Leave your comments and feedback about ferry-related issues here, or send us an email at gabriola.fac@gmail.com. Comments and suggestions should be concise and constructive, and where appropriate will be forwarded to BC Ferries for consideration. We reserve the right to edit lengthy responses. Comments containing abusive language will not be approved.
Gabriola Island Ferry Advisory Committee 
My son attends soccer practice in Nanaimo 3 days a week after going to high school. His practice is over at 5:50 which means he can catch the 6:15 ferry back to Gabriola, and be home before 7pm. On April 26, 2023 instead of being home before 7pm, he was not home until 10pm due to ferry mechanical problems. He needs to be up at 5:30am to get to the bus on time, and so not getting home until 10pm is extremely upsetting to his schedule.
Since the two ferry system replaced the Quinsam, it is now a regular occurance with BC Ferries that ferries are short staffed, missing a captain, or there is some kind of equipment failure resulting in a schedule that is far more inconvenient than the Quinsam ever was. I have lived on Gabriola for over 30 years, and in my opinion replacing the Quinsam with these two ferries was a huge mistake. When both ferries are running it is an improvement, but the frequency of problems is too high to be acceptable. Some situations result in no ferry service. This is not only an inconvenience, it is a major safety risk.
Thank you,
Amanda Fleming
Last month was loaded on the upstairs outside lane. The ferry was overload I was told to park after the yellow arrow line onto the diagonal lines close to the front. Getting off the maneuver was too close to exit around, my passenger mirror tore off and my rt rear tire blew. I had to call bcaa in the Nanaimo marina cost was 300 for the mirror and 250 for a new tire. I understand the need to pack us on when one ferry is down but not ignoring safety. That upstairs ramp is frought at the best of times .No it isn’t my driving another friend 2 wks later experienced the same thing in the exact same place and now has a big dent scrape on the passenger side of his car.