By Morningstar Pinto
Executive Director, External Engagement,
BC Ferries
Ferry service is central to island life, and Salt Spring residents are right to care deeply about how it is delivered. That’s why it’s important that public discussion – especially when it involves safety, staffing or service reliability – is based on facts. A recent editorial in the Driftwood (July 9, 2025) raised a number of concerns about BC Ferries’ decisions and community engagement. Some reflect valid challenges we’re working to address. Others oversimplify or misstate key facts. We want to provide a clearer picture.
First, we have not stepped back from community engagement — but the way we engage has changed. The former Ferry Advisory Committee model, introduced more than 30 years ago, filtered community input through a small group of volunteers. That’s no longer considered best practice. We’ve replaced that structure with a broader, more inclusive Community Engagement Framework that provides greater accessibility, bringing more people directly into the conversation in person and online. Key interest holders such as elected officials, business groups, school districts, health authorities and more continue to be engaged regularly and directly, and we maintain ongoing one-on-one contact where needed. In the past year alone, more than 1,000 Salt Spring Island residents have taken part in surveys, open houses and other outreach, shaping decisions on sailing schedules, vessel deployment and more. Hearing from more voices, not fewer, is a strength.
On homeporting two vessels in Crofton for Route 6: this shift is about improving long-term service reliability. Following the ASK Salt Spring engagement event on June 22, we took the time to reflect on what we heard. We carefully considered the feedback and discussed it extensively with our team and remain confident that this is the right business decision – for today and for the future.
Salt Spring has one of the highest staff turnover rates in our fleet, with more than a dozen key crew members leaving each year. High housing costs on Salt Spring Island have made it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff, and those challenges have impacted service, not only on Route 6, but also on routes served by the other two terminals on Salt Spring. Homeporting both Island Class vessels in Crofton allows us to draw from a broader labour pool on Vancouver Island, improving consistency and reducing last-minute ferry cancellations and delays resulting from staffing challenges.
We’ve been consulting with the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union about this change since July 2024 and met directly with our Salt Spring-based crews in April 2025 to explain the new service model and answer questions. No one is losing work – in fact, this transition opens up opportunities for staff. Current Salt Spring Island employees have the choice to remain on Route 6 and commute to Crofton to begin their shift, or transfer to other BC Ferries work locations on Salt Spring Island if that’s a better fit. We’re also hiring over 60 new positions to support the expanded service.
It should be noted that key members of the Salt Spring Ferry Advisory Committee, which remained in place until April 30, 2025, were invited to a project briefing on April 15, where BC Ferries provided an update on the Crofton–Vesuvius upgrade, including the decision to homeport both Island Class vessels in Crofton. Local elected officials and key community organizations were also invited, including the MLA, both Salt Spring and Southern Gulf Islands Capital Regional District directors, Islands Trust trustees, and representatives from School District 64, the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce and Salt Spring Harbour Authority. Attendees were offered the opportunity to ask questions and share input, and the presentation was shared with all invitees after the meeting for those unable to attend.
On electric vehicles, we want to be clear: EVs are absolutely welcome aboard our vessels. The recent policy clarification applies only to inoperable or significantly damaged EVs — typically those being towed — due to the fire risk associated with high-voltage batteries that can’t be safely assessed. This is not a new restriction but a formalization of long-standing safety practice based on federal Transport Canada regulations that are intended to protect passengers and crew. We will continue to review this policy to see if safe, compliant options can be introduced in the future.
We know ferry decisions affect daily life, and we understand the frustration that can come when changes aren’t clear or fully understood. But it’s important to separate rumour or misinformation from fact.
If you have questions or want to better understand what is changing and why, we encourage you to contact us directly. Visit bcferriesprojects.ca to subscribe to community updates or express interest in joining a project feedback group, attend an open house (we’ll be there again in early fall), or sign up for newsletters. If you have operational feedback for BC Ferries, you can call 1-888-223-3779 or fill out an online feedback form at bcferries.com/contact-us.
As always, we’re committed to improving how we engage — and will continue to listen and work with the community to build a ferry system that works for Salt Spring Island and the entire coast.