'Significant impact': BC Ferries says staff shortages may cause service disruptions

BC Ferries is warning of potential service disruptions across all its routes in the months to come, largely due to staff shortages.

On Monday morning, the company said that staffing was one of its main concerns, though "no single factor" is responsible for the potential disruptions.

BC Ferries says the Omicron variant of COVID-19, extreme weather, and difficulty finding experienced new staff members are all impacting service.

"It is a combination including the Omicron variant’s potential to impact employee wellness, regular cold and flu season, severe winter storms, vaccination policies that have reduced crew availability and the global shortage of professional mariners making it difficult to hire replacement staff," said BC Ferries on Monday.

The ferry operator notes that vessels must have a minimum number of crew members to sail, as per federal regulations.

"Even a small number of crew that are unavailable to sail can have a significant impact on service if replacements are challenging to find," said the company.

For instance, during recent snowstorms, some staff couldn't make it out to ferry terminals in Vancouver and Victoria, leading to sailing cancellations.

BC Ferries says that it uses staffing pools to try to fill staffing gaps, and issues overtime pay for employees who take on new sailings.

However, these contingencies do not always make up for staffing shortages, and sometimes the company needs to delay or cancel sailings.

"BC Ferries understands the importance of providing reliable ferry service, especially for ferry dependent communities and customers who use the ferry system to get to work, school, medical appointments, or to visit family and friends," said the company.

"BC Ferries will do its utmost to avoid and minimize disruption to service, even when faced with a combination of factors."

While service disruptions may occur, BC Ferries says it has no plans to suspend service entirely on any of its routes.