Passengers, particularly those on major routes, can expect full ferries this summer with the company expecting record levels of travellers on board. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

sailing at capacity

‘It’s going to be busy:’ record summer expected for BC Ferries

May 15, 2025 | 1:36 PM

NANAIMO — Plan ahead or expect delays for your summer travel.

It’s simple messaging from BC Ferries ahead of the peak summer season, which traditionally begins over the May long weekend.

Vice-President of Engineering Stephen Jones said they’ve already seen boosts in traffic volumes on board vessels through the spring.

“It’s going to be busy. We saw record-breaking passengers on the Easter weekend, and carried 7,000 more passengers…than we did last year, and that’s with one large vessel less in operation.”

Jones said last summer, the company completed around 102,000 sailings across its network with a 99.6 per cent reliability rate.

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He said the rate equals one cancelled sailing in every 250 scheduled crossings.

More demand is expected this summer due to a number of factors, including ongoing trade war tensions between Canada and the United States.

Reports from airlines and border crossings have suggested travel from Canada to areas south of the border is well down over recent months.

BC Ferries vice-president of marine operations, Darren Johnston, said demand for space on board is increasing year over year.

“This year will be our busiest summer on record, there’s no doubt about that, so we plan in advance, we make sure all of our assets are ready to go…we’ll be delivering 1,000 extra trips compared to what we delivered last year.”

The company suggests those travelling this summer book well in advance through the reservation system, or try and travel during off-peak times in the early morning or late evening.

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