Conservatives vow to restore BC Ferries' onboard Wi-Fi, set new service standards | Daily Hive

Lorne Doerkson's Conservatives promise to restore BC Ferries' onboard Wi-Fi and set new service standards

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The Conservative Party of British Columbia is promising the introduction of reliable high-speed Wi-Fi onboard the vessels of major ferry routes and the creation of new standards for BC Ferries’ service.

Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson announced these proposals this past weekend, just two weeks before the provincial general election’s voting day on Saturday, Oct. 24. Advance voting in this provincial election will take place from Friday, Oct. 16 to Wednesday, Oct. 21, which overlaps with the municipal elections across B.C. on Saturday, Oct. 17.

If elected, the Conservatives would introduce a new BC Ferries Charter outlining expectations for how consistently ferries operate — on-time performance and reliability, available space, affordable travel costs, and customer service. The party notes that the ferry company’s leadership would be held responsible for meeting those expectations.

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The Conservatives also propose cutting what they describe as duplication at the BC Ferries board level, arguing this would direct more resources towards ferry service and reduce spending on administration. However, they did not identify specific board changes, measurable service targets, or consequences for failing to meet the proposed standards.

“For families on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Gulf Islands, the ferry is a lifeline, and the NDP has let it fall apart,” said Ryan Windsor, the Conservative candidate for Saanich North and the Islands.

“People rely on BC Ferries, and they deserve sailings that leave on time, have room for them and let them stay connected on board.”

A Conservative government would also negotiate with the federal government for what the party considers a fairer share of federal ferry funding.

This particular pledge comes amid longstanding calls for greater federal government support for BC Ferries. According to Transport Canada, B.C. received approximately $36.9 million through its annual ferry grant in 2024-2025, while $65 million went to operators of three interprovincial ferry routes in Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec. The federal government also funded capital investments for those eastern services and provided separate support to Marine Atlantic. B.C’s annual grant is governed by a 1977 federal-provincial agreement.

“Coastal British Columbians have waited long enough. A Conservative government will deliver the reliable, accountable ferry service they have been promised for years,” said Doerkson.

The party’s free Wi-Fi promise would cover major routes and terminals, with private companies competing for contracts to provide the service using satellite or cellular connections. Providers would have to meet performance requirements.

BC Ferries discontinued onboard Wi-Fi in 2021 on major routes linking Metro Vancouver with Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, with such routes served by the entire fleet’s largest vessels carrying a capacity of up to 2,100 passengers and crew.

When BC Ferries discontinued onboard Wi-Fi for passengers, it cited unreliable connections, increasing usage, and the cost of upgrading the system. The free service first launched in 2010, initially serving about 40 to 50 users per vessel at a time. By 2021, usage had grown to approximately 900 users on its largest vessels, which the company said had strained the ship-to-shore wireless system and reduced the quality and reliability of connections.

While onboard Wi-Fi was discontinued, free Wi-Fi at ferry terminals was retained and subsequently expanded, reaching 21 terminals in 2022.

For years, Hullo Ferries — the 2023-launched privately-operated, high-speed passenger ferry service between Downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo — has been offering free fast, streaming-capable onboard Wi-Fi using Viasat’s Ka-band satellite network, which is designed to provide a high-quality connection in hard-to-reach and remote areas. Viasat’s technology is also used for in-flight connectivity for several major commercial airlines. Each Hullo Ferries vessel accommodates up to 354 passengers.

In 2024, BC Ferries began testing satellite-based onboard Wi-Fi on a very limited basis for crew only, using Elon Musk’s Starlink network.

The Conservatives assert restoring onboard Wi-Fi service that is also fast and reliable would bring no additional burden on fares or taxpayers, although its announcement does not explain how it would be paid for.

Without onboard Wi-Fi, passengers lose all internet access during stretches of a sailing where cellular coverage is weak or unavailable, particularly in remote coastal areas and in the middle of the Strait of Georgia.

The Conservatives’ promise to restore onboard Wi-Fi comes nearly a year after B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal dismissed a claim by a woman who said the lack of internet access prevented her from working during ferry crossings. She alleged $15,840 in lost work time, calculated using an hourly rate of $96 and two trips per month over 33 months. Her overall claim, which also included losses linked to ferry delays and her farm business, was reduced to $5,000 to fit within the tribunal’s monetary limit. In its November 2025 ruling, the tribunal found she had not established any legal requirement for BC Ferries to provide Wi-Fi and dismissed all of her claims.

The Conservative proposals follow BC NDP leader David Eby’s platform announcement of creating a new priority reservation pilot project for residents who depend on two select routes: Horseshoe Bay-Langdale (Metro Vancouver-Sunshine Coast) and Westview-Little River routes (Powell River-Comox).

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