October 1, 2026
BC Ferries files Performance Term 7 submission
Summary
- BC Ferries has filed its Performance Term 7 submission, containing information related to maintaining current ferry service levels from April 2028 to March 2032.
- Every four years, BC Ferries undergoes a regulatory review that determines the limits on average fare increases for the next performance term.
- Today’s filing starts that year-long process, with the preliminary price cap determination expected next spring.
Every four years, BC Ferries is required under the Coastal Ferry Act to provide the Commissioner with detailed financial, operational and planning information for the next performance term. PT7 covers April 1, 2028 to March 31, 2032. A performance term is a four-year period during which the Commissioner sets limits on how much BC Ferries can increase average regulated fares each year. These limits are known as price caps.
As required by legislation, the PT7 submission sets out BC Ferries’ forecasts for sustaining current service levels, including the expected costs of operating and maintaining the ferry system and planned investments in vessels, terminals and other infrastructure.
The submission reflects the funding and service levels in place at the time of filing, along with BC Ferries’ forecasts for operating costs and capital investments. It also incorporates actions taken to manage costs and investment requirements.
The Commissioner is expected to issue a preliminary price cap determination by March 31, 2027. The final price caps will not be known until the Commissioner issues a final determination by September 30, 2027. As part of the Commissioner’s review, a public comment period is expected to open shortly.
In parallel, BC Ferries and the Province will work to establish the next Coastal Ferry Services Contract, through which the Province sets the minimum levels of ferry service BC Ferries is required to provide and provides funding to support those services.
A public version of the Performance Term 7 submission is available here.
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