As latest ferry disruption strands locals and tourists overnight, some Bowen Island residents consider moving

The cancellation of B.C. Ferries sailings to and from Bowen Island over the May long weekend is emblematic of larger issues, locals say, with some residents now planning to abandon the island community altogether due to unreliable service to the mainland.

On Saturday, the ferry operator cancelled a dozen sailings between Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver between 3:30 p.m. and midnight after saying it was unable to secure enough crew to staff the route.

The company apologized and hired water taxis to transport people who needed to leave urgently, but it was unable to transport vehicles — leading many to stay on the island until a ride could be found.

But there were few vacancies in the small island community, leading many to sleep in their cars, while some homes and businesses opened their doors to stranded strangers to help out.

"It was just a nightmare," said Glen Lahey, a Bowen Island resident who said he saw about 150 people at the docks trying to figure out their next move. They included tourists, daytrippers and locals, he said, many of whom were stuck on the other side and unable to get home.

Essential service

Bowen Island, which lies about three kilometres off West Vancouver, has a population of roughly 4,200 people, according to 2021 census data.

Ferry service to and from the island takes about 20 minutes with rides departing roughly once per hour. Many island residents commute to work and school on the mainland.

But several residents say that's getting increasingly difficult to do.

Kendall Miller is currently on leave from work but said she's worried about her ability to return as the ferry issues become more severe.

"I think the ferry needs to be treated as an essential service," she said. "I'm really scared to go back ... and how it's going to impact my employment."

Leaving the island for good

Danielle Valentine says her family is already in the process of moving off Bowen Island after repeated delays and cancellations have posed difficulty for her husband to get to and from his job.

"It's fine if it's once in a while, but B.C. Ferries is constantly cancelling our sailings or showing up late. It's too much of a burden," Valentine said. "We're sick and tired of it."

Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard said it's difficult to believe B.C. Ferries couldn't predict the staffing shortages further in advance in order to warn customers of the pending challenges.

He was further frustrated by the fact the operator had increased sailings to Victoria and Nanaimo for the long weekend but were unable to provide basic service to their community.

"The ferries for us are really public transit," he said.

'It's very difficult for us to cope when ferries are cancelled and we have our residents trapped on the mainland and we have visitors trapped on the island. So what we'd like to see from B.C. Ferries is just an increased commitment to reliability."

Company focusing on staff retention

In an interview with CBC News in April, the new CEO of B.C. Ferries, Nicolas Jimenez, said the company has to do more to recruit and retain staff in order to avoid cancellations.

"It might be about boats and terminals, but fundamentally it's about people. So that is something that I want our customers to know we're investing in," he said.

"You understand public service and the value and the expectations that our customers have of us. They're high, and they should be high."