BC Ferries braces for challenging peak season

Seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matchups in Vancouver between June 13 and July 7 will add to an already historically busy stretch for BC Ferries, Anderson said.

The company is accelerating its summer schedule on some routes on June 11, two weeks earlier than usual.

BC Ferries expects its customer totals to surpass the 10.3 million passengers and 4.1 million vehicles transported during last year’s peak summer period.

“What that means in practice is more demand concentrated into the same peak travel period, particularly on the routes connecting Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland over weekends and holiday travel windows,” Anderson said.

While BC Ferries doesn’t have a clear idea how significantly FIFA’s presence in Vancouver will impact ridership levels, congestion during peak periods, as well as an influx of travellers unfamiliar with the BC Ferries’ system are anticipated.

Melanie Lucia, BC Ferries’ vice president of customer experience, told the media briefing that extra seasonal workers than usual are being hired.

“We’re hiring over 630 seasonal staff, which includes 124 returning employees, the majority of those are already trained and onboarded,” Lucia said.

The extra staff are hoped to reduce crew-related sailing cancellations.

This upcoming May long weekend is expected to be the fifth busiest travel period of the year for BC Ferries.

BC Ferries is actively reviewing the need for a temporary fuel surcharge due to volatile energy prices.

The company operates 37 vessels at 25 terminals along 1,600 kilometres of coastline.

Coastal Inspiration, built in 2008, serves the Duke Point to Tsawwassen route. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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by Ian Holmes

BC Ferries braces for challenging peak season

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