Smaller B.C. Ferries vessel on north Vancouver Island route prompts local residents’ anger

British ColumbiaʼNamgis First Nation elected Coun. Ernest Alfred says the temporary vessel, the Quadra Queen II, is too small to accommodate Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Sointula — small, intertwined communities about a five-hour drive north of Victoria. B.C. Ferries says vessel change is needed and only temporary as other vessels are being repairedMaryse Zeidler · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2025 8:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The Quadra Queen II is a smaller vessel that is currently serving the north Vancouver Island route of Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Sointula. (B.C. Ferries)The temporary use of a smaller vessel for a B.C. Ferries route that serves north Vancouver Island is causing a flood of frustrated travellers who say the service has become undependable.ʼNamgis First Nation elected Coun. Ernest Alfred says the temporary vessel, the Quadra Queen II, is too small to accommodate Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Sointula — small, intertwined communities more than 360 kilometres of Victoria. “People are really frustrated,” Alfred said. “We’ve seen tensions rise and folks are getting upset.”In mid-October, B.C. Ferries swapped the regular vessel servicing that route, the Island Aurora, for the smaller Quadra Queen II in order to accommodate other routes that have vessels currently being repaired or renovated.The Quadra Queen II has room for 26 vehicles compared to the Island Aurora’s 47, and less than half the overall capacity for passengers and crew.Unlike major B.C. Ferries routes, this smaller one does not feature a reservation system. Alfred says a lot of people live on one part of the route and work on another, or use the ferry to get to medical and other essential appointments. Local leaders say B.C. Ferries has ignored their concerns and made the change without ever consulting residents in the area. Read more stories from Vancouver IslandLimited options: B.C. FerriesBut B.C. Ferries says its hands are tied, and the change is only temporary until new vessels are deployed to serve the other Vancouver Island routes. The Crown corporation says there are system-wide constraints during refit season, and the Island Aurora is the only vessel that can safely operate on the routes where vessels are being refit or repaired. It says the north Vancouver Island route is the only one where the Quadra Queen II can safely operate. “We know this doesn’t make the situation any easier for the communities that rely on this route every day,” a B.C. Ferries spokesperson said in a written statement. The Island Aurora is the vessel that usually serves the Port McNeill-Alert Bay-Sointula route. (B.C. Ferries)“The fall and winter refit period stretches the fleet, and we don’t yet have the vessel resilience needed to keep [island-class] vessels in place on all routes year-round.”B.C. Ferries added that this is the last year this route will face this kind of disruption, because its new island-class vessels will offer a dedicated relief vessel and the Aurora could therefore remain on its regular route.’I’m so exasperated’That news is cold comfort for commuters.Youth worker Emily Garriott works in Alert Bay, and says several times in the past month she’s had to leave her vehicle behind and get on the ferry as a walk-on passenger — despite needing her vehicle for her job. “I’m so exasperated,” Garriott said, standing at the ferry terminal in Port McNeill. “It’s just a clear disrespect to isolated northern communities. We have jobs. We have lives.”Garriott says she’s had to get used to the ferry routinely being 40 to 60 minutes late.’We don’t really get heard’B.C. Ferries says the Island Aurora is currently serving the Campbell River-Quadra Island route, around 140 kilometres southeast of Port McNeill.But many locals in the north island say that route is already well serviced with two vessels that go back and forth. Alfred and others say they would like to swap the Quadra Queen II for one of the larger vessels serving Campbell River and Quadra Island. WATCH | Traffic chaos at Gabriola Island B.C. Ferries terminal:Traffic chaos at B.C. Ferries terminal prompts call for village trail extension on Gabriola IslandTraffic chaos at the ferry terminal on Gabriola Island has brought safety issues to a head, prompting calls for a new trail for pedestrians and cyclists by the terminal. As Claire Palmer explains, residents say the narrow roads around the terminal, with non-existent shoulders, are dangerous.Alfred and Port McNeill Mayor James Furney say their suggestions to B.C. Ferries have fallen on deaf ears.”We holler as loud as we can, but we don’t really get heard,” Furney said.Furney says the ferry is essential, not just for tourism and people travelling for work, but also for social gatherings. Fall is peak potlatch season for Indigenous communities, and the winter holidays are coming up. B.C. Ferries says the Campbell River to Quadra Island route has about three times as much traffic as the ferry out of Port McNeill. The transportation provider says it understands people are frustrated, and it’s trying to be as clear as possible about what can and cannot be changed during refit season.ABOUT THE AUTHORMaryse Zeidler is an award-winning reporter who covers news from Nanaimo and north Vancouver Island. Have a news tip? You can reach her at maryse.zeidler@cbc.ca.With files from CHEK News