B.C. Ferries gears up for busy Labour Day weekend

As Labour Day weekend approaches, a Gibsons, B.C, bookstore owner says he is worried about getting to his job on time from Vancouver on Sunday with ferry reservations already selling out.

This long weekend has always been a challenge for Tim Clapp, co-owner of Reasons To Live Books and Records,  who says he usually ends up waiting two to three hours to get on the ferry with his car at this time of year. 

"The whole summer can become completely unknowable to me. It's impossible to get a reservation. They're booked months in advance," Clapp said. "It can be incredibly stressful waiting for the ferry and not knowing if you're going to get on."

B.C. Ferries says it expects the long weekend to be quite busy and anticipates about 90,000 vehicles and 270,000 passengers on its major routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

Clapp is just one of the dozens of commuters from the mainland to the island. Here is everything you need to know about booking a ferry this long weekend.

The reservation system

Reservations between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay for Thursday and Friday are sold out if you are coming in a car. There are some foot passenger reservations on Thursday evening and Friday for sailing times from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday has limited availability, while Monday still has a number of reservation slots for the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run.

There are also limited reservations between Horseshoe Bay and the Sunshine Coast. For Vancouver to Nanaimo, there are limited vehicle reservations, but there are a lot of openings for foot passengers.

"We encourage travellers to plan ahead, consider off-peak times or opt to walk on as foot passengers if vehicle reservations are not available," B.C. Ferries said.

On major routes, the ferry service allocates up to 85 per cent of vessel space for reservations, depending on the demand and route, B.C. Ferries said in a statement.

Some sailings have less than 50 per cent of their space allocated on specific major routes, but others may not offer bookable space at all, it said.

Those who book a reservation through B.C. Ferries must arrive 60 to 30 minutes before their sailing time, said executive director of communications Jeff Groot. If a person is late for their scheduled sailing, they will be put on standby for the next available one, which could be hours.

However, B.C. Ferries intentionally leaves a portion of space available for passengers who choose not to book a reservation or are not able to. The ferry service said typically five per cent of customers may not show up for their reservations, which allows the unclaimed space to go to standby traffic.

"It's really important with our reservation system that we have a fine balance between giving people the certainty that they can get where they need to go when they need to get there and also making sure we've got space for people who might choose to drive up, who can't buy reservations or who have emergencies," Groot said.

Saver fares

Groot says the ferry service's Saver Fares offers cheaper, flexible options for people who have flexibility in their travel times, and it helps open up space on busier sailings for people who have less flexibility.

"The real intention is how do we help people who have flexibility in their travel times, give them an option to choose cheaper fares for travelling at those less busy times," he said. "We're really seeing that effect play out here where people are choosing them."

B.C. Ferries said the number of customers experiencing sailing waits has dropped by more than 25 per cent since introducing saver fares.

The ferry service faced criticism for late and cancelled sailings last year due to staff shortages, with 1.3 per cent of sailings cancelled — an average of about seven sailings per day.

It has also had vessel maintenance issues. Marine workers have also been asking to have new ferries built in the province.

The CBC reported in May that B.C. Ferries was ramping up service and staffing to deal with the projected increase in traffic for the summer season with increased sailings, reduced fees and changes to staffing.

Clapp says the sailing times are better this year than previously, but is planning to leave early to make sure he can get to the bookstore.

People can check the B.C. Ferries website for updates on sailings.