BC Ferries predicts summer travel demand 'could well break new records'
BC Ferries says its internal research is showing strong demand for vehicle traffic this summer, which could lead to a record-breaking season.
BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins says traffic is already on the rise, with volumes hitting "at or above levels that we saw pre-pandemic."
"We think passengers will be down slightly compared to pre-pandemic, so maybe not a record there," he told CTV News on Thursday.
"But it looks like vehicular traffic could well break new records this summer."
Collins says a large factor in that estimate is pent-up demand.
Some ferry travellers that CTV News spoke with on Thursday were more skeptical, however.
"I kind of doubt it with high gas prices," said traveller John Jensen.
BC Ferries has also faced service challenges throughout the pandemic due to staffing shortages.
"It's going to suck to try to get anywhere without a reservation," said ferry passenger Tom Houson.
The BC Ferries Swartz Bay terminal is shown: July 13, 2020 (CTV News)
STAFF SHORTAGE
Collins says BC Ferries has hired about 850 new workers since January, and that the company is looking to hire roughly 160 more to prepare for the summer season.
"We look internally first," he said. "We develop, we train, we put a lot of investment into our people and try and grow from within."
Eric McNeely, president of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers' union, says it's hard to find skilled workers.
"Competition is fierce out there," he said, noting that prospective workers are weighing the hours of work required and salaries being offered.
"Some of the locations are hard to hire into," he added. "Salt Spring Island, Gibsons."
BC Ferries says it's working hard to hire more employees and is offering a new signing bonus of up to $10,000 for some senior positions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
New analysis of Beethoven's hair reveals possible cause of mysterious ailments, scientists say
High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.