Point Rd

For more information please contact: Engagement@bcferries.com

For more information or traffic updates, please follow @BCFerries on Twitter or visit bcferries.com.

Route 3 will experience some service disruptions between September 9 and at least October 9, 2023 as a result of the Coastal Renaissance being out of service. Over this time, the following sailings will be cancelled:

We know the loss of the 5:30pm sailing has significant impact on those who commute using this route, and we wish to give everyone as much time as possible to plan their journey. We sincerely apologize for the impact we know this will have for you.

Those with reservations for cancelled sailings will be contacted and either moved to another sailing, or compensated if cancellation of their trip is required. For those without reservations, we wish to assure you that there is still space available on our other sailings, with about half of the deck held for drive-up traffic.

Why is this disruption happening?

Our operation is large and complex, we do not have spare ships available to fill in when unexpected mechanical issues happen, so we must move existing vessels around and change schedules to accommodate as many customers as possible with the available resources.

In this instance, a ship from the Departure Bay – Nanaimo route (Route 2) usually moves to Route 3 on weekdays to provide the 5:30pm service, however with the loss of the Coastal Renaissance on Route 2, we must make ship and schedule changes that allow us to maintain the minimum level of service we are contractually obligated to provide. Route 3 service levels remain within contractually obligated levels, but some supplementary service will be lost over this time with the cancellation of the sailings noted above.

In an effort to improve the connection for customers travelling between the Sunshine Coast (Langdale), and Gambier Island and Keats Landing, the Sunday and Holiday Monday schedule has been revised. The following revised schedule will be in effect Wednesday, June 28, until Monday, September 4, 2023:

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.

As a part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the safe operation of our terminal facilities, BC Ferries will be carrying out overnight terminal work on the Langdale transfer deck beginning at 9:00 pm, April 13, 2023, until June 9, 2023. In an attempt to mitigate traffic disruption to our passengers, the necessary work will take place between 9:00 pm - 7:00 am Monday through Saturday.

This work will be the first phase of the planned Langdale Terminal improvements. The required work will include the use of generators and mechanical hand tools required for welding, cutting and surface preparation, which may increase the level of noise around the terminal. Noise is expected to be intermittent and all efforts will be made to minimize the noise for our neighbours.

We thank our neighbours for their patience and understanding as we complete this necessary work.

For more information or traffic updates please follow @BCFerries on Twitter, visit our website at bcferries.com, call us toll-free at 1-888-BCFERRY (223-3779) or subscribe to the BC Ferries App on your mobile device.

As our teams prepare for the summer season, we wanted to provide an update on the summer schedule for Horseshoe Bay - Langdale route (route 3).

Consistent with last year, there will be no vessel swap on Tuesday and Wednesday which will result in a change to the afternoon sailing times. This schedule allows us to efficiently utilize the crews and increase reliability on the route with no reduction in service.

In addition, schedules for Earls Cove to Powell River (route 7) and Gambier-Keats (route 13) will also be updated to align with route 3.

For more information on schedules, please visit bcferries.com/routes-fares/schedules

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.

What is a Performance Term?

A performance term is a review of BC Ferries services and fees by the BC Ferries Commissioner. Performance Term reviews happen every four years, and the current term (Performance Term 5) will end on March 31, 2024.

BC Ferries has just submitted its proposal for Performance Term 6. This submission sets out our proposed service plans, including capacity increases, replacing aging vessels and infrastructure, and addressing service challenges over the next four years (April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2028). The submission also outlines our financial information and what we believe will be required in order to provide the proposed service changes. This information assists the Commissioner in setting a price cap, the maximum allowable increase to fares for the next performance term.

You’re invited to provide input on the Performance Term

Community members are encouraged to provide their thoughts and feedback on our Performance Term 6 submission while it is under review by the Commissioner, in particular the service plan proposals. You can do that now by reading the submission and providing your feedback at: bcferrycommission.ca

What’s in Performance Term 6 (April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2028)

Modernization and replacement of vessels, terminals and IT systems are the centrepiece of BC Ferries’ Performance Term 6 submission, including:

• Long Term Traffic Demand Outlook (fiscal years 2023 through 2034)

• Capacity Review and Service Enhancement Strategies

• Workforce planning strategies

• Emission reduction strategies

• Strategies for evolving with travel behaviour changes

• Strategies for improving efficiency

• Capital plans (2023 – 2034)

Next Steps

The BC Ferry Commissioner will announce a preliminary price cap on March 31, 2023 and will finalize it on September 30, 2023. Once the review process is complete, BC Ferries will proceed with more detailed design and planning for the actions contained in the approved proposal. We will engage with the communities we serve on putting these plans into action. Stay tuned to this page for more information.