BC Ferries in Canada – ancient vessels, mass cancellations, rocketing prices, near misses on rocks and a repair that only lasts 40 minutes

BC Ferries, operating out of affluent Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada with a fleet of 41 vessels serving 47 ports is still running the above five large vessels aged 45 to 50 years. CalMac’s oldest large ferry, the MV Isle of Arran, aged 42, is currently being retired. Over the Easter weekend, there were ‘mass cancellations’ after two large vessels broke down1 and the Queen of Surrey (above) remains out of service2 after her first repair only lasted 40 minutes before she broke down again.3

Days later, we hear:

BC Ferries is now recovering from its Easter long weekend issues, but passengers may be surprised to learn that fares are going up on Wednesday by an average of 3.2 per cent. Starting on Wednesday, it will be $5 more for a car and driver sailing between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, so the new standard rate on this [37 miles] route, with a reservation, will be $220 return.4

The Skye to Harris route is also 37 miles each way but costs only $159 (£117.80) return.5 This is due to the huge SNP Government subsidy.

Finally and most seriously:

BC Ferries has disclosed details of a rare near miss on March 8 [2026], when the Northern Adventure came within about a metre of rock shoals off the northern B.C. coast while navigating rough weather. The vessel, carrying 90 passengers and 55 crew, briefly entered shallow water before corrective action returned it to course.6

No comparable incident has ever happened to a CalMac ferry.

Sources:

  1. https://www.squamishchief.com/highlights/bc-ferries-easter-long-weekend-schedule-cancellations-2026-12090793
  2. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/bc-ferries-issues-were-avoidable-years-ago-but-now-no-quick-fix-official/ar-AA20gKst?ocid=BingNewsVerp
  3. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/politics/after-repairs-bc-ferry-lasts-40-minutes-before-breaking-down-again/ar-AA20e0b8?ocid=BingNewsVerp
  4. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/bc-ferries-fares-going-up-amid-questions-about-leadership/ar-AA20neH6?ocid=BingNewsVerp
  5. https://ticketing.calmac.co.uk/B2C-Calmac/
  6. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/bc-ferries-reveals-near-miss-with-ferry-a-metre-from-rocks/gm-GMB51CD98D

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5 thoughts on “BC Ferries in Canada – ancient vessels, mass cancellations, rocketing prices, near misses on rocks and a repair that only lasts 40 minutes”

  1. What is the purpose of this post? “there is a ferry system somewhere in the world that is so bad it makes CalMac look well managed”?
    I repeat my invitation to have a conversation with the Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, so you can hear first hand about Hebridean ferry services. Feel free to email me (Joe) – joe@islandbakery.scot

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      1. Unfortunately, one feature of Professor Robertson’s posts, which I view through Jetpack (WordPress), is that they come up several times, but a comment on one does not automatically copy across to the others.

        It’s similar to what happens when some bloggers post the same blog on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, WordPress, BlueSky, etc. Comments generally do not copy across.

        I’ve no way of knowing which version others will view, hence I repeat my posts on each.

        Apologies if it upsets you. Was not my intention …

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