When we think of the provincial highway system, long ribbons of single or double-lane tarmac come to mind with breathtaking vistas around every corner. Okay, the vistas may not be around every corner, nor breathtaking, but you get the picture.
We probably don’t think of large marine vessels as part of the highway system, but in British Columbia, they certainly are, and they’re a part of the highway network that I enjoy immensely. BC Ferry Services Inc. is one of the world’s largest ferry operators, providing year-round transportation on Canada’s West Coast.
The system consists of 36 vessels and 47 terminals, moving 20 million passengers and 8 million vehicles per year. One of those 8 million vehicles is mine. I rely upon the ferry system to get me to vacation destinations on the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Once there, my driving is limited to quaint island roads with nary a traffic light anywhere.
I’m approximately 30 minutes from the terminal and the ferry ride to the Gulf Islands takes around 90 minutes depending on which island one wishes to disembark on. The larger ferries, such as those servicing the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, have restaurants, cafes, gift shops and such on-board. Ferries servicing BC’s North Coast even have private cabins for overnight trips.
The most recent ferries added to the fleet are the Super C-Class vessels that ply the waters between Vancouver and Victoria. These two ships – the Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Inspiration – are the world’s largest double-ended ferries. They were built in Germany, arriving here in 2008, and can each carry 370 cars and 1,600 passengers.
Breathtaking vistas may not exist around every corner of tarmac, but they accompany every nautical mile sailed on the provincial highway system rather than driven. There’s no sense fighting a congested freeway to get out of town when you can sail the open seas, taking in breathtaking vistas rather than choking emissions.
Further information on BC Ferries can be found at www.bcferries.com.
We probably don’t think of large marine vessels as part of the highway system, but in British Columbia, they certainly are, and they’re a part of the highway network that I enjoy immensely. BC Ferry Services Inc. is one of the world’s largest ferry operators, providing year-round transportation on Canada’s West Coast.
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| Photo: BC Ferry Inc. |
The system consists of 36 vessels and 47 terminals, moving 20 million passengers and 8 million vehicles per year. One of those 8 million vehicles is mine. I rely upon the ferry system to get me to vacation destinations on the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Once there, my driving is limited to quaint island roads with nary a traffic light anywhere.
I’m approximately 30 minutes from the terminal and the ferry ride to the Gulf Islands takes around 90 minutes depending on which island one wishes to disembark on. The larger ferries, such as those servicing the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, have restaurants, cafes, gift shops and such on-board. Ferries servicing BC’s North Coast even have private cabins for overnight trips.
The most recent ferries added to the fleet are the Super C-Class vessels that ply the waters between Vancouver and Victoria. These two ships – the Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Inspiration – are the world’s largest double-ended ferries. They were built in Germany, arriving here in 2008, and can each carry 370 cars and 1,600 passengers.
Breathtaking vistas may not exist around every corner of tarmac, but they accompany every nautical mile sailed on the provincial highway system rather than driven. There’s no sense fighting a congested freeway to get out of town when you can sail the open seas, taking in breathtaking vistas rather than choking emissions.
Further information on BC Ferries can be found at www.bcferries.com.