Staffing issues force BC Ferries sailing cancellations between Victoria, Tsawwassen

Once again, staffing issues have forced BC Ferries to cancel sailings on a major route between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

The 7 a.m. departure from Swartz Bay and the 9 a.m. departure from Tsawwassen were both called off Wednesday after BC Ferries was "unsuccessful in securing the required number of crew" on the Coastal Inspiration vessel, according to a service notice on the company’s website.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall told CTV News the sailing was short two crew members.

Minimum staffing requirements are in place to ensure safety in the event of an emergency, and are mandatory under Transport Canada regulations.

"We know that our customers do expect reliable service and we apologize for not being able to deliver that this morning," Marshall said. "We work very hard to try to ensure that we have all of our crew members in place so that we don't have to miss sailings."

Marshall said customers with reservations on the cancelled sailings will receive vouchers for free travel.

Impacted passengers can find information on the company’s compensation policy online. 

BC Ferries also initially warned the 11 a.m. sailing from Swartz Bay and the 1 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen were at risk of cancellation, though the company managed to secure adequate staffing in time.

At one point in the morning, when additional cancellations were possible, there was a potential seven-sailing wait.

With the Coastal Inspiration back in service from 11 a.m. onward, and the addition of three unscheduled sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay on the Spirit of Vancouver Island – which was brought out of dry dock a day early – the backlog of travellers was cleared by mid-afternoon.

The BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union said that unexpected cancellations due to staffing shortage often leads to abuse directed at workers by frustrated passengers.

"There's been people spitting, yelling, lots of verbal interactions," said local president Eric McNeely. "And people swerving vehicles at our members of the union."

In terms of possible solutions to the labour shortage at BC Ferries, McNeely said training upgrades for existing workers could alleviate the staffing crunch when people working in critical positions are unable to work.

"Getting those people through to licensed positions is the solution for the future," he said.

Earlier this month, the B.C. government said it is working on introducing "penalty provisions" for ferry cancellations that are due to a lack of staff.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the province is still working out details on what those penalties might look like, but said the intention would be to hold the company accountable for providing contracted services.

"People want to know their sailings will run as scheduled," Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said in a statement.

On top of staffing issues, BC Ferries has contended with a series of mechanical problems on its vessels this year, creating even more chaos for the company's schedule.

Last weekend, the service was down three vessels, with the Spirit of Vancouver Island, Coastal Renaissance and Queen of New Westminster all out of service for repairs or routine maintenance.