Horseshoe Bay Terminal Infrastructure Program FAQ

• Starting October 15, all customers travelling by vehicle – including motorcycles and commercial vehicles – from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) will need to book in advance. This change supports multi-year construction at the Horseshoe Bay terminal, where vehicle staging space will be reduced by 25%. This is only required for travel in this direction. 
• Motorcycles will also be required to pre-book travel. Bookings for motorcycles will be available as of September 3 from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) only.
• This change is necessary to prevent highway congestion and protect access for those who need to travel.  Vehicle holding space at the terminal will be reduced by 25% during construction. A portion of deck space will continue to be reserved for emergency vehicles and Medical Assured Loading passengers. 
• We used a range of engagement tools, including surveys with more than 3,000 responses – to hear directly from customers about this route. Their input helped shape the transition, with clear calls for better planning tools, clearer communication, and more affordable fare options. 
• To support customers, we’re doubling Saver Fare availability on this route from 20% to 40% between October 15, 2025 and March 31, 2026, with fares for a vehicle and driver starting as low as $49 on select sailings and $89 fares on our most popular sailings. This adjustment gives more people the chance to save and helps encourage early booking during the transition. 
• We’re also launching two of the most requested features from customers, with waitlists and sailing space alerts coming this fall.
• Between October 15 and November 30, we’re waiving change fees on this route to give customers added flexibility as they get used to booking in advance. This is a time-limited measure. Regular change and cancellation policies will resume after this period. 
• If your preferred sailing on Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Route 2) is sold out, alternative routes are available, including travel via Route 30 (Tsawwassen–Duke Point) or the new daily 4:30pm Tsawwassen–Departure Bay sailing. This option will be available during busy peak periods such as Christmas and Easter and was introduced this year to give customers more options and increase system-wide capacity. Drive up (At Terminal) fares, Reservation-only fares, and Assured Loading Tickets (ALT) remain available on Route 30 (Tsawwassen to Duke Point) and Route 1 (Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay).
• We know this is a big shift and we’re here to support customers every step of the way. These changes are about keeping people moving safely while we upgrade one of our busiest and most space-constrained terminals.

  
  

The change to advance booking for sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay will be in place during this multi-year construction program, which is estimated to last several years. After the project is complete, we will revisit the decision.

Starting this fall, all customers travelling from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay will need to book in advance, and drive-up fares no longer available. 

The shift to an advance booking model will reduce highway backups, improve on-time performance, and safety, leading to a better travel experience for customers who rely on this route. 

Foot passengers do not need to book ahead for travel and foot passenger travel remains unchanged.

Tickets can continue to be purchased at the terminal Tickets are available for purchase up to 10 minutes before the scheduled sailing time.

Foot passengers can still book in advance, but it is not required.

If you check-in for your booking and the sailing is cancelled, we will make every effort to load you onto the next available sailing.

If your sailing is cancelled before you check-in, your booking will be cancelled and any prepaid fares will be refunded.

Customers who arrive early will be turned away and asked to come back 120 minutes before their confirmed departure time. Customers can log into their BC Ferries Account to change their booking to an earlier sailing, based on space availability. And between October 15 to November 30, we’re waiving change fees on this route to give customers added flexibility as they get used to booking in advance. This is a time-limited measure. Regular change and cancellation policies will resume after this period.

Yes – as of October 15th motorcycles will now need to make an advance booking to travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.

Bookings for motorcycles will be available as of September 3 from HSB-DEP only.

We’ve heard from the motorcycle community and customer feedback over the last several years tells us that motorcyclists would like the ability to book ahead.

The Prepaid fare for standard motorcycle travel will be $39.50.

Motorcycles will have the same access to vehicle deck space as Standard Vehicles. No other limit will be applied.

If you miss the booking check in time for your sailing, the terminal staff will try to get you on the next available sailing, depending on your arrival time and whether space is available. If there is no room on the next available sailing, the ticket agent can provide you with instructions on how to rebook or you can call Customer Service at 1-888-223-3779 for assistance.

We’ve expanding the check-in window on the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay route, in both directions. Customers must arrive at the terminal 30 minutes prior to their departure time but no earlier than 120 minutes before their scheduled departure time.

We’ve expanding the check-in window on the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay route to give customers more time to arrive at their destination. Customers must arrive at the terminal 30 minutes prior to their departure time but no earlier than 120 minutes before their scheduled departure time.

If you are unsure what time you will be arriving at the terminal you have the option of moving your booking for no charge (for travel Oct 15 – Nov 30) through our website at BC Ferries.com.

We will not be accepting any drive-up traffic in the terminal for sailings to Departure Bay.

Traffic bound for Sunshine Coast or Bowen Island is not impacted.

During construction, the capacity of vehicle lanes within the terminal will be reduced, removing the ability to ‘hold’ as much traffic within the terminal. Vehicles will be directed out of the terminal into Horseshoe Bay Village, where there will be a safe area to park and make a booking.

Customers with a gift certificate, Save on Foods voucher, or other paper vouchers will need to call the Customer Service Centre at 1-888-223-3779 to make a booking in advance of travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo).

The Customer Service Centre agent will take down the gift certificate/voucher number during the booking process, and the payment of fares will be deferred to the terminal, using your credit card to hold the booking. You provide the gift certificate/voucher to the ticket agent at check in for any fares covered by the voucher or gift certificate. Any no show fees will be applied to the credit card used to hold the booking.

Customers can still book a Reservation only fare if travelling from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) with a voucher or gift certificate.

Customers can pre-pay for their travel in cash by pre-paying at select terminals in the main ticketing area. These terminals are Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay, Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay.

Yes. Customers who are not able to make a free TAP booking when travelling to or from a medical specialist appointment, treatment or surgery will still be able to use their Medical Assured Loading letter when they present that and their completed TAP form at the ticket booth, when they arrive a minimum of 30 minutes prior to a scheduled sailing.

Adjustments to the schedule for Route 3 (Horseshoe Bay to Langdale) will also be necessary to reduce traffic congestion at peak times, particularly in the evening, which will improve reliability and support better on-time departures for the passengers who rely on the Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route.

These adjustments aim to provide more time between the busiest sailings which will result in the 5:30 pm Horseshoe Bay to Langdale sailing moving to 6:05 pm in the shoulder seasons and 6:10 pm in off peak season.  

For Saltery Bay to Earls Cove (Route 7) and Langdale – Keats – Gambier (Route 13) 7 and 13, adjustments will be made to align with changes to the Route 3 schedule.  

There are no schedule changes planned for Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island. 

Over the next several years, Horseshoe Bay terminal will undergo a series of infrastructure improvements. This work will include upgrading or replacing the three berths, relocating the control tower, removing the aging elevated structures, improving seismic safety and enhancing the terminal’s operational efficiency.  

Installation of a temporary control tower and deconstruction of the existing control tower and elevated structure is expected to get underway in October 2025.

The work will be completed over the next several years. The total cost of renewal program at Horseshoe Bay terminal is expected to be in the hundreds of millions,

The planning is underway to develop a phasing and sequencing strategy to package work in a way that minimizes disruption to operations. The work will take several years to complete, beginning in 2025 and extending out to 2030 and beyond.

Horseshoe Bay is one of BC Ferries’ oldest and busiest terminals, and like other long-serving infrastructure that has supported communities for decades, many of its components are nearing the ends of their useful operational lives. In addition, work is required on the berths to maintain their functionality and ensure they can accommodate the future integration of the New Major Vessels into our fleet.

Under our new engagement framework Let’s Connect, BC Ferries is engaging with the community and interested parties about Horseshoe Bay Terminal as part of an ongoing project feedback group. 

Additionally, as we work through these changes toward implementation in October 2025, there will be further opportunities for external and public engagement at terminals and on vessels.  

Direct engagement with interest holders is being undertaken to assess impacts of the changes and identify additional mitigation needs or requirements. 

The Horseshoe Bay terminal will remain operational throughout this program, and minimizing disruptions is essential for customers and crews.  

Traffic staging lanes will be reassigned; we remind customers to check your ticket carefully.

Foot passenger access to the lower-level Bowen Island waiting room will not be available (washrooms may be accessed via the stairwells/elevator to Waiting room A and B).   

We will provide as much notice as possible in advance of any anticipated changes or disruptions. Please ensure you regularly review the Horseshoe Bay Service Notice.

Safety is our primary focus, including for those with accessibility needs. We will ensure the terminal is accessible for all passengers while the work is underway.

We’re still planning the program and will know more in the coming months. However, we do anticipate there will be some nighttime construction activity in an effort to keep the terminal operating at capacity. 

The project team will endeavor to minimize disruption for nearby residents.

We are in the early process of developing our plans to make the infrastructure improvements. The project team will be assessing potential dust, noise and light impacts on the community and will develop mitigation measures. We’ll have more information as the program progresses.

We are planning to trail and install a low frequency transmitter radio channel for our customers in the Horseshoe Bay terminal, which will enable us to provide announcements, project updates, and other messaging to customers while they are waiting at the terminal. This will assist with noise reduction that would have otherwise required us to increase the announcement speaker volume, potentially impacting our neighbours.

The Control Tower is the operational eyes and ears of the terminal. It’s like an airport traffic control tower, but for ferries and vehicles.

The current Control Tower is located on the elevated structure that needs to be demolished.

A new temporary Control Tower needs to be installed, set up and tested, prior to the existing Control Tower being decommissioned and removed.

The elevated structures are the concrete structures that provide vehicle access and holding/parking areas to the upper decks of the ferries. Below the elevated holding area, vehicles are staged for Bowen Island and a smaller number of vehicles for Nanaimo.  

The elevated structures were built to the safety and seismic standards of the time they were constructed. As happens with all major infrastructure components like bridges and tunnels from this era, they are nearing the end of their operational lives, and it is time to develop a plan to replace them. All new elevated structures will be built to current safety and seismic standards and will help facilitate smoother operating processes.

Safety is our primary focus. That’s why it’s essential for us to undertake this work to align our elevated structures with current safety and seismic standards. As happens with all major infrastructure components like bridges and tunnels from this era, they are nearing the end of their operational lives, and it is time to develop a plan to replace them.

The work will be completed over the next several years. We are still determining the scope of the project and therefore unable to provide an accurate figure at this time.  

18 spaces will be removed from the surface parking lot adjacent to the Horseshoe Bay terminal as of September 2025, for the duration of the project.

These parking spots will be used as a site compound and office facility for construction crews. 

Yes. More parking is available in the BC Ferries parkade located to the south of the terminal. The parkade is the same price as the short-term lot and is just a three-minute walk away.

Horseshoe Bay is serviced by TransLink. Transit will not be impacted by the construction.

Find out more and plan your trip here.