BC Ferries facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.

Trade name	BC Ferries
Type	Organized as a privately held company, with the provincial Crown as sole shareholder
Industry	Transportation
Founded	Victoria, British Columbia (June 15, 1960)
Headquarters	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Key people	Joy MacPhail, Chair Nicolas Jimenez, President & CEO
Products	Ferry service
Revenue	C$769.5 million (2023)
Operating income	(7.070) million (2023)
Net income	C$1.842 million (2021)
Owner	BC Ferry Authority (Government of British Columbia)
Number of employees	4,500 (2017)

BC Ferries is a large Canadian company that provides ferry services for people and vehicles. It helps connect coastal and island communities in British Columbia, Canada. BC Ferries started in 1960. It was created because other ferry services were having problems with strikes.

Today, BC Ferries is the biggest passenger ferry line in North America. It has 41 ships and can carry over 27,000 passengers and crew. These ferries serve 47 different places along the B.C. coast. Both the Canadian and provincial governments help fund BC Ferries. This ensures that important ferry routes are available for everyone.

How BC Ferries is Organized

When BC Ferries first started, it was part of the government. Over time, it changed its structure several times. In 2003, the government decided to make BC Ferries a private company. This was done to help it manage its money better.

Even though it's a private company, the government still owns a special share. This means the government, through the BC Ferry Authority, has a say in how BC Ferries operates.

The Story of BC Ferries

How BC Ferries Began

In 1958, a strike by workers at other ferry companies caused big problems. People couldn't travel easily between the mainland and the islands. Because of this, the government of British Columbia decided to create its own ferry service. This new service became BC Ferries, starting in 1960.

Tsawwassen terminal was built by filling in a large area at the end of a causeway in 1960

Toll booths at Tsawwassen Terminal

A BC Ferries loading dock (berth 4 at Tsawwassen terminal)

Cars loading onto a ferry

Growing the Fleet

BC Ferries' first route connected Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island to Tsawwassen near Vancouver. They started with just two ships. In the years that followed, BC Ferries grew very quickly. It took over routes from other private ferry companies.

To handle more passengers and cars, BC Ferries built many new ships. They also had a special "stretch and lift" program. This involved cutting some ships in half to make them longer. Some were even made taller to carry more vehicles. Most of BC Ferries' ships were built right in British Columbia.

For many years, BC Ferries used a special flag with a dogwood flower on a green background. This led to their popular nickname, "the Dogwood Fleet."

New Ships and Changes

In the 1990s, BC Ferries tried using three "fast ferries." These ships were meant to be quicker, but they had many problems. They also cost a lot more money than expected. Eventually, these fast ferries were sold in 2003.

Later, in 2004, BC Ferries decided to buy new ships from a shipyard in Germany. This caused some debate because many people wanted the ships to be built in B.C. However, BC Ferries said building them in Germany would save money. The first of these new ships, the Coastal Renaissance, started service in 2008.

In 2012, BC Ferries announced some changes to its schedule. They reduced the number of trips on some routes to save money. Also, free ferry trips for seniors were stopped for a few years.

More recently, BC Ferries has been adding new ships called the Salish class class. These ferries can run on natural gas, which is better for the environment. They are part of a plan to make the ferry fleet more standardized. This means having fewer different types of ships, which makes maintenance easier.

In 2022, the fourth Salish-class vessel, Salish Heron, joined the fleet.

Future Fleet Plans

BC Ferries plans to get seven new large ships to replace older ones. In 2024, they showed designs for these new vessels. They decided to build them in two stages. The first four ships were approved for purchase in March 2025.

No Canadian shipyards submitted bids to build these first ships. In June 2025, BC Ferries chose a Chinese company, CMI Weihai Shipyards, to build them. The first of these new ships is expected to start service by 2029. All four should be in use by 2031.

Financial Information

This table shows how BC Ferries has performed financially over the years. It includes money earned from tickets (Operating Revenue) and money received from the government (Service Fees and Other Govt. Subsidies).

Current Ferry Routes

BC Ferries has many routes connecting different parts of British Columbia. Some routes carry both vehicles and passengers, while others are for passengers only. The routes are numbered for internal use by BC Ferries.

*These routes are run by other companies, but BC Ferries supports them.

Maps of Ferry Zones

These maps show the different zones where BC Ferries operates. The numbers in blue circles are the ferry route numbers.

• 

  Zone 1 – Southern Gulf Islands

• 

  Zone 2 – Central Georgia Strait

• 

  Zone 3 – Northern Georgia Strait

• 

  Zone 4 – Queen Charlotte Sound

• 

  Zone 5 – North Coast

Former Ferry Routes

Over the years, some BC Ferries routes have changed or been stopped. This often happens when new roads are built, making ferry travel less necessary. For example, some routes from Kelsey Bay were discontinued when Highway 19 was extended to Port Hardy in 1978.

The BC Ferries Fleet

BC Ferries has the largest fleet of vehicle ferries in the world! They have at least 45 ships. These range from small water taxis to huge ferries that can carry 358 cars. Most of the ferries on official routes are "roll-on/roll-off" ships. This means cars can drive right onto and off the ferry.

Many of the larger ships are part of "classes" of ferries. This means they are built using similar designs. Some of these classes include:

• Island-class ferry
• Salish-class ferry
• Spirit-class ferry
• Coastal-class ferry
• C-class ferry
• I-class ferry
• Century-class ferry
• Q-class ferry
• T-class ferry
• K-class ferry
• N-class ferry
• Unclassed ships of BC Ferries

See also

In Spanish: B.C. Ferries para niños

Other ferry services in British Columbia

• List of inland ferries in British Columbia
• Black Ball Line

Ferry services elsewhere

• Alaska Marine Highway – Alaska's ferry system, also serves Prince Rupert.
• Inter-Island Ferry Authority
• Marine Atlantic – A ferry service on Canada's east coast.
• Washington State Ferries
• Baja Ferries - A ferry service in Mexico.

Shipyards

• Allied Shipbuilders Ltd.
• Burrard Dry Dock
• Vancouver Shipyard
• Victoria Machinery Depot
• Washington Marine Group
• Yarrow Shipbuilders
• Damen Shipyard