Masks, Money and new Board members, including one from Prince Rupert make for busy news days for BC Ferries

BC Ferries Terminal In Prince Rupert

There were no delays in relaying a stream of information from BC Ferries today, with the marine transportation provider outlining a number of announcements over the last few days related to operations.

The first an important one for passengers with BC Ferries announcing that as of Monday, August 24th all passengers will be required to wear non-medical masks or face coverings while travelling on BC Ferries vessels.

All walk-on and vehicle passengers will be required to wear face coverings at all times when at a BC Ferries terminal or on a BC Ferries ship, with the exception being if a customer is inside a vehicle or consuming food or drinks while maintaining physical distance. 

Also exempt are customers with an underlying medical condition or disability that inhibits the ability to wear a face covering, those who are unable to place or remove a face covering without assistance, and children under two years of age. 

This requirement also applies to BC Ferries employees, except those working behind a physical barrier or within employee only areas while maintaining appropriate physical distance.

In their statement today, which you can review here, BC Ferries also notes that they will not tolerate any abuse of its workers as the new measure goes into effect.

“We understand that many customers are anxious about COVID-19 and our employees are doing great work to accommodate customers during this time. I want to remind customers that we do not tolerate any form of abuse, including verbal abuse, towards our employees. Failure to follow direction and abuse of any kind will result in denial of travel.” -- BC Ferries President and CEO Mark Collins

On the financial front, the COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a significant blow to any financial predictions of earlier this  year, with the first quarter numbers providing a stark image of the financial hit that the Ferry Service has taken up to June 30th.

BC Ferries released its first quarter results today for the three months ended June 30, 2020. 

The COVID-19 global pandemic had a significant impact on first quarter results. Net losses for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 were $62 million, compared to net earnings of $12.2 million for the same quarter of the previous year. 

Revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, at $137.4 million, was down $109 million yearover-year. This impact to earnings was partially offset by reductions in operating expenses of $36.7 million compared to the same quarter of the prior year.

In response to COVID-19, BC Ferries deferred capital expenditures and has, and will continue to, reduce discretionary spending while operating a sustainable, safe and reliable service. The company also worked with the Province to reduce sailings to match the significant drop in traffic.

There is some positive news however for BC Ferries as the end of summer arrives, passenger volumes have increased as capacity has been allowed to increase, with the most recent data indicating that there has been a recovery from the early drops of 90 percent, with travel now estimated to be down by 35 percent from last years totals. 

As we noted earlier this month, BC Ferries has now been included as part of the Federal government's relief package for transit providers.

The full financial overview can be examined here.

Photo from PR rotary event

As for the newest members of the BC Ferry Authority, a familiar name around Prince Rupert will take a seat around the Board table, with Michael Pucci appointed to the Board. 

Mr. Pucci is currently the Superintendent of Compliance and Administration for DP World Canada in Prince Rupert and has a resume of note in other ventures on the North Coast. 

He also brings some marine worker experience with him, having once sailed as part of the Northern Fleet for BC Ferries.

Mr. Pucci joins Mr. Eric Denhoff and Ms. Shona Moore as part of the board of twelve, their appointments took effect as of August 14th.

Click to enlarge

All of the announcements came at the conclusion of the 2020 Annual Public meeting for BC Ferries, the gathering a mix that featured in person and virtual participation, the event taking place from the Grand Pacific Hotel in Victoria.

For more items of note on BC Ferries see our archive page here.