B.C. Ferries users travelling between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland over the long weekend are being advised to double-check ferry sailings amid schedule changes and cancellations.

B.C. Ferries cancelled a number of sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point on Thursday and Friday due to a “delayed return to service” for a ferry undergoing a refit.

The ferry operator said the schedule for the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route was revised after some sailings were cancelled due to a mechanical issue on one of its vessels.

The cancellations come as B.C. heads into the Easter long weekend, a popular time for travel across the Salish Sea.

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said cancellations have become all but expected on long weekends.

“You would think it was some kind of horrible holiday weekend ritual, and the travel gods are not happy once again,” he told CBC’s The Early Edition.

Krog said the “only good news” is that there are other operators connecting the island and the mainland, including Harbour Air, Seair and Hullo Ferries, the latter of which runs between Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver.

But, he said, it doesn’t mean these cancellations aren’t disruptive.

“Those of us who live in the island have emphasized for years, it’s our highway,” Krog said of B.C. Ferries. “Everybody knows what happens when you close the highway and there aren’t … easy alternatives for those kinds of numbers of people who want to come.”

Vancouver Island is home to more than 850,000 people, according to the 2021 census.

“When you have nearly one million people, they not only deserve, they need reliable transportation services,” Krog said.

Last year, B.C. Ferries announced it would be purchasing four new vessels for its major routes, although the company wanted to acquire five.

The new vessels are expected to increase capacity by about 12 per cent on busy routes between the island and mainland.

Some have criticized the company’s decision to have a Chinese state-owned shipyard build the new ferries. The province has said no Canadian companies bid on the contract, with B.C. Ferries adding that it would cost at least $1 billion more for the ferries to be built in Europe. 

Fare increase

Effective April 8, B.C. Ferries is increasing fares by an average of 3.2 per cent.

The standard fare for an adult travelling with a vehicle between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island will go up by $5 to $110. Foot passengers will see an increase of $1 to $21.

However, more discount fares will be available during off-peak hours. Saver fares will be available for more than 30 per cent of all bookable space, according to B.C. Ferries, offering lower prices on sailings that typically have more availability, generally mid-week or early morning.