This BC Ferries route will allow pets on outside decks under new pilot program
BC Ferries is allowing passengers to take their pets onto outside upper decks under a new pilot program on one of its smaller routes.
Dogs and cats will be allowed on the Sunshine Coast (Earls Cove) – Powell River (Saltery Bay) route for the next three months under the pilot program.
The trial launched on Wednesday, and BC Ferries says it may extend the practice to other routes, pending "pawsitive" feedback from customers once the trial's over.
Dogs who are on the upper deck must be leashed, with each passenger only allowed to take a maximum of two dogs on deck.
Meanwhile, cats must be kept in a travel carrier at all times.
"Waste bags and water bowls will be provided, and the area will be routinely cleaned," said BC Ferries in a release Wednesday.
People who are looking to take their pets onto an outer deck must use designated stairwells, which are marked with paw print stickers, or an elevator if they have accessibility needs.
Access to the outer decks will also be marked with paw print stickers, according to BC Ferries.
The ferry operator notes that the number of people travelling with pets aboard a vessel has increased in recent years.
In 2018, approximately 5.5 per cent of passengers were travelling with a pet aboard a BC Ferries vessel. That total increased to 13.7 per cent in 2020, according to the company.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.