Vesuvius Bay terminal

Terminal development plan for Salt Sprint Island (Vesuvius Bay)

Background

Vesuvius Bay terminal is located on the northwest coast of Salt Spring Island. This terminal provides service to Crofton on Vancouver Island, via a 25 minute ferry crossing on the Quinitsa. The Quinitsa has a vehicle capacity of 44 AEQ* (automobile equivalent) and can carry 300 passengers and crew; it is equipped with accessible car deck lounges and accessible washrooms and provides daily service year round. By 2022, the Quinsam will replace the Quinitsa, providing 63 AEQ and carrying 400 passengers and crew. This terminal is an important link between Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island for residents and visitors alike.

After hearing customers' concerns on this route with overloads that affected their travel experience, BC Ferries met with Salt Spring community members in August to explore solutions for improvement. In September, we announced that as a result, we will deploy the Bowen Queen (61 Automobile Equivalent – AEQ) on the route during peak seasons until the MV Quinsam (63 AEQ) is brought into service in a few years time. In 2020, the Bowen Queen will service the route between April and October.
 

Terminal development plan

In February 2019, our Terminal Development team along with key staff from various departments at BC Ferries began the process of creating a Terminal Development Plan for the Vesuvius Bay terminal. The Terminal Development Plan is a long-term plan and vision for the terminal and involves identification of key issues and opportunities, conceptual options, identification of preferred concepts and the development of an implementation schedule for future terminal upgrades.
 

Engaging with the Community

Fall Engagement Complete!

On November 7, 2019 we began engagement on the draft concepts, presenting two draft terminal concepts to key stakeholders and the Ferry Advisory Committee for input and feedback, followed by an online survey from November 7 to 22. The concepts incorporate feedback we heard from key groups and partners in the Spring of 2019, including government stakeholders, the Ferry Advisory Committee, the community the Salt Spring Island Harbour Authority while also addressing improvements for our operational and infrastructure requirements.

We were pleased with the participation in the online survey, which provided significant and meaningful feedback on the concepts that set out possible future improvements at the Vesuvius Bay terminal.

> Press release (September, 2019)
 

What's next

Your input will help inform the preferred design that will be included in the Terminal Development Plan (TDP). We expect to complete the TDP by Spring 2020 and once approved, the TDP and final preferred design will be posted here for your review.


If you have any questions, want to provide feedback, or require further information about the terminal development engagement process, contact tdpinfo@bcferries.com or write to us at British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Terminal Development, Suite 500 - 1321 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 0B7. Your email, address information and any other information about you is being collected under section 26 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the terminal development engagement process. If you have any questions about the collection of your information, contact the Manager, Terminal Development by calling 250-978-1479, or write to us at this email or at the address above.

* Automobile Equivalent (AEQ), a measure of 6.1 m in length by 2.6 m in width, is used to determine a vessel’s vehicle capacity.