Home at last, thanks to BC Ferries

In this, my last holiday blog, I reflect on the place of BC Ferries in my life. Enjoy. And see you next in Active Pass

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BC Ferryland

With apologies to Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador. I grew up in ferry-land British Columbia. While Kathie and I visited the Newfoundland site a few years ago, we both grew up with the BC ferry  system, a complex highway on water connecting Vancouver Island with other islands and the southwest BC mainland.

We each sailed on a quartet of ships connecting Swartz Bay at Sidney with the Tsawwassen terminal on the lower mainland. The Queens of Esquimalt, Victoria, Saanich, and Vancouver carried the first-generation Queen of Sidney design forward, later to be both extended and raised through the 1960s. My Uncle Harold was chief steward on the Saanich; he was one of the first employees of the new BC Ferries Corporation which took over maritime responsibility from Canadian Pacific Steamships. Following a strike at Canadian Pacific then social credit premier W. A. C. Bennet placed the ferries under government control. Not exactly free enterprise. Go figure!

I cannot imagine a more beautiful and (most of the time), tranquil sail. Leaving Swartz Day you make your way past Salt Spring, Pender, and other gulf islands. You next snake your way through Active Pass which lies between Galiano and Mayne Islands. Northern traveling ferries greet south bound ships with a rather loud hoot on the horn. (Passengers on the outer deck are warned to cover their ears.) Then you pass over the Salish Sea to approach Tsawwassen terminal to land on the lower mainland. Total travel time, one hour and forty minutes.

The trip takes time; time in this instance I suggest is worth taking, though not all agree. Businessman John Wong and his wife owned a condominium unit next to my parents in downtown Victoria many years ago. Once, when visiting Mrs. Wong had heard of the ferry and thought it would be “lovely to travel on such a beautiful little boat.” Husband, John, preferred the Heli jet. “The ferry is too slow; inefficient” he declared. Can’t please ‘em all I guess.

It must be said that every generation grumbles about BC ferries for one reason or another. As costs rise fewer people can access the service if travelling with a vehicle especially on small island routes. Recent changes to public transit on both sides of the water between Victoria and Vancouver has improved things for foot passengers. As a result, the ferries can be awfully full these days. I am sure that a crew member counts passengers, but I sometimes wonder if there is enough lifeboat capacity.

Lineups at the cafeteria can span half the length of the boat and half an hour. In every era ferry traffic rises to the point where wait times rear their ugly heads. Then capacity is increased, and wait times return to normal. Then the seemingly endless cycle repeats itself. Reservations have become necessary on island-mainland connections. Extra cost however  means departure security.

The aging fleet of Celebration-class ships must now be replaced. Routine maintenance has become more frequent causing cancelled sailings or significant delays. A contract has been signed with CMI Weihai shipyard in China. Many are unhappy with the choice given a desire to support Canadian shipyards and create local employment. Many raise cybersecurity concerns. (Remember Huawei?) Opinions vary, but even The Tyee makes a case for the Chinese contract, especially as no Canadian firm entered a bid given present Canadian military projects. The federal government has issued its own complaint, described by Premier David Eby as “a bit rich.”

I am sure that in time the new ships will be dubbed “Chinese junk,” a jibe hopefully undeserved.

Smaller controversies over the years include the demise of the Pacific Buffet. A bargain while our kids ate free while under five years old, we were frequent diners. A successor to the buffet is Seascapes Lounge. We have not tried it yet. Watch this space. BC Ferries hopes this new offering will be less labour intensive and more profitable.

Dogs have finally found a place beyond the dingy car deck on certain days on certain routes. Labradoodle Juno has yet to experience this new cruising option.

Weather is always a struggle. The water between Active pass and the Tsawwassen terminal is exposed and can develop deep swells and very choppy water. We had our own rough water experience last Christmas.

More positively, it amazes me to watch the loading and deck crew load and unload hundreds of vehicles (350+ on larger vessels) of all sizes quickly and efficiently in a very short period of time. Now retired, one of Kathie’s relatives designed and oversaw construction of more than one generation of docking and traffic management systems. One might call access to, and egress from the ships as “a beautiful symmetry.” A “motorized ballet.”  All being well, when it works well, all is well.

As for the social side we often meet people on the ferry we have not seen for a while. We re-connect, share stories, and exchange contact information. As a social corridor, BC ferries do bring some of us together, for a time, and often for a good time.

I would love to hear your ferry travel stories, in WordPress or Facebook comments. Do tell, and see you on the ferry, hopefully soon.

Curio by INEKE, one of the first items sold in BC Ferries gift shops.

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