The Ferry Wiki
Register
Advertisement
BC Ferries
BC Ferries Logo

Based:

British Columbia, Canada

Vessels in service:

36

Routes:

25

Website:

http://www.bcferries.com

Slogan:

Experience the difference

The British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or more commonly known as BC Ferries is a Canadian ferry company that provides ferry services in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. The company was formed in the late 50's, after a strike by employees of Black Ball Line caused the government to form BC Ferries. The very first route of the company was the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route with the first ferries of the fleet, the Sidney and the Tsawwassen serving the route. Since then, the company has grown massively with 25 main routes, 11 classes and 36 vessels currently owned by the company. The Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver Island are the current flagships of the company. The company's worst accident occured in 2006, when the Queen of the North, bound for Port Hardy, collided with Gil Island and sank in the early hours of the morning. All but two passengers were rescued. Another infamous incident occured when the Queen of Oak Bay lost power outside the terminal at Horseshoe Bay and crashed into a nearby marina. Nobody was hurt and the ferry sustained minor damage. 28 pleasure craft, however, were either damaged or destroyed.

Routes[]

Current Routes[]

  • 1: Tsawwassen - Swartz Bay
  • 2: Horseshoe Bay - Departure Bay
  • 3: Horseshoe Bay - Langdale
  • 4: Swartz Bay - Fulford Harbour
  • 5: Swartz Bay - Southern Gulf Islands
  • 5A: Swartz Bay - Southern Gulf Islands
  • 6: Crofton - Vesuvius
  • 7: Saltery Bay - Earls Cove
  • 8: Horseshoe Bay - Snug Cove
  • 9: Southern Gulf Islands - Tsawwassen
  • 9A: Tsawwassen - Southern Gulf Islands (Peak Season only)
  • 10: Port Hardy - Prince Rupert (Inside Passage)
  • 11: Prince Rupert - Skidegate (Haida Gwaii)
  • 12: Mill Bay - Brentwood Bay
  • 17: Comox - Powell River
  • 18: Powell River - Texada Island
  • 19: Nanaimo Harbour - Gabriola Island
  • 20: Chemainus - Thetis Island - Penelakut Island
  • 21: Buckley Bay - Denman Island West
  • 22: Denman Island - Hornby Island (Gravelly Bay - Shingle Spit)
  • 23: Campbell River - Quadra Island
  • 24: Quadra Island - Cortes Island
  • 25: Port McNiell - Alert Bay - Sointula
  • 26: Skidegate - Alliford Bay
  • 28: Port Hardy - Bella Coola (Discovery Coast) (Summer)
  • 28A Discover Coast Connector (Year-round)
  • 30: Tsawwassen - Duke Point

Former[]

  • 40: Port Hardy - Bella Coola (Discovery Coast)
  • Kelsey Bay - Northern Vancouver Island

Contracted Routes (Regulated)[]

  • 13 Langdale - Gambier Island - Keats Island (Operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Ltd.) (Passenger only)

Contracted Routes (Unregulated)[]

Routes not under the Coastal Ferry Service Contract but contracted to other companies by BC Ferries

  • 25u: Port McNeill - Alert Bay - Sointula (Acts as water taxi & school trips) ( Operated by Western Pacific Marine Ltd. Spirit of Yalis)
  • 51: Ahousaht – Hot Springs Cove - Tofino (Operated by Ocean Outfitters)
  • 53: Kyuquot – Tahsis – Gold River (Operated by Get West Adventure Cruises)
  • 54: Dodge Cove – Prince Rupert
  • 55: French Creek - Lasqueti Island (Operated by Western Pacific Marine Ltd.)
  • 59: Port Alberni - Kildonan - Bamfield - Port Alberni (Operated by Lady Rose Marine Services)
  • 60: Hartley Bay – Kitkatla – Oona River – Metlakatla – Prince Rupert (Operated by North Co Corp)
  • Prince Rupert – Tuck Inlet (Operated by Lax Kw'alaams First Nations with MV Nicola)

Terminals[]

Metro Vancouver & Southern Vancouver Island[]

  • Tsawwassen
  • Horseshoe Bay
  • Snug Cove
  • Swartz Bay
  • Brentwood Bay
  • Mill Bay
  • Crofton
  • Chemainus
  • Duke Point
  • Nanaimo Harbour
  • Departure Bay

Sunshine Coast & Texada Island[]

  • Langdale
  • New Brighton
  • Keats Landing
  • Eastbourne
  • Saltery Bay
  • Earls Cove
  • Westview
  • Blubber Bay

Southern Gulf Islands[]

  • Sturdies Bay
  • Village Bay
  • Lyall Harbour
  • Otter Bay
  • Long Harbour
  • Fulford Harbour
  • Vesuvius
  • Telegraph Harbour
  • Preedy Harbour

Northern Vancouver Island & Northern Gulf Islands[]

  • Buckley Bay
  • Denman Island West
  • Gravelly Bay
  • Shingle Spit
  • Little River
  • Campbell River
  • Quathiaski Cove
  • Heriot Bay
  • Whaletown
  • Alert Bay
  • Sointula
  • Port McNiell
  • Bear Cove

Central & Northern Coast & Haida Gwaii[]

  • McLoughlin Bay
  • Shearwater
  • Ocean Falls
  • Bella Coola
  • Klemtu
  • Prince Rupert
  • Skidegate
  • Alliford Bay

Fleet[]

Cable vessel[]

Name Thumbnail Year Port of Registry Class Vehicle capacity Passenger capacity Route(s) served Notes
Baynes Sound Connector 2015 Victoria, BC None 50 150 21
  • World's longest cable ferry.

Conventional vessels[]

Name Year Port of Registry Class Vehicle capacity Passenger capacity Route served Notes
Coastal Celebration 2008 Victoria, BC Coastal 370 1604 1
Coastal Inspiration 2008 Victoria, BC Coastal 370 1604 30
Coastal Renaissance 2007 Victoria, BC Coastal 370 1604 2 (peak)
1, 30 (off-peak, relief)
Island Aurora 2019 Victoria, BC Island 47 300 25
Island Discovery 2019 Victoria, BC Island 47 300 18
Island Gwawis 2021 Victoria, BC Island 47 300 19
Island Kwigwis 2021 Victoria, BC Island 47 300 19
Island K’ulut’a 2021 Victoria, BC Island 47 300 23
Island Nagalis 2021 Victoria, BC Island 47 300 23
Kahloke 1973 Victoria, BC K 30 200 22
  • Transferred from BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
Klitsa 1972 Victoria, BC K 22 150 12
  • Transferred from BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
Kuper 1985 Victoria, BC K 32 269 20
  • Purchased from Utah Department of Transportation and rebuilt into new design in 2006.
Kwuna 1975 Victoria, BC K 26 150 26
  • Transferred from BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
  • Equipped with loading ramps to load & unload from boat launches.
Malaspina Sky 2008 Victoria, BC I 125 465 7
  • Originally named Island Sky; renamed on October 24, 2019.
Mayne Queen 1965 Victoria, BC Powell River 70 400 Refit relief
  • Equipped with side load ramps until 1979.
Northern Adventure 2004 Victoria, BC None 101 640 11 (peak)
10/11 (relief)
  • Purchased used in 2006 as replacement for Queen of the North.
  • Transferred to Haida Gwaii route to replace Queen of Prince Rupert.
  • Able to service to service Discovery Coast terminals.
Northern Expedition 2009 Victoria, BC None 130 638 10 (peak)
10/11 (off-peak)
Northern Sea Wolf 2000 Victoria, BC None 35 150 28
  • Purchased used in 2017; entered service in 2019.
Quadra Queen II 1969 Victoria, BC T 30 150 Spare/relief
  • Transferred from BC Department of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
Queen of Alberni 1976 Victoria, BC C 290 1193 30
  • Lifted in 1984 to increase car capacity from 144.
Queen of Capilano 1991 Victoria, BC I 100 457 8
  • Gallery decks added in 2015.
Queen of Coquitlam 1976 Victoria, BC C 360 1488 3 (peak)
2, Spare/relief (off-peak)
Queen of Cowichan 1976 Victoria, BC C 360 1488 2 (peak)
2, 3 (off-peak)
Queen of Cumberland 1992 Victoria, BC I 127 456 5
4 (relief)
  • Equipped with platform decks.
Queen of New Westminster 1964 Victoria, BC None 270 1325 1 (peak)
30 (relief)
  • Lifted in 1991 to add upper car deck and received new engines.
Queen of Oak Bay 1981 Victoria, BC C 360 1488 2
Queen of Surrey 1981 Victoria, BC C 360 1488 3 (peak)
2, 3 (off-peak)
Quinitsa 1977 Victoria, BC None 50 300 Spare/relief
  • Transferred from BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
Quinsam 1982 Victoria, BC None 70 400 6
  • Transferred from BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
Skeena Queen 1997 Victoria, BC Century 100 450 4
Salish Eagle 2016 Victoria, BC Salish 138 600 9
Salish Orca 2016 Victoria, BC Salish 138 600 17
Salish Raven 2016 Victoria, BC Salish 138 600 9A (peak)
5, 17 (relief)
Salish Heron 2021 Victoria, BC Salish 138 600 5, 9, 17
Spirit of British Columbia 1993 Victoria, BC Spirit 410 2100 1
Spirit of Vancouver Island 1994 Victoria, BC Spirit 410 2100 1
Tachek 1969 Victoria, BC T 30 150 24
  • Originally named Texada Queen; refitted and renamed in 1977.
  • Transferred from BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1985.
Advertisement