6319 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Hopefully they use that $34 million for management bonuses.

Maybe a round for the board too.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 June 2022 - 10:29 AM.

[Nparker]

Management made sure they had a profit, so of course they deserve a bonus. 

[Victoria Watcher]

For the first time in six years, Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day will occur on the same weekend, which is expected to translate into a lot of traffic and foot passengers crowding ferry terminals.

To accommodate the crush of expected travellers, B.C. Ferries has put four vessels on its busiest route — Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen — and is offering as many as 32 sailings per day.

The Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo (Departure Bay) route will use three ships offering 22 sailings per day. The Tsawwassen-Nanaimo (Duke Point) route will use two vessels offering 16 sailings per day.

https://www.timescol...weekend-5533712

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 June 2022 - 01:56 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Oh boy.

 

 

 

 

BC Ferries says it has been forced to pull the Queen of Alberni from service Thursday, impacting sailings between Nanaimo and West Vancouver.

The repairs are described as "significant" and there is a chance that sailings will be impacted Friday as well.

BC Ferries has been very busy ahead of the Canada Day long weekend, and many alternate sailings are fully booked up. 

Passengers are encouraged to walk on if possible. 

[Mike K.]

Like, walk on to the next island, where it’ll be less busy?

[max.bravo]

Fun fact you don’t need a car once you arrive In tsawwassen. Trans link is piloting a new ‘bikebus’ so you’re good to bring bikes for the whole family!! Active transportation for the win /s

[Victoria Watcher]

Fun fact you don’t need a car once you arrive In tsawwassen. Trans link is piloting a new ‘bikebus’ so you’re good to bring bikes for the whole family!! Active transportation for the win /s

 

The tough part is the ride from downtown Vancouver - to Calgary.

[Victoria Watcher]

More ferry sailings cancelled as repairs continue on Queen of Alberni

Multiple ferry sailings have been cancelled Friday between Departure Bay in Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay because of a mechanical problem with the Queen of Alberni.

https://www.timescol...y-route-5535099

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 July 2022 - 09:35 AM.

[Nparker]

Even Mussolini made the trains run on time.

[Victoria Watcher]

BC Ferries says a higher than normal rate of absenteeism led to several sailing cancellations that ended up stranding some passengers on Salt Spring Island over the weekend.

Sunday afternoon and evening sailings were cancelled between Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay, Long Harbour and Tsawwassen, Long Harbour and Sturdies Bay and Studies Bay to Tsawwassen.


https://www.cheknews...-blame-1062649/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 July 2022 - 01:00 AM.

[Barrrister]

Remind me not to visit the Gulf islands this summer.

[Matt R.]

Sure made for a weird Sunday.

[Victoria Watcher]

As for BC Ferries, it is trying to cope with the surge in summer travel at a time when it is still affected by COVID-19 rules and the virus itself.

 

BC Ferries temporarily lost about 150 experienced workers to vaccine mandates. Those workers who refused to get vaccinated were, until recently, on unpaid leave. Any time a ferry worker tests positive for COVID-19, he or she is required to book off sick.

 

In January, BC Ferries warned there would likely be service disruptions this year because of a shortage of experienced ferry crews and went on a hiring spree. Several routes have had reductions in sailings since then, due to the crew shortages.

 

Pre-pandemic, on a given day, BC Ferries might have 150 workers book off work due to things like illness or injury.

 

“That number, in June, on average, on any given day, is 600,” Collins said.

 

 

https://www.timescol...s-sails-5602621

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 July 2022 - 05:17 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Residents of Quadra Island are worried about being stranded when medical emergencies occur at night because B.C. Ferries can’t guarantee a crew for sailings to get ambulances to the hospital in Campbell River.

 

A petition with close to 1,000 signatures is circulating in the community of 2,700 full-time residents, calling on Transportation Minister Rob Fleming to work with B.C. Emergency Health Services and B.C. Ferries to reinstate off-hour ferry service so ambulances can get patients to hospital in a timely manner.

 

One resident signing the petition said her father had to wait in the back of an ambulance for five hours in incredible pain from a stomach aneurysm without access to pain medication before the air ambulance arrived.

 

Island paramedics have also urged residents on social media to call an ambulance before the last ferry at night if they feel unwell due to ongoing difficulties with getting patients evacuated off island.

 

Islanders shouldn’t have their health outcomes compromised by being forced to wait overnight for the first ferry, or for the extra time for a helicopter to arrive, when a hospital is just 15 minutes away across the water, said Tessa Bingham, a Quadra resident who works as an emergency room nurse at Campbell River Hospital.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ospital-5609789

[Victoria Watcher]

Eighteen sailings between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island were cancelled Thursday because of ongoing B.C. Ferries crew shortages.

 

The Island Gwawis did not operate Thursday, resulting in the cancellations. The Island Kwigwis, which shares the Nanaimo-Gabriola run, continued operating.

 

 

https://www.timescol...ortages-5610568

 

 

 

Luckily, Gabriola - an island of 4,500 people - has 36 ferry sailings per day.    

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 July 2022 - 05:15 AM.

[Nparker]

If I were in charge of things a bridge to Gabriola to replace the ferry would be a priority whether the island's residents wanted it or not.

[Victoria Watcher]

If I were in charge of things a bridge to Gabriola to replace the ferry would be a priority whether the island's residents wanted it or not.

 

And just make it a toll bridge, keeps the riff raff off the island.

 

 

All the positives of a ferry, with the convenience of all-day, all-night access 24/7/365.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 July 2022 - 06:40 AM.

[Kilo95]

BC Ferries has sacked CEO Mark Collins

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...nated-1.6529021

 

https://www.timescol...collins-5611625

 

B.C. Ferry Services announced Friday morning it has ended its contract with Mark Collins, who has served since April 2017 as president and chief executive of the company.

 

Collins is leaving B.C. Ferries “effective immediately,” a statement from the board said.

 

His departure follows major shake-ups in the company’s decision-making boards in recent months and comes as the system posts frequent sailing-cancellation notices due to crew shortages.

 

The B.C. Ferry Services board of directors decided to end Collins’ contract, which will entitle him to severance in accordance with the terms of his contract, it said. The amount has not yet been finalized.

Edited by Kilo95, 22 July 2022 - 10:14 AM.

[Nparker]

 

...While Collins was president, B.C. Ferries invested in upgrading terminals, brought in a new fare-flexibility model and spent millions of dollars to build new ferries and reduce the number of vessel classes...

https://www.timescol...collins-5611625

None of which makes the slightest bit of difference if you can't provide the sailings as scheduled.

[lanforod]

Nope. But heads gotta roll for massive mistakes like this. Now... Air Canada next?