BC Ferries warns crew shortages due to COVID-19, other factors could lead to service disruptions
BC Ferries is warning travellers staffing shortages due to illness and other factors could cause service disruptions over the next several weeks, and some sailings have already been affected.
On Monday, executive director of public affairs Deborah Marshall said it’s an unusual notification, but they wanted to let customers know they’re having challenges staffing vessels.
“We have seen a few disruptions already,” she said. “This morning on the Tsawwassen-Duke Point run we did have to cancel the first round trip due to a crew shortage, over the weekend we did see some disruption on the Texada-Powell River run, and in December we did see some service interruptions on the Gabriola Island run.”
While the highly transmissible Omicron variant is one reason, Marshall said there are also other issues at play.
“It’s almost like a perfect storm right now,” she said. “We’ve also had a lot of severe weather lately... and then to top it all off there is actually a worldwide shortage of mariners.”
Marshall added they have a mandatory vaccination policy for employees, which has led to some being off work.
“By far the vast majority of our staff have complied with the mandatory vaccination policy,” she said. “It’s actually fewer than five per cent of our staff who have chosen not to get vaccinated or are looking for accommodation.”
Marshall said last month they had about 30 per cent of staff calling in sick at various times, which is higher than normal. Just last week, the provincial health officer warned businesses to anticipate as many as a third of their workforce may become ill at any one time due to COVID-19.
“We’re envisioning it will be the next couple of months, and that’s why we did want to put our customers on notice that we are having some challenges,” Marshall said. “Please be patient with our staff. They’re working very hard to deliver a safe and efficient service, but on occasion we do foresee having some service interruptions due to crewing levels.”
Marshall said they are hoping to avoid service disruptions if they can through a variety of mitigation measures, including employees trained to work different positions and multiple routes, the use of overtime, and even water taxis on smaller routes if need be.
Travellers are being encouraged to check the status of their sailings online beforehand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.