BC Ferries issued a warning on June 22 to prepare for the expected cancellation of ferry services this summer.
Although the company has hired a record 1,200 new employees this year, it still faces a staff shortage. In May, flights between Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) were suspended for half a day, and two flights were cancelled on the 22nd due to staff shortages. Last year, when 850 new workers were hired, there were 300 suspensions due to crew shortages.
The company’s president and CEO, Nicolas Jimenez, said he doesn’t know how many new hires the company will need going forward, or how many cancellations he expects this summer. Each ship has a required number of staff, but the current situation is that there is no backup staff, which is a problem. Staffing shortages are particularly pronounced at ports on the Vancouver Island side of Swartz Bay (Victoria) and Nanaimo.
The company plans to increase flights in the summer and expects to use 2.6 million vehicles and 7 million passengers from now until Labor Day in September (the first Monday in September). Therefore, we are aiming to hire more personnel by increasing wages, etc., and we are asking passengers to make reservations in advance and use them during off-peak hours.