Smooth sailing Friday morning for beleaguered BC Ferries
It was strangely quiet at Swartz Bay terminal Friday morning, even though the B.C. Day long weekend is expected to be the busiest weekend of the year for BC Ferries, with a projected 580,000 passengers expected to travel on vessels between Thursday and Tuesday.
There were no sailing waits at Swartz Bay throughout the morning Friday.
BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall attributed the smooth sailing there to a few factors, including the addition of hourly sailings out of Swartz Bay, the return of the Coastal Celebration – giving it a full fleet – and a variable pricing program.
“Discounting off-peak times, that’s a win-win. It gives customers a discount and it draws traffic away from the peak times,” said Marshall Friday.
Friday's seeming success was in stark contrast to this summer's troubled times, which have been dominated by mechanical breakdowns, labour shortages and computer glitches – all leading to massive waits.
That prompted a charm offensive at the Swartz Bay terminal on Friday, complete with drawing tents for kids and musicians serenading the playground.
BC Ferries admits Friday is the calm before the storm. Monday is typically when Swart Bay and Departure Bay get slammed with travellers lining up to return to the mainland.
Meanwhile, with vacationers eager to get out of town for the weekend, traffic was backed up heading to the Malahat Highway Friday morning. And at Victoria's airport, where the B.C. Day long weekend is traditionally also the busiest time of the year, one parking lot was completely full by noon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of a 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Governments must disaster-proof Canada's hospitals against climate change: experts
Last month, the Canadian Medical Association warned that Canada's health-care facilities are among the oldest public infrastructure in use. Half were built more than 50 years ago, making them especially vulnerable to extreme climate events.
Luciano Benetton says he's stepping down as chairman of family-run brand as losses top US$100 million
Luciano Benetton, a co-founder of the apparel brand, announced he was stepping down as chairman in an interview published on Saturday with Milan daily Corriere della Sera. He blamed current management for losses of 100 million euros (US$108.5 million) that he discovered last year.
1 dead, 3 in hospital after flying wheel crashes into bus windshield on QEW
A man is dead, and three others are in hospital after a flying wheel crashed into a coach bus on the QEW in St. Catharines.
NASA launches tiny CubeSat to set its sights on Earth
NASA has launched the first of two research satellites to measure how much heat is lost to space from the Arctic and Antarctica.