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In honour of BC Ferries’ 50th birthday, we present some other important numbers in the history of this passenger ferry line that connects the province’s coastal communities

By Sheri Radford

1 We’re number one! BC Ferries is North America’s largest passenger ferry line.

2 On June 15, 1960 (its first official day of sailing), BC Ferries was named the British Columbia Toll Authority Ferry System and it consisted of just two ships—the MV Tsawwassen and the MV Sidney—and two terminals—Swartz Bay on the Victoria side and Tsawwassen on the Vancouver side. The company has grown to 36 vessels and 47 ports of call.

Photo of BC Ferries vessel in Howe Sound near Vancouver by Tom Ryan, courtesy Tourism BC

16 Back in 1960, it cost $5 for a car and $2 for a passenger to ride the ferry. Those rates remained the same for the next 16 years.

24 In the past half a century, 24 babies have bounced into the world on BC Ferries vessels.

95 It takes approximately 95 minutes to travel from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island, via either the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route or the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route. The slightly longer Tsawwassen to Duke Point route clocks in at 120 minutes.

2, 100 Bigger is better: the largest ships in the fleet, the Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, measure 167 m (548 ft) long and carry 2,100 passengers and crew on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route. In comparison, the 34-m- (112-ft-) long Nimpkish carries 125 people.

185,000 BC Ferries conducts 185,000 sailings annually.

702,000,000 Each year, the company transports more than 20 million people. To date, more than 702 million passengers have travelled on BC Ferries. Just think of all the hamburgers and Captain Kids Meals.

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