Mon. June 26 - Expect ferry cancellations all summer

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

You know how it goes.

You map out your day: When you need to arrive, what sailing to catch, what time to start driving or bussing. You get to the terminal, either proud you’re early or relieved you made it in time.

Then you find out the ferry is cancelled. Time to wait an hour or two.

It’s happened to many of us at this point, and BC Ferries says you can expect it this summer—despite over a thousand crew hires. Details below.

— Cam

🌤️ Today's weather: Mainly sunny. Light wind. High 23C (18 near water) / low 13C. Humidex 26. UV index 7 (high).

🌫️ Air quality: Low risk (2/10). No smoke expected.

NEWS

Summer gets thousands of extra ferry sailings—but hundreds may end up cancelled

As this past weekend began, BC Ferries announced the start of summer service, with a ramp-up in sailings to meet the busy season’s demand (seven million passengers are expected). But the caveat was also right there in the first line: “customers should expect some cancellations.”

President and CEO Nicolas Jimenez wrote that “we need to be prepared that not all ships will sail all of the time,” despite the addition of 4,700 extra sailings over the summer and BC Ferries’ biggest-ever hiring blitz. That push has added some 1,200 employees, including 140 new professional mariners (half of them coming from Ukraine).

“Even though we have more people,” Jimenez said, “we are short back-up staff in key positions to cover unexpected absences.”

One absence can kill a Swartz Bay sailing

“Back-up crews are particularly thin at Swartz Bay and Nanaimo,” Thursday’s announcement said, “meaning even one or two crew absences can result in a cancelled sailing.”

Staff-shortage ferry cancellations are often not so much about a lack of total BC Ferries employees as they are about the lack of the right roles in the right places at the right times. Ferries must meet a minimum threshold of skilled mariners aboard before they can sail, and there is a global shortage of skilled mariners.

A long-standing, wider issue

Older mariners are retiring and not enough younger ones are coming up the ranks. Captains and chief engineers need about 15 years of education and experience, and even catering attendants need specialized training in firefighting, survival craft proficiency, first aid, and safety.

Some former workers told Capital Daily last year that for decades BC Ferries was aware of the coming industry shortages but was over-reliant on recruitment rather than internal development. The Esquimalt naval base has had similar staffing challenges, and often competes with BC Ferries for mariners.

Last summer there were 300 cancellations, per BC Ferries, representing 0.7% of sailings or a cancellation once every 142 trips. The BC Ferries fiscal 2023 report flagged a “high level” of cancelled sailings—1.6% of the total, up from 1.2%—and 20% managerial staff turnover. BC Ferries fired its former CEO, Mark Collins, last year amid scrutiny on the number of cancellations.

To reduce the chaos of busy summer days, BC Ferries is asking passengers to travel at off-peak times, including the Saturdays of long weekends; to book in advance and arrive early; and to carpool and/or avoid parking at the terminal long-term.

Capital Bulletin

🔥 New wildfire (Friday): Whisky Lake near Nanaimo / 0.8ha / Under control / Unknown cause

🔥 New wildfire (Saturday): Lukwa Lake near Campbell River / 0.5ha / Under control / Human-caused

🎈 Vic West Fest correction: The community celebration has been moved to July 22, not June 25 as listed in the city’s summer schedule. You can volunteer here.

🧽 Victoria seeks Scrub-Up registrations from among downtown businesses for tomorrow’s 9-11am building-cleaning event in the OUR DWTN revitalization program.

NEWS

3 Victoria companies up for major BC tech awards

BC Tech, the largest member-led tech non-profit in the province, has announced the finalists in the nine categories of its 2023 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs). Locals Origen Air and VoxCell are both up for Company of the Year (Startup), while Audette is up for Gamechanger (Climate Leadership).

—Origen makes devices that purify indoor air using a combination of fully-automated machinery and a bioengineered golden pothos ivy paired together in a free-standing box.

—VoxCell is creating a new platform to screen cancer drugs, by making 3D-printed human-like tissues to test them on.

—Audette aims to decarbonize buildings—less by “walking around buildings with clipboards and digital cameras,” as its CEO puts it, and more by learning from the huge amounts of data that buildings generate and that the biggest housing companies collect.

Read more details on these companies, the awards, and other recent local tech headlines in the latest Victoria Tech Journal.

NEWS

Rockfish poaching in east Island waters continues as DFO levies $17,000 fine

Last May, near Galiano, DFO officers were told by recreational fishers on an aluminum boat that the only fish on board were in the tote on the deck. But the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says its officials then found stowed rockfish, including yelloweye rockfish (which are illegal to retain).

Now four of the people aboard have pleaded guilty to violations including making false statements ($2,000 fine) by the vessel master, and over-possession of rockfish ($3,500) and obstruction ($1,500) by the others.

Just the latest in pandemic-era poaching surge

Poaching has spiked in three Galiano-area marine reserves designed to protect rockfish. Rockfish are slow-growing, slow to mature, long-lived, and stay close to home—making them also slow to recover from overfishing. Some live to 100+, and the oldest are the best breeders, so poaching just one can affect the population long-term.

The recent illegal fishing increase has reversed the apparent success of an intensive 2014-2019 outreach and education campaign in the area, which cut the frequency of suspected illegal fishing by two-thirds. But 2020 and 2021 saw far more incidents than 2015.

Read more on possible reasons for the increase, and more about Island fish poaching, in the full story at Capital Daily.

SPONSORED BY SPROUT HEALTH

Wonderful healthcare for families

Specialized for kids and their parents. A team of experts with big hearts and big brains.

In-person, over the phone, on-call, easy to access.

This is Sprout.

Capital Picks

🎸 Sumrra at Hermann’s Upstairs: The Spanish jazz group will perform for JazzFest tonight. 8pm.

🎙️ Karaoke Idol at Paparazzi: Auditions continue today for the karaoke idol competition, 9pm-2am. The grand finale will take place July 3.

🌳 JazzFest in the park: Beacon Hill’s Cameron Bandshell hosts free concerts from the steel band Steel Magic Northwest (1–2:15pm) and Daniel Cook & The Radiators (3:30–5:20pm).

💃🏼 2023/24 subscriptions on sale now. The World’s Best Dance. Save up to $146 off regular prices. Royal Theatre Box Office: 250-386-6121 or DanceVictoria.com.*

🎥 Tramps! at the Vic Theatre: As a part of the Victoria Film Festival, this music fashion documentary about the New Romantics of the 1970s will be shown tonight, 7:30pm.

🎹 Brekky Boy at Hermann’s Jazz Club: As a part of JazzFest, pianist Taylor Davis, bassist Ryan Hurst, and drummer Alex Hirlian will perform tonight, 7pm.

🎵 Sona Jobarteh at McPherson Playhouse: The internationally acclaimed kora virtuoso will play tonight for JazzFest, 7:30pm.

 💻 Dump your lousy internet provider and upgrade to oxio—the first provider you'll actually like! Say goodbye to shifty prices, long contracts, and terrible customer service.*

*Sponsored Listing

In Other News

✏️ Foreshore policy won’t hurt Sooke homeowners, meeting hears
At last Monday’s meeting about Sooke’s new Official Community Plan draft, the 606 Water Group’s rep said the 15m foreshore buffer zone is primarily to keep hotels and major developments within the community vision. The group and city staff say the buffer will not much affect single-family homes or taxes rates, nor require permits for standard property work. [Full recap at The Westshore]

⚾ HarbourCats suffer second road sweep
Victoria (14-7) lost thrice to the Bellingham Bells over the weekend, falling to #4 in the league while the Bells claimed #1. The ‘Cats are just 3-6 on the road, but 11-1 at home. They have three road series over the next two weeks; the lone home games are rematches vs. Bellingham.

🦀🦀🐙🦀🦀🦀 Octopus fights off 5 king crabs to save eggs
A marine research team west of the Island recorded the “super octo-mom” fighting for hours. The graneledone boreopacifica’s eggs take a world-record 4.5+ years to gestate, and the guarding parent doesn’t eat. With her eggs about to hatch, this mother used the last of her strength to defend them—and likely later became the crabs’ meal herself. [CBC]

🤝 Now Hiring

Thinking of making your next career move? Let us help!

• Player Success Representative at Kano

• Comfort Advisor (Outside Sales) at Sasquatch Heat Pumps

• Tax Coordinator at Together Against Poverty Society

• Life Enrichment Coordinator at Amica Senior Lifestyles

• Client Support Technician at ISM

• Veterinary Technician at Sooke Veterinary Hospital

• Cooks at The Butchart Gardens

Looking for more openings? See 50+ jobs open now on YYJobs.

Hiring? Post your job to have it featured here, and fill your opening fast!

In Case You Missed It

🗳️ NDP wins Langford byelection: Ravi Parmar will be the region’s newest MLA, winning with 53% in a huge riding that is set to be split up next fall. The Greens held steady, the Conservatives rose, and United collapsed. [Capital Daily]

🥯 Guido’s Caffe has shut down in Esquimalt, and a Filipino restaurant will take the Caffe’s place on Grenville in one week. But Tasting Victoria has collected 4 other local places to get Italian food.

🥑 This is the place: The Root Cellar at Oxford Corner in Cook Street Village—your innovative destination market for fresh locally grown produce and extraordinary food experiences. Learn more at TheRootCellar.ca.*

🚓 Ricky’s Grill fire was arson, police say: VicPD seeks dashcam footage from June 16, 2:30 to 3:15am, from around Douglas and Burnside.

*Sponsored Listing