Issued on: Thursday, December 11, 2025

Temporary Vessel Replacement
Victoria (Swartz Bay) - Southern Gulf Islands
January 3 – February 20, 2026

The Salish Heron will provide service on our Victoria (Swartz Bay) – Southern Gulf Islands route from Saturday, January 3, to Friday, February 20, while the Queen of Cumberland completes its annual refit.

The Queen of Cumberland will undergo phased safety improvements effective immediately through the refit period, when its deployable vehicle ramps will be permanently removed. While the vessel remains safe to operate, due to recent challenges with safely and reliably operating the ramps on the Queen of Cumberland, we will reduce the maximum number of vehicles on each ramp from 18 to 10 effective immediately. This precautionary measure will help maintain safe, dependable service until the vessel’s scheduled refit, when the ramps will be permanently removed.

The Salish Heron accommodates approximately 44 more vehicles than the Queen of Cumberland, and passenger amenities include the Coastal Café, Passages Gift Shop, comfortable lounge seating with panoramic views, spacious outdoor seating on an open sundeck, a pet area, elevators, and upper and lower vehicle decks. Further details can be found by visiting our website here.

For up-to-date sailing and departure information, visit bcferries.com, follow @BCFerries on X or phone 1-888-223-3779 for further assistance.

Terminal Life Extension Project
Otter Bay (Pender Island)
December 1, 2025 - March 27, 2026

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the safe operation of our terminal facilities, necessary work to extend the life of the Otter Bay terminal berth will begin December 1 and is expected to be complete by the end of March 2026.

Construction activities will generally occur around scheduled sailings, between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. Night work will be required, at times, to complete key activities during favourable tidal conditions. Dates for this work will be communicated in advance.

Equipment used may generate moderate noise levels around the terminal, however, every effort will be made to minimize disturbance for nearby residents.

To complete this work, a five-day full berth closure will be required, and regular service to Otter Bay will be suspended from Friday, March 6, through Tuesday, March 10. We will provide water-taxi service during this closure with free parking available at both Otter Bay and Swartz Bay, and terminal assistance at both locations. More information can be found on the project page.

Additionally, minor schedule adjustments will be made to reduce congestion at other Southern Gulf Island terminals during the Village Bay, and Otter Bay berth closures; however, sailings will not depart earlier than scheduled. The schedule for this route can be viewed here. 

Thank you to our customers and neighbours for your patience and understanding as we work to complete this terminal project.

For up-to-date sailing and departure information, check Current Conditions, follow @BCFerries on X or phone 1-888-223-3779 for further assistance.

Berth Closure and Revised Schedule
Village Bay (Mayne Island)
January 5 – March 1, 2026

As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining the safe operation of our terminal facilities, essential life-extension work on Berth 1 at the Village Bay terminal will begin in early January and is expected to be completed by the end of April 2026. To facilitate this work, Berth 1 will be closed from January 5 to Sunday, March 1.

During the berth closure, Berth 2 will remain open to support Southern Gulf Island sailings, and a revised schedule will be in effect to help minimize berth congestion at Village Bay. The revised schedule for this route can be viewed here.

Construction activities will generally occur between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. Night work will be required at times to complete critical activities during favourable tidal conditions, and the exact dates for this work will be communicated in advance.

Equipment used may generate moderate noise levels around the terminal; however, every effort will be made to minimize any disturbance to nearby residents.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we conduct this necessary work.

For up-to-date sailing and departure information, check Current Conditions, follow @BCFerries on X or phone 1-888-223-3779 for further assistance.

Temporary Waiting Room
Long Harbour (Salt Spring Island)
October 14 to February 1, 2026

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the safe operation of our terminal facilities, necessary maintenance work at the Long Harbour terminal foot passenger waiting room will begin October 14, 2025. The project is expected to be completed by the end of January.

Foot passengers will use a temporary waiting room, including accessible washrooms, set up near the existing terminal. Additional signage will guide travellers to the appropriate area. BC Ferries terminal staff will also be on hand as needed throughout the project to assist both vehicle and foot passengers, ensuring the smooth operation of the terminal and the safety of our customers.

Construction activities will take place between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm with no planned night work. The project will involve equipment that may generate moderate sound levels near the terminal. Every effort will be made to minimize noise for local neighbours, however.

We do not anticipate an impact to vehicle traffic, while all sailings are expected to depart as scheduled.

We thank our customers and neighbours for their patience and understanding as we complete this necessary project.

For up-to-date sailing and departure information, check Current Conditions, follow @BCFerries on X or phone 1-888-223-3779 for further assistance.