Vehicle reservations will be required on B.C. Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo starting this fall
Bookings required due to 'major' construction beginning at Horseshoe Bay; foot passengers not affected
Anyone taking a vehicle on B.C. Ferries from the Lower Mainland's Horseshoe Bay terminal to Nanaimo will need to make a reservation starting this fall, according to the ferry operator.
It said "major" construction will begin at Horseshoe Bay this year, and vehicle space in the terminal will be reduced by 25 per cent. It said overall vehicle space will be "below current levels" for "several years."
The terminal is nearly 65 years old, B.C. Ferries said in February. Work on the terminal will include upgrading or replacing three berths, relocating the control tower and upgrading elevated structures.
The cost of the project is estimated in the "hundreds of millions" of dollars, B.C. Ferries said.
B.C. Ferries has come under fire in recent years for long waits and cancelled sailings, amid aging infrastructure and vessels.
"The need for change is clear," B.C. Ferries said in a news release. "Over the Easter long weekend, the limitations of the Horseshoe Bay terminal were evident, with high traffic volumes and congestion putting pressure on local communities, police, and road and customer safety, contributing to a negative customer experience for passengers trying to travel through this terminal to their final destination."
While vehicle reservations will be required for travellers sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, this will not be the case for those going the opposite directions, though bookings are recommended. The reservation requirement also will not affect foot passengers.
In an effort to manage demand for sailings to Nanaimo, B.C. Ferries is adding a sailing from Tsawwassen to Departure Bay. In the past, passengers going from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo went to Duke Point, south of Departure Bay and farther from the city's centre. That sailing, at 4:30 p.m. PT daily, will start running on June 19.