Otter Bay Terminal Project

Thank you to everyone who attended the in-person engagement session at the Pender Island Community Hall on September 16, 2025. During the session, we provided an overview of the project and gathered valuable input on various aspects of the alternate service.

To view the engagement boards, please visit the Document Library on this page or click here.

In addition to the thoughtful feedback shared in person, we also received input from the Project Feedback Group, as well as through the online forum and poll. All of this feedback helps our project team finalize the alternate service plan for the required five-day berth closure, scheduled for March 6-10^th, 2026.

This engagement process was promoted in the community through posters, print ads, social media, and on vessels.

Key Themes

Across all engagement channels, several key themes emerged:

• The importance of confirming the closure window early to support customer planning.
• Consideration for how pets will be accommodated on the alternate service.
• Ensuring continued access to essential services, such as groceries and healthcare.

Feedback Summary

Which 5-day berth closure would create the least impact for you?

Which two days of the week should we maintain the full schedule, with no potential cancellations?

Project Update

While our project team is still finalizing the alternate service plan, we have recently confirmed the terminal construction contract, which identifies the expected closure window as Friday, March 6 to Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Please note that this date is subject to change based on project progress. We are committed to being transparent as we move forward with planning and implementation.

Next Steps and Communication

Our project team is now focused on finalizing the alternate service and preparing for the upcoming closure. We will continue to share updates as the project advances — both here on the project page and within your community.

To receive project updates directly by email, please click the Subscribe button on the right-hand side of this page.

Thank you again to everyone who participated. Your input is invaluable, and we look forward to sharing more details about the alternate service soon.

Thank you for your input - the intake is now finished. Stay tuned for further details.

We Need Your Input

We are committed to investing in the future of the essential service connecting Pender Island to Vancouver Island and other Southern Gulf Islands by making improvements to extend the life of the existing berth at Otter Bay Terminal. Construction will require some sailing cancellations, and berth closures, and we’re asking for your help in planning for these service disruptions.

Project Overview

Work is planned to begin in early 2026 and is expected to be complete by spring 2026, with a 5-day full berth closure and alternate services for the route planned in early-March 2026.

Work at Otter Bay will include upgrades to the vehicle ramp and various marine structures, as well as the electrical distribution system.

In order to complete the work, sailing cancellations and berth closures will be necessary. We've held early meetings with key stakeholders, including food suppliers, Island Health, and BC Hydro among others, to help us plan mitigations and lessen the impact of this work on the community. So far, this includes:

1. Work planned during the off-peak travel period (January - May).
2. Work stoppage over the holidays, to ensure holiday travel plans are not impacted.
3. Most work will happen in-between sailings and overnight to minimize service disruptions.
4. One 5-day berth closure will be required in February, with alternative foot passenger service available during this time.

We are in the early stages of planning for alternate service and want to hear from the community to help us shape our plans.

FEEDBACK: Planning Service Disruptions

Most of the work will happen overnight, but more time is needed and one full berth closure (estimated at 5 days) will be necessary. We want to know:

• During the berth closure, what day of the week is the MOST important to maintain the full schedule, with no cancellations and/or berth closures?
• Which berth closure dates in early-March would create the least impact for you?

FEEDBACK: Planning to mitigate impacts and communicate plans

We are planning for foot passenger water taxi service during cancellations and closures, with free parking at Otter Bay and Swartz Bay, and terminal assistance at the locations. We're also planning widespread communication during the project via service notices, terminal signage, social media, this page, and by working with a project feedback group made up of local voices and groups from the communities. (learn more about Project Feedback Groups here)

• What other mitigation measures would you like us to consider?
• Who do we need to make sure we reach out to in order to understand and mitigate the impact of this work on communities?
• How would you like to be informed about the project moving forward?

To stay up to date, you can subscribe to receive updates via email by clicking 'Subscribe'.

Online engagement will be open until September 18th, with in-person opportunities being planned and communicated soon.

We look forward to hearing from you, and working together as we move towards exciting improvements for the route and community.