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Take it to the people who can act

The data only matters if it reaches someone with power to change it. Here are two pre-written, sourced messages — to the regulator and to your MLA — ready in one click.

84%
on-time (FY2025)
below their 86% target, 4 yrs running
2,809
cancellations in 2025
≈3× the 952 in 2017
+3.2%
fares, every year
through 2028

The case, in their own numbers. Each letter below cites these. Sources: BC Ferries FY2024-25 Performance & Sustainability Report; CBC analysis.

1. The regulator — BC Ferries Commissioner

The Commissioner oversees BC Ferries’ fares and service contract and invites public input on the system. This opens a pre-written email to info@bcferrycommission.ca citing the data — review it, add your name and route, and send.

To the BC Ferries Commissioner, I am writing to share public input on the reliability and affordability of BC's coastal ferry system. BC Ferries' own fiscal 2025 reporting shows reliability moving the wrong way: on-time performance was 84%, below the 86% target and the fourth straight year that target was missed. Technical Availability — sailings not cancelled for reasons within BC Ferries' control — slipped to 99.34% from 99.65% the year before. System-wide cancellations have nearly tripled, from 952 in 2017 to 2,809 in 2025, and on Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay roughly 6% of sailings were cancelled, driven by mechanical failures on an aging fleet. Over the same period, fares are rising 3.2% per year through 2028 under the approved price cap. Riders are paying more for less reliable service. I ask the Commissioner to weigh this declining reliability against the approved fare increases, and to strengthen the performance and accountability terms BC Ferries operates under. Riders have already documented 1 operator-caused disruption claim through ferrywatch.ca. These figures and a growing public record of specific operator-caused disruptions are documented at ferrywatch.ca. [Your name] [Your community / the route you depend on]

2. Your MLA

Ferry-dependent ridings are organized and vocal — your MLA can raise this in the Legislature. Find yours, then send them this.

Find your MLA →
Dear [your MLA], As your constituent and a BC Ferries user, I'm asking you to press for real accountability on ferry reliability. By BC Ferries' own fiscal 2025 numbers: on-time performance was 84% (below their 86% target, missed four years running), Technical Availability fell to 99.34%, and system-wide cancellations have nearly tripled since 2017 (952 to 2,809). Meanwhile fares are rising 3.2% per year through 2028. For ferry-dependent communities this isn't an inconvenience — it's missed work, missed medical appointments, and missed connections. I'd like to know what you will do to hold BC Ferries and its regulator accountable for service reliability, not just fares. Riders have already documented 1 operator-caused disruption claim through ferrywatch.ca. A public record of the failures is at ferrywatch.ca. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address, so they know you're a constituent]

Commissioner — other channels

Note: for an individual unresolved refund, the Commissioner runs a formal appeal process after you’ve gone through BC Ferries’ own complaint process (start with the claim tool). The letters above are systemic input on reliability and fares, which the Commissioner explicitly invites.