20-035
July 8, 2020
BC Ferries enhances customer service and reopens many terminal and onboard amenities
VICTORIA – BC Ferries is carefully reopening additional terminal and onboard amenities across the fleet. Expanded offerings include a limited menu at the Coastal Café and Arbutus Coffee Bar, reopening of some Passages onboard store locations and the Lands End building at Swartz Bay.Customers can now enjoy packaged food items and limited hot food services on select routes between Vancouver Island , Metro Vancouver, Southern Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast and North Coast. All hot food will be served in packaging for customers to take to their vehicles, outerdeck or limited cafeteria seating. Packaged food items and limited hot food services are now available on the following routes:
- Victoria (Swartz Bay) – Southern Gulf Islands
- Metro Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Southern Gulf Islands
- Metro Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Bowen Island (Snug Cove)
- Powell River (Westview) – Comox (Little River)
- Sunshine Coast (Earls Cove) – Powell River (Saltery Bay)
- Vancouver Island (Port Hardy) – North Coast (Prince Rupert)
- North Coast (Prince Rupert) – Haida Gwaii (Skidegate)
On July 10, the company will reopen Passages onboard store on the Spirit of British Columbia and Spirit of Vancouver Island, travelling between Victoria (Swartz Bay) and Metro Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and the Queen of Cowichan and Queen of Oak Bay, travelling between Nanaimo (Departure Bay) and Metro Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay).
BC Ferries has also reopened the Lands End Café located at Swartz Bay terminal with limited food services. Customers travelling through this terminal can enjoy Bread Garden sandwiches, brewed coffee and tea, beverages, packaged pastries, cold cereal, yogurt and fruit cups.
Last month, the company resumed limited food services on the three major routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, as well as Metro Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. The Tsawwassen Quay Market at Tsawwassen terminal and Nanaimo Quay Market at Departure Bay terminal also re-opened in June.
To ensure the health and safety of its customers and employees, the company will strictly adhere to provincial and federal guidelines during this reopening phase. BC Ferries is ensuring the safety of passengers and crew by supporting physical distancing in food service areas, enhancing cleaning and sanitization efforts and reducing the number of touch points.
For those choosing to travel, BC Ferries encourages responsible behaviour while on board, including maintaining physical distance from other passengers, remaining in vehicles when possible and limiting movement around the vessel. This includes Transport Canada’s requirement for possessing a face covering and wearing it when they cannot maintain an appropriate physical distance of two metres.
As this situation is rapidly evolving, BC Ferries encourages customers to monitor the website for any additional changes to service. For full details on service changes and the measures BC Ferries is taking in response to COVID-19, visit bcferries.com.
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BC Ferries, Media Relations
Victoria: (250) 978-1267
Customer Contact:
Victoria: (250) 386-3431
Toll-free: 1-888-BCFERRY (1-888-223-3779)
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