Bowen Island leads call for urgent action on ferry service: letter to BC Ferries CEO to be delivered at UBCM
Community leaders urge immediate, formal consultation framework and concrete steps to address system-wide reliability and congestion
Bowen Island, B.C. — Bowen Island Municipality announced today that Mayor Andrew Leonard, on behalf of ferry-affected communities, is presenting a letter to BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention calling for immediate action to address deteriorating service, growing congestion, and inadequate terminal infrastructure across minor routes.
The letter stems from a meeting that was held in Victoria on Sunday and attended by more than 35 leaders from ferry-affected communities. Attendees included elected officials from municipalities, regional districts, and First Nations, as well as municipal staff and representatives from chambers of commerce.
Participants reported strikingly similar challenges: unreliable ferry service and frequent vessel breakdowns; operational changes made without meaningful consultation; and terminal areas facing growing pressure due to insufficient parking, lanes, and marshalling space.
“Ferries are an essential service for our residents, this is their road home,” said Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard. “Local governments shouldn’t be left to absorb the operational and financial fallout of system-wide issues. We need BC Ferries at the table now with a formal, ongoing consultation framework that leads to real decisions and tangible improvements.”
The letter acknowledges BC Ferries’ recently released engagement plan, while noting that communities require concrete commitments, transparency in operational planning and investment priorities, and near-term actions that stabilize service and relieve congestion pressure at terminals.
“Our communities have participated in consultation exercises for years, but the system-level problems have only intensified,” Mayor Leonard added. “We’re asking for immediate, structured engagement with local governments and First Nations, backed by timelines, accountability, and action.”
This week’s gathering adds to Bowen Island’s continued advocacy. On September 23, Mayor Silas White of Gibsons and Mayor Andrew Leonard of Bowen Island met with Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth to call for greater provincial accountability to the essential service needs of ferry-dependent communities. The growing coalition of leaders represented in today’s letter reaffirms and expands that call.
Leaders emphasized that these issues are not isolated and are worsening province wide. Municipalities are increasingly forced to manage congestion and public safety impacts in terminal areas, diverting limited local resources to address problems that lie outside municipal jurisdiction.
Bowen Island Municipality will continue coordinating with peer communities following UBCM to track commitments, share data, and press for measurable progress.
For further information:
Andrew Leonard
Mayor of Bowen Island
778-897-1867
mayor@bimbc.ca