Long-awaited terminal improvement work will affect Gulf Islands ferry travel this winter, but BC Ferries (BCF) said it aims to minimize impacts and give plenty of notice of schedule changes and berth closure times.
Work to upgrade the vehicle ramp, marine structures and the electrical distribution system at Otter Bay on Pender Island has already begun, with an end-of-March 2026 completion date, according to a Nov. 26 BCF service notice. A five-day terminal closure from March 6 to 10 will be required, with water taxi service between Otter and Swartz bays and free parking at both ends set up for that period.
Work scheduled for Berth 1 at Village Bay on Mayne Island will see it closed for eight weeks from Jan. 5 to March 1, but Berth 2 still available. A 16-week construction period is planned, with work expected to wrap up by the end of April 2026.
Revised schedules, with changes described as “minor” and designed to reduce congestion at other berths, will be posted once available.
Of more immediate concern for people travelling to and from Salt Spring via Fulford Harbour this weekend is cancellation of the last two sailings of the Skeena Queen on Saturday, Dec. 13 as the vessel undergoes repairs. The 5:50 p.m. departure from Fulford Harbour and the 7 p.m. from Swartz Bay will be the last sailings of the day. The 6:15 a.m. sailing departing Fulford and the 9 a.m. from Swartz Bay on Sunday are also at risk of cancellation. Water taxi service is in place for foot passengers on those sailings.
Meanwhile, a Dec. 2 open house event at the Harbour House Hotel brought people up to speed on planned work to both the Crofton and Vesuvius Bay terminals, for eventual two-ship service on the route beginning in the summer of 2027.
BCF staff attending that session said service between Crofton and Vesuvius will be unavailable on some days as a result of the work, but plenty of notice — ideally two weeks — would be given in advance. At this point, construction to create a lay-by berth at Crofton for the second ferry is scheduled to occur in the spring and summer of 2026, and upgrades to the existing Vesuvius and Crofton trestles and berths will run from the fall of 2026 through early 2027.
BCF advises that the best way to stay informed about the terminal projects and any closures/schedule changes is to subscribe to the appropriate project pages on the BCF website: bcferriesprojects.ca. Email messages will be sent to all subscribers.
In other BCF news, Gulf Islands travellers going to or from Tsawwassen via Swartz Bay may have noticed a change in thru fare rates and longstanding policy that took effect without much notice on Oct. 15.
For the past 10 years, passengers who requested the thru fare option have paid the same price as if travelling directly between Tsawwassen and the Gulf Islands (Route 9). That is no longer the case.
Ferry officials said a combination of increased and shifting demand for sailings and an effort to deter an arcane bit of fare cheating were behind the changes.
“Thru fare travel is available when customers book a prepaid fare to Swartz Bay and request the thru fare at the Tsawwassen ticket booth,” said BCF senior communications advisor Sheila Reynolds. “No extra charges apply. Customers with a ‘reservation-only’ booking or travelling without a booking will pay the at-terminal rate.
“The at-terminal rate for Route 1 (Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay), Route 9 (Tsawwassen–Southern Gulf Islands), and the at-terminal thru fare are now aligned at $95. This prevents situations where customers travelling only to Swartz Bay could use the thru fare to pay less than the standard Route 1 at-terminal rate,” she said, adding that travelling thru fare from Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay-Fulford on the prepaid fare is $105, while travelling prebooked and prepaid off-peak from Tsawwassen to Long Harbour is $80.
“We know this is an adjustment for some travellers, but booking ahead helps ensure travel certainty and reduces the long road lineups and terminal congestion that have become more common as demand grows.”
She said fare changes were outlined in a fare guide posted online April 1.
For thru fare travel in the other direction, use of the existing voucher system continues, although at a slightly higher rate for those who haven’t pre-booked and paid for a reservation on the Swartz-to-Tsawwassen run.