BC Ferries hires 500 staff to combat cancellations, considers live-aboard accommodations

BC Ferries has been on a hiring drive since January, filling 500 positions in efforts to curtail ongoing sailing cancellations.

The ferry service has been struggling through continued cancellations due to staffing shortages triggered by the pandemic and a worldwide shortage of professional mariners.

The corporation still needs to fill another 100 vacancies for numerous positions, including those on vessels, at terminals and in administration.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall says teams are actively recruiting at career fares and are “looking under every rock” for potential employees.

Marshall said Friday that licensed officers and engineers are particularly needed, while hiring 300 seasonal positions to cover increased demand over the summer is the current focus.

“We are expecting a return to traffic to pre-pandemic levels,” Marshall said in a video call.

“We do expect a busy summer with BC ferries – lots of people have pent-up demand and they want to take some vacations so we definitely need some more staff to help us out.”

CREW ACCOMMODATIONS COULD HELP WITH HOUSING CRISIS

To welcome the new employees, Marshall said BC Ferries is working on a recruitment and retention program that it will share with its workers.

Marshall said BC Ferries faces similar challenges as other employers when attracting potential employees to a region with such high housing costs, but said it can offer options.

“Our northern vessels right now are live-aboard ships,” Marshall said. “So people work two weeks on, two weeks off, they would be able to live, say, in Calgary, for example, if they wanted to commute.”

“Our Salish-class vessels were built with crew accommodation so that is an opportunity we can look at," she added.

Marshall said existing employees have been working overtime to keep ferries running.