New Major Vessels project reaches milestone with BC Ferries Commissioner application

BC Ferries has now formally submitted its plan to build five New Major Vessels (NMVs) to the BC Ferries Commissioner.

Dec 16, 2024 - 00:00
New Major Vessels project reaches milestone with BC Ferries Commissioner application

If approved, this project would be the largest capital investment in the organization’s history, increasing ferry capacity, resiliency, and reliability for BC’s coastal communities and economies.

In 2024, BC Ferries handled its highest peak season traffic ever, and with BC’s population continuing to rise, travel demands are mounting year-round. The necessary retirement of aging vessels means maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. The NMV project proposes to replace four aging vessels and add one new vessel to the fleet, adding critical space on the busiest routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. This will reduce wait times and boost overall capacity by up to 28% for passengers and 19% for vehicles. The first of these vessels is expected to enter service in 2029, with five operational by 2031.

To meet the public interest, these new ships will enhance BC Ferries’ capacity and resiliency, provide reliable marine transportation for coastal economies, support residents and tourism industries, and reduce climate impacts. With global shipbuilding costs already rising over 40% in just the past four years, delaying the procurement of these vessels would lead to significantly higher costs in the future, including for customers. The project costs were already partially included in BC Ferries’ last fare application and work will continue with the Province to balance affordability with the reliable service that customers expect.

“The New Major Vessels Project will enable BC Ferries to better serve the region and province by providing greater capacity on major routes with new larger vessels and operational flexibility to address current and future demands from businesses, travellers, and residents,” shares Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

Without these new vessels, BC Ferries will continue to face escalating operational pressures, more frequent mechanical issues, and worsening capacity constraints. The busiest routes would exceed capacity on every sailing during the peak season within the next decade, leading to longer wait times, customers being turned away and more frequent mechanical disruptions. This would affect not only BC residents who rely on the ferry system for their daily commutes and essential travel, but also the livelihoods of those who rely on BC’s robust visitor economy. In fact, the additional capacity of the NMVs is projected to enable nearly 130,000 incremental tourists to travel through the region. 

"Destination BC is actively working to inspire more travelers to discover more destinations within BC – travelers who expect the provincial transportation infrastructure to support them through these journeys,” says Richard Porges, CEO, Destination British Columbia. “For our strategy to succeed, it is critical that BC Ferries have the capacity to meet rising demand and deliver reliable, enjoyable service for all.”