Hornby Island ferry disruption continues amid Denman terminal repairs

Tribune Bay on Hornby Island, B.C. is shown.

Ferry service disruptions affecting Hornby Island will continue Wednesday as BC Ferries closes the Denman Island East terminal for repairs, renewing concerns from residents about aging infrastructure and communication during service interruptions.

In a service notice issued Tuesday evening, BC Ferries said the Gravelly Bay–Shingle Spit route will remain out of service May 27 while crews repair a damaged docking structure, known as a dolphin pad, at the Denman terminal.

The Kahloke and Quinitsa will instead operate a direct two-ship service between Shingle Spit on Hornby Island and Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island, bypassing Denman Island.

Sailings are scheduled approximately every 90 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a crossing time of about 1.5 hours.

Passengers connecting between Hornby and Denman will be required to offload at Buckley Bay, exit the terminal, and re-enter the system to continue their trip on the next available sailing.

The disruption follows multiple days of cancellations and rerouted service linked to the same terminal issue.

Karen Ross, executive director of the Hornby Island Community Economic Enhancement Corporation, said the latest disruptions highlight broader concerns about aging ferry infrastructure on the route.

“The big picture issues are the vessels and the docks,” Ross said.

“We have no hospital here. We have a rural clinic,” Ross said. She added that residents must travel to the Comox Valley or other centres for more significant medical care.

“People are trying to get to medical appointments, get children to school, keep construction crews moving, and it just stops,” she said. “When the ferry stops, everything stops.”

Ross said communication during disruptions remains a major issue for residents, adding that information is often fragmented across social media and informal networks rather than delivered through clear, centralized updates.

BC Ferries says the work is required to restore safe use of the dock structure at the Denman Island East terminal and has apologized for the inconvenience.

No timeline has been provided for when regular service between Denman and Hornby will resume.