BC Ferries sees record-breaking number of vehicle passengers
BC Ferries says it transported a record-setting number of vehicles in its 2023 fiscal year, which ended on March 31.
A total of 9.4 million vehicles and 21.6 million passengers travelled aboard a BC Ferries vessel during fiscal 2023.
Those totals marked an increase of 11 per cent in vehicle traffic, and a 21 per cent increase in passenger traffic, compared to fiscal 2022.
BC Ferries notes that the lifting of travel restrictions in fiscal 2023 is a main reason why passenger totals increased significantly compared to the year before.
STAFFING CHALLENGES
During fiscal 2023, BC ferries said it cancelled 1.6 per cent of its sailings, up from 1.2 per cent in fiscal 2022, largely because of crew shortages.
"Like many companies facing staffing challenges, we are working hard to fill key positions to meet our commitment to our customers to deliver the service they rely on each and every day," said BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez in a statement Thursday.
"We know that even one cancellation is one too many for the millions of travellers who depend on the coastal ferry system," he said.
Total revenue for fiscal 2023 was $1.04 billion, according to BC Ferries, an increase of $77.4 million from the year before – or roughly eight per cent.
BC Ferries notes that this increase is also primarily due to the lifting of travel restrictions.
Overall, BC Ferries saw a net loss of $1.8 million in fiscal 2023. The year before, it saw a net increase of $34.1 million, but the company notes that the prior year's total includes a $102.3 million boost from the federal government through its "Safe Restart Agreement."
Without that major boost, the company would have seen a net loss of $68.2 million in fiscal 2022, according to BC Ferries.
The company's operating expenses also rose 14.2 per cent in fiscal 2023, up from $868 million in fiscal 2022 to $991.5 million in fiscal 2023.
BC Ferries says the increase in expenses is mainly due to operating more sailings – which increases labour costs and fuel consumption – as well as an increase in fuel prices and maintenance work.
"Despite high inflation and operating costs, we will continue to invest in our most valuable asset, our people, who are the backbone of BC Ferries," said Jimenez.
"I am constantly impressed by their commitment to provide the best possible customer experience for every passenger who travels with us."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.