As per tradition, Thanksgiving long weekend is gearing up to be a busy weekend at BC Ferries, particularly with foot passengers as many university students will be returning home for the first time this semester.
To help alleviate the surge, BC Ferries is adding 77 additional extra sailings to service holiday weekend travellers. Foot passenger overloads may occur at peak times, such as noon to 7 pm on the holiday Monday at Departure Bay and Swartz Bay.
The most popular travel times are expected to be Thursday and Friday afternoons, as well as Saturday morning, with traffic moving from the Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay terminals to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
The busiest day of the long weekend will be Monday, and multiple vehicle overloads are expected at the Departure Bay, Swartz Bay and Langdale terminals, according to BC Ferries.
Customers returning to Metro Vancouver from the Nanaimo area may consider Duke Point terminal as it tends to be less congested than Departure Bay.
“The holiday Monday of the Thanksgiving long weekend is traditionally the busiest day of the year for foot passengers and is one of the few times of the year where we experience foot passenger overloads,” said Corrine Storey, BC Ferries’ Vice President of Customer Services.
“Customers travelling as foot passengers are advised to arrive at the terminals well in advance of their desired sailing and consider travelling before noon on the holiday Monday.”
Fifty-six extra sailings will be provided on the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay route, which is the busiest route in the fleet, from Thursday, October 6 through Tuesday, October 11.
Additional sailings have also been scheduled on the Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay route at peak times. An extra round trip will be provided between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale on the evening of the holiday Monday.
Southern Gulf Island customers (Salt Spring, Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna Islands) are reminded the holiday Monday schedule will be in effect on Monday, October 10. Passengers travelling from Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands also have the option of sailing via Swartz Bay terminal.
BC Ferries recommends that travellers check the website for current conditions before heading to the terminals.
The cost to walk onto a Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry is $17.20 for an adult, while the cost for a regular vehicle and driver is $73.65.
