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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.