Hundreds of BC Ferries employees out sick at any given time, company says after latest cancellations
Ferry cancellations led to massive delays for people trying to return to the Lower Mainland from Salt Spring Island on Sunday night.
Multiple BC Ferries sailings were cancelled, including the 7:30 p.m. departure from Long Harbour to Tsawwassen.
“At 4:30 p.m. we got a call from a 1-800 number, which I didn’t answer,” said Corey Dixon, who planned on taking the ferry.
“It went to voicemail and, luckily, I checked it. It said our ferry was cancelled due to short staffing.”
Some travellers decided to try their luck at a second ferry terminal, Fulford Harbour. They were told by BC Ferries staff there would be no ferries available at that location either, due to staffing shortages and mechanical issues.
For anyone hoping to catch a ferry, the only hope was making it onto an evening sailing from a third terminal, Vesuvius, to Crofton, a small town roughly 75 kilometres north of Victoria.
However, travellers were faced with a two- to three-sailing wait to drive onto that ferry. BC Ferries brought in an alternative option for foot passengers travelling to and from Vancouver Island.
“In a situation like yesterday, where we did have to cancel some of our service, we did lay on a water taxi to get customers back and forth,” said Deborah Marshall, executive director of public affairs for BC Ferries.
Marshall said the cancelled sailings were in fact due to low staffing levels.
“I don’t know what the story is, but if a couple people call in sick and that means the ferries don’t run, that’s not a great policy,” said Dixon.
Marshall told CTV News employee absentee levels have doubled since before the pandemic.
“It’s (now) about 11 per cent. So, we might have 400 or 500 employees unavailable at any given time now,” said Marchall.
“While we do have lots of staff on hand, what we’re finding is people are not as available as they used to be.”
The ferry service suggests checking for updates on its website and social media channels before heading to a ferry terminal. It isn’t ruling out further disruptions as the pandemic presses on.
“On occasion we do have to cancel sailings due to crew availability and we certainly apologize to our customers for that,” said Marshall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.