{{Short description|Service in British Columbia, Canada}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox company | name = British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. | trade_name = BC Ferries | logo = BC Ferries Logo.svg | logo_size = 250px | type = Organized as a privately held company, with the provincial Crown as sole shareholder | key_people = Joy MacPhail, Chair<br />Nicolas Jimenez, President & CEO | industry = Transportation | products = Ferry service | revenue = {{increase}} C$769.5 million (2023)<ref name="financial">{{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/download/annual-report-to-the-commission-fy2023/ | page=20 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2023 | website=www.bcferries.com}}</ref> | operating_income = {{increase}} (7.070) million (2023)<ref name="financial"/> | net_income = {{decrease}} C$1.842 million (2021)<ref name="financial"/> | owner = BC Ferry Authority <small>(Government of British Columbia)</small> | num_employees = 4,500 (2017) | foundation = Victoria, British Columbia (June 15, 1960) | location = Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | homepage = {{Official URL}} }}
'''British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.''', operating as '''BC Ferries''' ('''BCF'''), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Set up in 1960 to provide a similar service to that provided by the Black Ball Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which were affected by job action at the time, BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vancouvertours.net/?event=offer.detail&offerId=11501|title=Vancouver Tours: Victoria & Butchart Gardens Bus & Ferry Tour from Vancouver|quote=Crossing the Fraser River Delta and through the agricultural land surrounding Metro Vancouver this short half hour drive ends at the BC Ferries Terminal where your bus will drive right onto a ship belonging to the second largest ferry fleet in the world.|access-date=August 31, 2011}}</ref> operating a fleet of 41 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 47<!-- Full list on talk page --> locations on the B.C. coast.
The federal and provincial governments subsidize BC Ferries to provide agreed service levels on essential links between the BC mainland, coastal islands, and parts of the mainland without road access. The inland ferries operating on British Columbia's rivers and lakes are not run by BC Ferries. The responsibility for their provision rests with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which contracts operation to various private sector companies.
== Structure == At its inception, BC Ferries was a division of the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority, a provincial Crown corporation. Through successive reorganizations, it evolved into the British Columbia Ferry Authority and then the British Columbia Ferry Corporation, both of which were also provincial Crown corporations. In 2003, the Government of British Columbia announced that BC Ferries, which had been in debt, would be reorganized into a private corporation, implemented through the passage of the ''Coastal Ferry Act''<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 26, 2003 |title=Bill 18 -- 2003: Coastal Ferry Act |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/Pages/BCLASS-Legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Flegacy%2Fweb%2F37th4th%2F3rd_read%2Fgov18-3.htm |access-date=March 17, 2023 |website=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |language=en |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820154630/https://www.leg.bc.ca/pages/bclass-legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Flegacy%2Fweb%2F37th4th%2F3rd_read%2Fgov18-3.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> (Bill 18–2003). The single voting share of BC Ferries Corporation is held by the provincial government's BC Ferry Authority, which operates under the rules of the Act.
==History== In the summer of 1958, a strike by employees of CP Steamships and the Black Ball Line caused the Social Credit government of W. A. C. Bennett to decide that the coastal ferry service in British Columbia needed to be government-owned, and so it set about creating BC Ferries. Minister of Highways Phil Gaglardi was tasked with overseeing the new Crown corporation and its rapid expansion.
[[File:Tsawwassen-Terminal-aerial.jpg|right|thumb|Tsawwassen terminal was constructed by filling in a large area at the end of a causeway in 1960]] thumb|Toll booths at Tsawwassen Terminal thumb|A BC Ferries loading dock (berth 4 at Tsawwassen terminal) right|thumb|Final loading of cars onto a ferry
BC Ferries' first route, commissioned in 1960, was between Swartz Bay, north of Sidney on Vancouver Island, and Tsawwassen, an area in Delta, using just two vessels. These ships were the now-retired MV ''Tsawwassen'' and the MV ''Sidney''. The next few years saw a dramatic growth of the B.C. ferry system as it took over operations of the Black Ball Line and other major private companies providing vehicle ferry service between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. As the ferry system expanded and started to service other small coastal communities, BC Ferries had to build more vessels, many of them in the first five years of its operations, to keep up with the demand. Another method of satisfying increasing demand for service was BC Ferries' unique "stretch and lift" program, involving seven vessels being cut in half and extended, and five of those vessels later cut in half again and elevated, to increase their passenger and vehicle-carrying capacities. The vast majority of the vessels in the fleet were built in B.C. waters, with only two foreign purchases and one domestic purchase. In the mid-1980s, BC Ferries took over the operations of the saltwater branch of the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, which ran ferry services to very small coastal communities. This action dramatically increased the size of BC Ferries' fleet and its geographical service area. The distinctive "dogwood on green" flag that BC Ferries used between 1960 and 2003 gave the service its popular nickname "the Dogwood Fleet".
During the 1990s, the NDP government commissioned a series of three fast ferries to improve ferry service between the Mainland and Vancouver Island. The ships proved problematic when they suffered many technical issues and cost double what was expected. The fast ferries were eventually sold off for $19.4 million in 2003.
A controversy began in July 2004 when BC Ferries, under a new American CEO, announced that the company had disqualified all Canadian bids to build three new {{sclass2|Coastal|ferry|0}} ships, and only the proposals from European shipyards were being considered. The contract was estimated at $542 million for the three ships, each designed to carry 370 vehicles and 1600 passengers.
The argument for domestic construction of the ferries was that it would employ numerous British Columbia workers, revitalize the sagging B.C. shipbuilding industry, and entitle the provincial government to a large portion of the cost in the form of taxes. BC Ferries CEO David Hahn claimed that building the ferries in Germany would "save almost $80 million and could lead to lower fares."<ref>{{cite journal|title=Construction to begin in Germany... |journal=Professional Mariner |year=2005 |issue=Oct/Nov 2005 |url=https://www.professionalmariner.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=420C4D38DC9C4E3A903315CDDC65AD72&nm=Archives&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=C45A547E3CAA4A699C8DC883F0C13BAB |access-date=October 25, 2011 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
On September 17, 2004, BC Ferries awarded<ref>[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/04-071-super_c_vessels.pdf Microsoft Word – 04-071 Super C.doc]. Bcferries.com (June 21, 2012). Retrieved June 25, 2012. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703071247/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/04-071-super_c_vessels.pdf |date=July 3, 2007 }}</ref> the vessel construction contract to Germany's Flensburger shipyard. The contract protected BC Ferries from any delays through a fixed price and fixed schedule contract. {{MV|Coastal Renaissance||2}} entered service in March 2008, while {{MV|Coastal Inspiration||2}} was delivered the same month and entered service in June that year. The third ship, {{MV|Coastal Celebration||2}}, was delivered in June of the same year and entered service in November.
On August 18, 2006, BC Ferries commissioned<ref>[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/06-049contracttobuildnewnorthernvessel.pdf Media Room | BC Ferries – British Columbia Ferry Services Inc]. BC Ferries (June 21, 2012). Retrieved June 25, 2012.</ref> Flensburger to build a new vessel for its Inside Passage route, with the contract having many of the same types of terms as that for the Coastal-class vessels. The new northern service vessel, {{MV|Northern Expedition||2}}, was delivered in March 2008, and entered service in May of the same year.
On August 26, 2012, BC Ferries announced that it would be cutting 98 round trips on its major routes starting in the fall and winter of 2012 as part of a four-year plan to save $1 million on these routes. Service cuts have included the elimination of supplementary sailings on the Swartz Bay–Tsawwassen route, 18 round trips on the Horseshoe Bay–Departure Bay route, and 48 round trips, the largest number of cuts, on the Duke Point–Tsawwassen route, with plans to look for savings on the smaller unprofitable routes in the future.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://theprovince.com/news/Ferries+back+sailings/7147287/story.html |title=B.C. Ferries to cut back on sailings |work=The Province |date=August 26, 2012 |access-date=August 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828165525/http://www.theprovince.com/news/Ferries%2Bback%2Bsailings/7147287/story.html |archive-date=August 28, 2012 }}</ref>
Free ferry trips for seniors were suspended from April 2014<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.timescolonist.com/ferries-overhaul-ends-free-rides-for-seniors-cuts-trips-adds-gambling-1.700680 |title=Times Colonist, 20 Nov 2013|website=www.timescolonist.com|date=November 20, 2013 }}</ref> to April 2018.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/full-seniors-discount-returns-to-b-c-ferries-fares-cut-15-on-minor-routes-1.23255653 |title=Times Colonist, 4 Apr 2018|website=www.timescolonist.com|date=April 4, 2018 }}</ref>
In the fall of 2014, BC Ferries announced the addition of three new Intermediate-class ferries to phase out ''Queen of Burnaby'' and ''Queen of Nanaimo''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcferries.com/about/intermediatevessel.html|title=New Salish Class Vessels - BC Ferries - British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.|website=www.bcferries.com|access-date=May 29, 2015|archive-date=August 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813112649/http://www.bcferries.com/about/intermediatevessel.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/20/bc-ferries-name-contest_n_7339454.html|title=BC Ferries' Name Contest Backfires|date=May 20, 2015}}</ref> These three vessels were to be named the {{sclass2|Salish|ferry|4}}; ''Salish Orca'', ''Salish Eagle'' and ''Salish Raven''. In 2022, ''Salish Heron'', the fourth Salish-class vessel, entered service. All four ferries were designed and built by Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland, and are dual-fuel, capable of operating on liquefied natural gas and marine diesel. These vessels are a part of BC Ferries standardized fleet plan, which will take the number of ship classes in the BC Ferries fleet from 17 to 5.<ref>[https://www.bcferries.com/web_image/h2b/h90/8798805065758.pdf Shipbuilding Plan]. BC Ferries (Summer 2018). Retrieved September 8, 2023.</ref> The proposed replacement classes are Northern, Salish, Shuttle, Summit, and Island. Additionally, there will still be three unique (unclassed) vessels in the fleet after standardization is complete. BC Ferries has stated, however, that this total standardization of the fleet will not be achieved for another 40 years. As of March 2024, the fleet has so far been reduced to 11 classes of vessels, with 5 unique (unclassed) vessels remaining as well.
In August 2022, BC Ferries announced plans to launch an official mobile application.<ref>{{cite news |title=BC Ferries plans to release official app by end of 2022 |work=CHEK News |date=August 11, 2022 |url=https://cheknews.ca/bc-ferries-to-release-official-app-by-end-of-2022-1074498/ |access-date=14 February 2026}}</ref> The app was released in March 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Marlow |first=Kathryn |title=B.C. Ferries launches app for reservations, schedules and service alerts |work=CBC News |date=March 13, 2023 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-ferries-launches-app-1.6777563 |access-date=14 February 2026}}</ref>
==Financial results== {{Aligned table |cols=6|class=wikitable|col1align=left|col2align=center|col3align=center|col4align=center|col5align=center|col6align=center|col7align=center|row1header=y| Year<br />End<br /><ref name=AnRep>{{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/annual_reports/BCFSReport_to_Commiss0405.pdf | pages=7, 21 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2005 | website=www.bcferries.com}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/annual_reports/BCFSReport_to_Commiss0506.pdf | pages=9–10, 24 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2006 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/annual_reports/BCFSReport_to_Commiss0607_copy.pdf | pages=9–10, 22 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2007 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/annual_reports/BCFSReport_to_Commiss0708_copy.pdf | pages=10–11, 24 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2008 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/annual_reports/BCFSReport_to_Commiss0809.pdf | pages=10–11, 21 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2009 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/annual_reports/BCFSReport_to_Commiss0910.pdf | pages=11–12, 22 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2010 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BCFS-FY2011-Annual-Report-to-BCFC.pdf | pages=10–11, 21 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2011 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BCFS-FY2012-Annual-Report-to-BCFC.pdf | pages=12–13, 23 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2012 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BCFS-FY2013-Annual-Report-to-BCFC.pdf | pages=11–12, 23 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2013 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BCFS-FY2014-Annual-Report-to-BCFC.pdf | pages=11–12, 22 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2014 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Annual-Report-to-the-Commission-2014-15.pdf | pages=12–13, 23 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2015 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Annual-Report-to-the-Commission-2015-16.pdf | pages=11–12, 22 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2016 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2016-2017_Annual_Report_to_the_BC_Ferry_Commissioner.pdf | pages=13–14, 24 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2017 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Annual-Report-to-the-Commission-2017-18-Final.pdf | pages=11–12, 26 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2018 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Annual-Report-to-the-Commission-2018-19.pdf | pages=8–9, 19 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2019 | website=www.bcferrycommission.ca}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferries.com/web_image/hea/h05/8817097801758.pdf | pages=8–9, 19 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2020 | website=www.bcferries.com}} <br /> {{cite web| url=https://www.bcferries.com/web_image/h29/h7a/8854124527646.pdf | pages=11–12, 21 | title=BC Ferry Services, Annual Rept, 31 Mar 2021 | website=www.bcferries.com}}</ref> | Operating<br />Revenue<br />{{small|($M)}} | Operating<br />Earnings<br />{{small|($M)}} | Service Fees<br />(Ferry Tspt.)<br />{{small|($M)}} | Other Govt.<br />Subsidies<br />{{small|($M)}} | Net Regulatory<br />Earnings<br />{{small|($M)}} |2005 | 422 | {{0}}{{0}}(4) | {{0}}92 | {{0}}24 | {{0}}40 |2006 | 436 | {{0}}11 | {{0}}92 | {{0}}25 | {{0}}50 |2007 | 452 | {{0}}{{0}}7 | {{0}}91 | {{0}}25 | {{0}}49 |2008 | 481 | {{0}}{{0}}8 | 104 | {{0}}26 | {{0}}37 |2009 | 523 | {{0}}21 | 103 | {{0}}26 | {{0}}{{0}}9 |2010 | 549 | {{0}}35 | 126 | {{0}}27 | {{0}}{{0}}3 |2011 | 557 | {{0}}30 | 125 | {{0}}27 | {{0}}{{0}}4 |2012 | 555 | {{0}}25 | 127 | {{0}}27 | {{0}}(16) |2013 | 571 | {{0}}47 | 149 | {{0}}28 | {{0}}15 |2014 | 594 | {{0}}62 | 144 | {{0}}28 | {{0}}25 |2015 | 620 | {{0}}82 | 148 | {{0}}28 | {{0}}41 |2016 | 673 | {{0}}99 | 144 | {{0}}29 | {{0}}65 |2017 | 697 | 113 | 155 | {{0}}29 | {{0}}88 |2018 | 735 | 104 | 159 | {{0}}30 | {{0}}71 |2019 | 712 | {{0}}65 | 188 | {{0}}31 | {{0}}57 |2020 | 707 | {{0}}33 | 198 | {{0}}31 | {{0}}22 |2021 | 460 | (146) | 194 | 218 | {{0}}22 }}
==Current routes== Route numbers are used internally by BC Ferries only. All routes except Route 13 and the Unregulated routes carry vehicles.<ref name="AnRep" /> Route assignments current as of May 21, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BC Ferries|title=Contingency Planning Summer Service 2026|url=https://www.bcferries.com/web_image/h48/h69/9087425839134.pdf|access-date=May 18, 2026|website=bcferries.com}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ ! colspan="8" |Official routes |- !Route number !Route name/Location !Highway carried !Origin !Destination(s) !Crossing Time !Primary Vessel(s) !Notes |- !1 |Georgia Strait South |Highway 17 |Victoria (via Swartz Bay, on Vancouver Island) |Vancouver (via Tsawwassen) |1 hour and 35 minutes | * MV Coastal Celebration * MV Queen of New Westminster * MV Spirit of British Columbia * MV Spirit of Vancouver Island |— |- !2 |Georgia Strait Central |Highway 1 |Nanaimo (via Departure Bay, on Vancouver Island) |Vancouver (via Horseshoe Bay) |1 hour and 40 mintues | * MV Queen of Cowichan * MV Queen of Oak Bay |— |- !3 |Howe Sound - Mainland |Highway 101 |Vancouver (via Horseshoe Bay) |Sunshine Coast (via Langdale) |40 minutes | * MV Queen of Coquitlam * MV Queen of Surrey |— |- !4 |Satellite Channel |— |Victoria (via Swartz Bay, on Vancouver Island) |Salt Spring Island (via Fulford Harbour) |35 minutes | * MV Skeena Queen |— |- !5/5A |Swanson Channel |— |Victoria (via Swartz Bay, on Vancouver Island) |Southern Gulf Islands - Galiano Island (via Sturdies Bay), Mayne Island (via Village Bay), (North) Pender Island (via Otter Bay), and Saturna Island (via Lyall Harbour) |Varies | * MV Queen of Cumberland (5A) * MV Salish Raven (5) |Circle route. |- !6 |South Stuart Channel |— |Crofton (on Vancouver Island) |Salt Spring Island (via Vesuvius Bay) |20 minutes | * MV Quinsam |— |- !7 |Jervis Inlet - Sunshine Coast |Highway 101 |Sunshine Coast (via Earls Cove) |Powell River (via Saltery Bay) |50 minutes | * MV Malaspina Sky |— |- !8 |Queen Charlotte Channel |— |Vancouver (via Horseshoe Bay) |Bowen Island (via Snug Cove) |20 minutes | * MV Queen of Capilano |— |- !9/9A |Active Pass Shuttle |— |Vancouver (via Tsawwassen) |Southern Gulf Islands - Galiano Island (via Sturdies Bay), Mayne Island (via Village Bay), (North) Pender Island (via Otter Bay), Saturna Island (via Lyall Harbour), and Salt Spring Island (via Long Harbour) |Varies | * MV Salish Eagle (9) * MV Salish Heron (9A) |Circle route. |- !10 |Inside Passage |Highway 19 |Port Hardy (via Bear Cove, on Vancouver Island) |Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) |16 hours | * MV Northern Expedition |BC Ferries' longest route. |- !11 |Hecate Strait |Highway 16 |Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) |Haida Gwaii (via Skidegate, on Graham Island) |6 hours and 30 minutes - 8 hours | * MV Northern Adventure |— |- !12 |Saanich Inlet - Vancouver Island |— |Brentwood Bay |Mill Bay |25 minutes | * MV Klitsa |— |- !13 |Thornbrough Channel |— |Sunshine Coast (via Langdale) |Gambier Island (via New Brighton) and Keats Island (via Keats Landing and Eastbourne) |Varies | * MV Stormaway III * MV Stormaway IV |Operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Ltd. |- !17 |Georgia Strait North |— |Comox (via Little River, on Vancouver Island) |Powell River (via Westview) |1 hour and 25 minutes | * MV Salish Orca |— |- !18 |Malaspina Strait |— |Powell River (via Westview) |Texada Island (via Blubber Bay) |35 minutes | * MV Island Discovery |— |- !19 |Northumberland Channel |— |Nanaimo (via Nanaimo Harbour, on Vancouver Island) |Gabriola Island (via Descanso Bay) |20 minutes | * MV Island G̲wawis * MV Island Kwigwis * MV Island xwsaĺux̌ul (upcoming) |— |- !20 |North Stuart Channel |— |Chemainus (on Vancouver Island) |Thetis Island (via Preedy Harbour) and Penelakut Island (via Telegraph Habour) |Varies | * MV Pune'luxutth |Triangle route. |- !21 |Baynes Sound |— |Buckley Bay (on Vancouver Island) |Denman Island (via Denman Island West) |10 minutes | * MV Baynes Sound Connector * MV Kahloke (relief) | rowspan="3" |BC Ferries' shortest routes. |- !22 |Lambert Channel |— |Denman Island (via Gravelly Bay) |Hornby Island (via Shingle Spit) |10 minutes | * MV Quinitsa |- !23 |Discovery Passage |— |Campbell River (on Vancouver Island) |Quadra Island (via Quathiaski Cove) |10 minutes | * MV Island K'ulut'a * MV Island Nagalis * MV Island Kwigwis (upcoming) |- !24 |Sutil Channel |— |Quadra Island (via Heriot Bay) |Cortes Island (via Whaletown) |45 minutes | * MV Tachek * MV Island Nagalis (upcoming) |— |- !25 |Broughton Strait |— |Port McNeill (on Vancouver Island) |Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island) and Sointula (on Malcolm Island) |Varies | * MV Island Aurora * MV Quadra Queen II (relief) |Triangle route. |- !26 |Skidegate Inlet - Haida Gwaii |— |Skidegate (on Graham Island) |Alliford Bay (on Moresby Island) |20 minutes | * MV Kwuna |— |- !28 |Inside Passage - Central Coast Connector |Highway 19 |Port Hardy (via Bear Cove, on Vancouver Island) |Bella Coola |10-12 hours | * MV Northern Sea Wolf |Summer only route. |- !28A |Inside Passage - Central Coast Connector |Highway 19 |Port Hardy (via Bear Cove, on Vancouver Island) |Bella Coola with stops at Bella Bella (via McLoughlin Bay, on Campbell Island), Ocean Falls, and Shearwater (on Denny Island) |Varies | * MV Northern Sea Wolf |Year-round route. |- !30 |Mid-Island Express |Highway 19 |Nanaimo (via Duke Point, on Vancouver Island) |Vancouver (via Tsawwassen) |2 hours | * MV Coastal Inspiration * MV Coastal Renaissance * MV Queen of Alberni |— |- !Unnumbered |Vancouver Island East |Highway 1/Highway 19 |Vancouver (via Tsawwassen) |Nanaimo (via Departure Bay, on Vancouver Island) |2 hours | * MV Queen of Alberni |Started in summer 2025 as a seasonal once per day, one-way only service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sail Direct from Tsawwassen to Departure Bay {{!}} BC Ferries |url=https://www.bcferries.com/tsawwassen-departure-bay-direct |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.bcferries.com}}</ref> This routing was previously used between December 20, 2011, and May 1, 2012, during a closure of the Duke Point ferry terminal. |- ! colspan="8" |Unregulated routes* |- !Route number !Route Location/Name !Highway carried !Origin !Destination(s) !Crossing Time !Primary Vessel(s) !Notes |- !25u |Broughton Strait - Water taxi/school trip ferry |— |Port McNeill (on Vancouver Island) |Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island) and Sointula (on Malcolm Island) |Varies | * MV Spirit of Yalis |Operated by Pacific Western Marine Ltd. |- !51 |Vancouver Island West |— |Tofino (on Vancouver Island) |Ahousat (on Flores Island) and Hotsprings Cove |Varies | * Various vessels |Operated by various water taxi companies |- !53 |Vancouver Island Northwest |— |Gold River |Kyuquot and Tahsis |Varies | * MV Uchuck III |Operated by Get West Adventure Cruises |- !54 |Inside Passage |— |Prince Rupert (via Cow Bay, on Kaien Island) |Dodge Cove (on Digby Island) |15 minutes | * Various vessels |Operated by West Coast Launch |- !55 |Georgia Strait North-Central |— |French Creek (on Vancouver Island) |Lasqueti Island (via False Bay) |1 hour | * MV Centurion VII |Operated by Pacific Western Marine Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lasqueti Ferry {{!}} Lasqueti Island |url=https://lasqueti.ca/island-info/lasqueti_ferry |access-date=September 3, 2020 |website=lasqueti.ca}}</ref> |- !59 |Vancouver Island West - Barkley Sound |— |Port Alberni |Bamfield and Kildonan |Varies | * MV Frances Barkley |Operated by Lady Rose Marine Services |- !60 |Inside Passage |— |Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) |Hartley Bay, Kitkatla (on Dolphin Island), Oona River (on Porcher Island), and Metlakatla |Varies | * MV Tsimshian Storm |Operated by North Co Corp. |- !Unnumbered |Inside Passage - Tuck Inlet |— |Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) | Lax Kwʼalaams (also known as Port Simpson) |40 minutes | * MV Spirit of Lax Kw' alaams (MV Nicola) |Operated by the Lax-kw'alaams First Nation community |} <nowiki>*</nowiki>Operated by third-party contractors, under the sponsorship of BC Ferries.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ferry Advisory Committee Chairs |title=Non-major routes |url=https://facchairs.com/ferries-route-groups/ |website=facchairs.com |date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=4 March 2024}}</ref>
===Maps=== Numbers in blue circles are ferry route numbers. Provincial highway trailblazers are added where appropriate. <gallery perrow="5"> Image:BC Ferries Zone One.png|Zone 1 – Southern Gulf Islands Image:BC Ferries Zone Two.png|Zone 2 – Central Georgia Strait Image:BC Ferries Zone Three.png|Zone 3 – Northern Georgia Strait Image:BC Ferries Zone Four.png|Zone 4 – Queen Charlotte Sound Image:BC Ferries Zone Five.png|Zone 5 – North Coast </gallery>
== Former routes == {| class="wikitable" |+ !Route number !Route Location/Name !Highway carried !Origin !Destination(s) !Crossing Time !Primary Vessel(s) !Notes |- !10 |Inside Passage |— |Kelsey Bay (on Vancouver Island) |Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island) |Unknown | * Various vessels |Discontinued due to the extension of Highway 1, later Highway 19, to Port Hardy in 1978. Service was immediately resumed from the Bear Cove ferry terminal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovegrove |first=Donald |title=Kelsey Bay |url=https://vancouverisland.com/plan-your-trip/regions-and-towns/vancouver-island-bc-islands/kelsey-bay/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=Vancouver Island News, Events, Travel, Accommodation, Adventure, Vacations |language=en-US}}</ref> |- !40 |Inside Passage - Discovery Coast Connector |— |Kelsey Bay (on Vancouver Island) |Bella Coola with stops at Bella Bella (via McLoughlin Bay, on Campbell Island), Finn Bay, Hakai Pass (informal), Klemtu (on Swindle Island), Namu, Ocean Falls, and Shearwater (on Denny Island). |Varied | * Various vessels |Discontinued due to the extension of Highway 1, later Highway 19, to Port Hardy in 1978. Service was immediately resumed from the Bear Cove ferry terminal, although the stops at Finn Bay, Hakai Pass, and Namu were all discontinued by 1998. This route was later rebranded as Route 28A (see above), and the stop at Klemtu was also later discontinued. |- !Unknown |Inside Passage |— |Kelsey Bay (on Vancouver Island) |Port Hardy (via Bear Cove, on Vancouver Island), |Unknown | * Various vessels |Discontinued due to the extension of Highway 1, later Highway 19, to Port Hardy in 1978. |- !Unknown |Broughton Strait/Inside Passage |— |Kelsey Bay (on Vancouver Island) |Port Hardy (via Bear Cove, on Vancouver Island), Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island), and Sointula (on Malcolm Island) |Varied | * Various vessels |Discontinued due to the extension of Highway 1, later Highway 19, to Port Hardy in 1978. Service to Alert Bay and Sointula began being offered from the Port McNeill ferry terminal on Route 25 in 1975, which continues to this day. (see above). |- !Unknown |Inside Passage/Vancouver Island East |— |Kelsey Bay (on Vancouver Island) |Vancouver (via Tsawwassen) |Unknown | * Various vessels |Discontinued due to the extension of Highway 1, later Highway 19, to Port Hardy in 1978. This routing was used for special trips coinciding with start/end-of-season vessel repositioning runs. |- !Unknown |Inside Passage/Vancouver Island East |— |Port Hardy (via Bear Cove, on Vancouver Island) |Vancouver (via Tsawwassen) |Unknown | * Various vessels |This routing was used for special trips coinciding with start/end-of-season vessel repositioning runs, until 2000. |- !Unknown |Georgia Strait North/Malaspina Strait |— |Powell River (via Westview)/Comox (via Little River, on Vancouver Island) |Texada Island (via Blubber Bay) |Varied | * MV Salish Orca |Commenced on February 19, 2020 as a pilot project, this route provided direct service between Comox and Texada Island via a triangle route that was operated as the first sailing of the day departing Westview on Wednesdays and Saturdays, stopping at Blubber Bay, then continuing on to Little River. The route was run in the inverse direction as the last sailing of the day departing Little River on the same days. The route's operation was temporarily suspended on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was eventually terminated permanently on November 19, 2022, with BC Ferries citing operating costs as being prohibitive to reinstating the service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texada (Blubber Bay) - Comox (Little River) direct service pilot |url=https://www.bcferries.com/in-the-community/projects/texada-comox-direct-service-pilot-ORIGINAL |website=bcferries.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Texada (Blubber Bay) - Comox (Little River) direct service pilot |url=https://www.bcferries.com/in-the-community/projects/texada-comox-direct-service-pilot |website=bcferries.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Galinski |first=Paul |date=2022-11-19 |title=BC Ferries indicates piloted Texada stop will not be reinstated |url=https://www.coastreporter.net/local-news/bc-ferries-indicates-piloted-texada-stop-will-not-be-reinstated-6126911 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=Coast Reporter |language=en}}</ref> |}
==Fleet== {{Main|List of BC Ferries ships}} BC Ferries has the largest fleet of vehicle ferry vessels in the world. There are at least 45 vessels, ranging from small passenger-only water taxis, up to the 358-car Spirit-class ferries. All of the vessels in use on BC Ferries' official routes are roll-on/roll-off car ferries, with the exception of those assigned to Route 13 and the Unregulated routes (with the exception of the Lax Kwʼalaams route). Most of the major vessels are based on similar designs, which are aggregated into classes of ferries:
* {{sclass2|C|ferry|1}} * {{sclass2|Century|ferry|1}} * {{sclass2|Coastal|ferry|1}} * {{sclass2|I|ferry|1}} * {{sclass2|Island|ferry|1}} * K-class ferry * {{sclass2|N|ferry|1}} * Q-class ferry * {{sclass2|Salish|ferry|1}} * {{sclass2|Spirit|ferry|1}} * {{sclass2|T|ferry|1}} * Unclassed ships of BC Ferries
=== New major vessels === In 2018, BC Ferries announced its intention to procure seven new major vessels to replace the five aging {{sclass2|C|ferry|0}} ferries and {{MV|Queen of New Westminster}} (with a net increase of one major vessel).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chan |first=Kenneth |date=July 5, 2018 |title=BC Ferries to build 5 new large vessels for major routes serving Metro Vancouver |url=https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-ferries-c-class-replacement-vessels |access-date=June 29, 2025 |work=Urbanized |publisher=The Daily Hive}}</ref> Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was paused temporarily.
In February 2024, Ferries released renderings of the new major vessels, which were designed by Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 26, 2024 |title=First Look at New Major Vessel Concepts |url=https://www.bcferries.com/news-releases/first-look-at-new-major-vessel-concepts |access-date=June 29, 2025 |website=BC Ferries}}</ref> Later that year, in September, it was announced that BC Ferries would prefer to build the seven ferries in two phases and a request for proposal was sent out to "pre-qualified" shipyards to build the first batch – five of the seven vessels. The final two would be built at a later phase.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Little |first=Simon |date=September 16, 2024 |title=Major Vessel Replacement to Occur in Two Phases |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10758316/bc-ferries-vessel-replacement/ |access-date=June 29, 2025 |work=Global News |publisher=Corus Entertainment}}</ref> This plan for procurement required final approval from the independent BC Ferries Commissioner, Eva Hage, who approved the purchasing of four – not five – new vessels for the first phase in March 2025. Hage agreed that new vessels will benefit both the province and the ferry system, but she asserted that a fifth vessel would not be in the public's interest due to high costs. Both BC Ferries CEO Nicholas Jimenez and the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce expressed their frustrations with this decision, with the latter demanding premier David Eby to do what he can to get a fifth vessel approved, to which Eby expressed sympathy for a fifth vessel; however, Eby noted that both the Commissioner's Office and BC Ferries are independent of the provincial government.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Duffy |first=Andrew A. |date=April 25, 2025 |title=Chambers of commerce call on province to overturn ferry commissioner on fifth vessel |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/business/chambers-of-commerce-call-on-province-to-overturn-ferry-commissioner-on-fifth-vessel-10568660 |access-date=June 29, 2025 |work=Times Colonist}}</ref>
BC Ferries indicated that the request for proposal would be open to all shipbuilders, both Canadian and international; however, in April 2025, Ferries announced that no Canadian shipyards had submitted a bid for the project. BC shipyard Seaspan ULC had previously indicated that building ferries in BC would be impossible due to international competitors, who pay lower wages and have less stringent environmental standards. It also added that it does not currently have the capacity to deliver these new vessels within BC Ferries' timeline, unless the province provides incentives. Seaspan also indicated that it hopes to be a bidder for the second phase.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 26, 2024 |title=BC Ferries Will Not Be Built in BC |url=https://www.seaspan.com/press-release/bc-ferries-will-not-be-built-in-bc/ |access-date=June 29, 2025 |website=Seaspan ULC}}</ref> In June 2025, Ferries announced that it had awarded the first phase of the project to Chinese state-owned CMI Weihai Shipyards in Shandong province. This decision drew criticism from many, including from federal transport minister Chrystia Freeland. BC Ferries defended its decision, saying that it was the strongest bid by a "significant margin."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vanderdeen |first=Lauren |date=June 20, 2025 |title=Federal Transport Minister Freeland slams B.C. Ferries deal with Chinese company |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/freeland-letter-bc-ferries-chinese-contract-1.7567723 |access-date=June 29, 2025 |work=CBC News}}</ref>
The four vessels are expected to enter service over a three year period, with the first due the fleet in 2029, to allow for the retirement of {{MV|Queen of Alberni||2}}. The second and third vessels are due in 2030, to allow for the retirements of {{MV|Queen of Coquitlam||2}} and ''Queen of New Westminster.'' The fourth vessel is due in 2031, to allow for the retirement of {{MV|Queen of Cowichan||2}}. {{MV|Queen of Surrey||2}} and {{MV|Queen of Oak Bay||2}} will be refitted to extend their lifespans until at least 2036, when they will retire upon the fifth and sixth new major vessels entering revenue service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Major Vessels |url=https://www.bcferries.com/in-the-community/projects/new-major-vessels |access-date=June 29, 2025 |website=BC Ferries}}</ref>
==Accidents and incidents== {{Main|List of BC Ferries accidents and incidents}}
==See also== {{Portal|Canada|Transport|Transportation}}
===Other ferry services operating in BC===
* List of inland ferries in British Columbia *Black Ball Line
===Ferry services elsewhere=== *Alaska Marine Highway – Alaska's Marine Highway System, similar to BC Ferries. Also serves Prince Rupert. *Inter-Island Ferry Authority – An American analogue of BC Ferries. *Marine Atlantic – An east-coast analogue of BC Ferries. *Washington State Ferries – An American analogue of BC Ferries. *Baja Ferries – A Mexican analogue of BC Ferries
===Shipyards === *Allied Shipbuilders Ltd. *Burrard Dry Dock *Vancouver Shipyard *Victoria Machinery Depot *Washington Marine Group – Originally called the Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. *Yarrow Shipbuilders *Damen Shipyard<ref>{{cite web | url=https://shipsmonthly.com/news/damen-cuts-first-steel-on-four-full-electric-ferries-for-bc-ferries/ | title=Damen cuts first steel on four full electric ferries for BC Ferries | Ships Monthly }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bcferries.com/news-releases/steel-cutting-begins-on-new-hybrid-island-class-vessels | title=News release - Steel cutting begins on new hybrid Island Class vessels }}</ref>
== References ==
=== Citations === {{Reflist|33em}}
=== References === * Bannerman, Gary and Patricia. ''The Ships of British Columbia – An Illustrated History of the British Columbia Ferry Corporation.'' Surrey: Hancock House Publishers, 1985
==== Press releases ==== {{Refbegin|33em}} *BC Ferries Corporation (June 13, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-037upgradedoak_bayreturnstoservice.pdf Upgraded Queen of Oak Bay Returns to Service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703071256/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-037upgradedoak_bayreturnstoservice.pdf |date=July 3, 2007 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (June 30, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-049queenofoakbay1.pdf Queen of Oak Bay Loses Power and Runs Aground] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050929070554/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-049queenofoakbay1.pdf |date=September 29, 2005 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (June 30, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-050updatequeenofoak_bay.pdf Update on Queen of Oak Bay Grounding Incident] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050929070600/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-050updatequeenofoak_bay.pdf |date=September 29, 2005 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (July 1, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-052prelimiaryinspectionqueenofoakbay.pdf Investigation into Queen of Oak Bay Incident Continues] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050929070555/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-052prelimiaryinspectionqueenofoakbay.pdf |date=September 29, 2005 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (July 3, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-053insurance.pdf BC Ferries to Meet with Horseshoe Bay Boat Owners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050929070559/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-053insurance.pdf |date=September 29, 2005 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (July 5, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-055oakbayseatrials.pdf Queen of Oak Bay to Undergo Extensive Sea Trials] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050929070550/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-055oakbayseatrials.pdf |date=September 29, 2005 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (July 7, 2005). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-056qobpreliminaryinvestigationresults.pdf Preliminary Investigation into Queen of Oak Bay Incident Released] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050929070609/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/05-056qobpreliminaryinvestigationresults.pdf |date=September 29, 2005 }}''. Press Release. *BC Ferries Corporation (March 22, 2006). ''[http://www.bcferries.com/files/AboutBCF/06-014queenofthenorth2.pdf Queen of the North grounded and sank] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324025430/http://www.bcferries.com/files/AboutBCF/06-014queenofthenorth2.pdf |date=March 24, 2006 }}''. Press Release. {{Refend}}
==External links== {{Commons category|BC Ferries}} * {{Official website}} * [https://www.bcferries.com/current-conditions/vessel-tracking-positions BC Ferries Tracking] – realtime vessel positions * [https://ferriesbc.proboards.com/ West Coast Ferries Discussion Forum] * [https://www.bcfmwu.com BC Ferry & Marine Workers Union] * [https://www.bcferrycommission.ca BC Ferries Commission] * [https://www.pbase.com/kstapleton/root BC Ferries and Ships on the BC Coast] (very extensive photo galleries)
{{BC Ferry Classes}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bc Ferries}} Category:BC Ferries Category:Transport in Greater Vancouver Category:Companies based in Victoria, British Columbia Category:Transport companies established in 1960 Category:Coast of British Columbia Category:Former Crown corporations of British Columbia Category:1960 establishments in British Columbia Category:Water transport in British Columbia