Chamber calls on BC Ferries Commissioner to rethink fifth vessel

Business people make decisions based on serving their clients as efficiently as possible. We know that the long-term viability of our operations requires us to be prepared for the future.

Government does things differently.

The most recent example of this is the decision by the BC Ferries commissioner to approve four new vessels when five are clearly required. We’re going to need ferry service for generations, so the decision is frustrating for everyone who relies on this vital link, as well as for the folks who provide this service.

In the private sector, a business plan that doesn’t look past the short-term would struggle to find investors. Yet, that’s essentially what’s happening with the future of BC Ferries. It makes no sense other than as a way to push a problem down the line, when it will be much worse.

Here’s a high-level recap of where we’re at: BC Ferries has analyzed its future needs to continue providing British Columbians with reliable and affordable ferry service for decades to come. That requires planning for disruptions that affect service — such as mechanical breakdowns like the one that stranded travellers over the Easter weekend. The negative publicity already has many in the media questioning the commissioner’s short-sightedness.

BC Ferries determined that it has the capital for a fifth ferry to help future-proof its service. So, if money to build a new boat is not the issue, why wouldn’t the commissioner approve? It comes down to the province’s decision to subsidize users back in 2023. The government committed $500 million to keep fares from increasing in order to pay the actual cost of running the ferry service. However, when that cash runs out, we’re back to where we started, with a service struggling to cover costs while maintaining the quality of service expected.

To be fair, The Chamber supported fare relief at the time because we live on an Island that is highly dependent on a single transportation system to move goods and people to the Mainland. However, what we hoped to see as part of fare relief was better planning to make BC Ferries more resilient and sustainable. That is what the organization has done by asking for five new vessels.

As an unapologetic voice of business, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce always calls for investment that leads to economic growth. We need the public sector to support the private sector in ways that spark innovation and increase revenue. This is how we can pay for increasing costs without artificially taking from one pot of taxes and giving to another pot, which is simply not sustainable.

We’ve partnered with local business organizations, including Destination Greater Victoria and other Island Chambers, to send a letter to Premier David Eby calling for a review of the commissioner’s decision.

It’s not clear if the province has any recourse to “fix” the commissioner’s decision now, but knowing that this is an issue that will only grow in importance, let’s hope the government is rethinking this process so a better decision will be made as soon as possible.

This column was originally published in the April 2025 edition of the Business Examiner.