BC Ferries has halted several major sailings and reduced their capacity by half amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changes will take effect on Saturday, April 4th and last for 60 days, during which time the company and province will monitor service levels to maintain essential services, and to determine when to return to normal levels.
“These changes are designed to ensure we have sufficient capacity to allow the flow of
essential goods, services, supplies and workers to their destinations,” said Mark Collins,
BC Ferries’ President and CEO.
“We will continue to transport the goods communities rely on, and we will get people to where they need to go.”
The service adjustments include:
- Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen to Duke Point will be reduced to 4 round trips per day, instead of 8.
- 4 additional cargo-only sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point will be instated to facilitate the flow of essential goods and services between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
- The Langdale to Horseshoe Bay service will be reduced to 6 round trips per day instead of 8.
- The Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, and Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay routes are suspended completely.
- Northern and mid-coast communities will see services continue at the current off-peak levels. The summer direct service between Bella Coola and Port Hardy will not be introduced at this time.
Changes in the sailings to the Southern Gulf Islands from Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are currently being finalized and will be announced soon. The remaining routes are unchanged for now.
Schedule Adjustments Effective Saturday, April 4:
- Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay (Vancouver – Victoria) will operate with four departures
from each terminal daily:- Exit Swartz Bay: 9am, 1pm, 3pm and 7pm
- Exit Tsawwassen: 7am, 11am, 5pm, 9pm
- Tsawwassen – Duke Point (Vancouver – Nanaimo) route will operate with four
departures from each terminal daily:- Exit Tsawwassen: 7:45am, 12:45pm, 5:45pm, 10:45pm
- Exit Duke Point: 5:15am, 10:15am, 3:15pm, 8:15pm
- Tsawwassen – Duke Point (Vancouver – Nanaimo) route will operate with four
CARGO ONLY departures from each terminal Monday through Friday. These sailings
are reserved for the movement of commercial goods and essential service workers.
Schedule as follows:- Exit Tsawwassen: 5:15am, 10:15am, 3:15pm, 8:15pm
- Exit Duke Point: 7:45am, 12:45pm, 5:45pm, 10:45pm
- Horseshoe Bay – Langdale (West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast) route will operate
with six departures from each terminal daily:- Exit Langdale: 6:20am, 8:40am, 10:50am, 3:15pm, 5:25pm, 7:40pm
- Exit Horseshoe Bay: 7:30am, 9:45am, 11:55am, 4:20pm, 6:35pm, 8:45pm
- Inside Passage-Central Coast-Bella Coola and Haida Gwaii Schedules
See the B.C. Ferries website for schedule details on northern routes.
