September 10, 2026

Ferry Advisory Committee calls for stronger Route 3 service and long-term planning

Gibsons, BC – The Town of Gibsons Ferry Advisory Committee has published its 2026 Annual Community Position Paper on Route 3, outlining six priority areas for BC Ferries, the Province of British Columbia and the BC Ferry Authority to consider as decisions are made about the future of the Horseshoe Bay–Langdale route.

The paper comes at an important time for the route. BC Ferries is preparing its next Performance Term 7 (PT7) submission, which will shape future service levels, fleet planning and terminal investments. The Committee is asking BC Ferries, the BC Ferry Authority and the Province to work with the community before those decisions are finalized.

“As the largest ferry-dependent community in BC, especially when you take into consideration integral connection for Powell River, the Sunshine Coast is at the epicentre of BC Ferries service,” says Mayor Silas White. “And yet, we are relegated to an afterthought when it comes to essential service designation, capital planning and communications strategies. This community-led position paper advances an argument that our route deserves dedicated attention and investment to at least the degree of other communities in the province.” 

The Committee was established by Gibsons Council in spring 2026 following the decision by BC Ferries to discontinue its traditional Ferry Advisory Committee model without putting a new community engagement structure in place. It brings together representatives from local governments, Sunshine Coast Tourism and the Sunshine Coast Chamber of Commerce, with the goal of advocating for the needs of the entire Sunshine Coast.

The Committee’s position paper identifies six priorities for Route 3:

  • Increase minimum service requirements: Increase the contractual minimum to at least 3,300 round trips annually, reflecting the level of service already being delivered and the needs of a growing community.
  • Improve the reservations system: Increase transparency and explore options that better reflect the travel patterns of frequent users.
  • Provide hourly service and update fleet: Move toward two purpose-built, 250-AEQ hybrid ferries providing hourly service and greater reliability and redundancy.
  • Maintain reserve vessel capacity: Retain sufficient reserve capacity during fleet renewal to reduce the risk of major service interruptions.
  • Restore Langdale Terminal Redevelopment as a capital priority: Address pedestrian accessibility, terminal circulation, transit, parking and planning for full-capacity use of both berths.
  • Improve customer communications: Provide more timely, clear and actionable information during both routine operations and service disruptions, ensuring travellers have the information they need to make informed decisions.

The need for action is clear. In 2025, 30.6 per cent of Route 3 sailings were overloaded, while the route’s minimum annual service requirement has increased only 3.4 per cent since 2003. Over the same period, the population served by the route grew by approximately 30 per cent and the Sunshine Coast tourism economy grew by approximately 230 per cent.

In 2025, BC Ferries operated 3,304 round trips on Route 3, compared with the current contractual minimum of 3,085. The Committee’s position is that the minimum requirement should now be brought into line with the level of service the community already depends on.

The paper also responds to the BC Ferry Commission’s January 2026 Probe into Route 3, which recognized that the route is unusual within the BC Ferries system and recommended that the community, BC Ferries, the BC Ferry Authority and government work together to find a “creative solution.”

The Committee believes that conversation needs to happen now.

“For years now, Route 3 has been recognized as an anomaly within the ferry system. We know the current approach isn’t working, and what we need now is the ‘creative solution’ recommended by the Ferry Commission,” says Ferry Advisory Committee member Grace Carter. “With this position paper, the Advisory Committee is calling on BC Ferries, the Ferry Authority and government to come to the table, align around the needs of Route 3 users, and turn these recommendations into action.”

The 2026 Annual Community Position Paper is intended to provide a clear starting point for that conversation and to ensure the needs of Sunshine Coast residents, businesses and visitors are considered as future service, fleet and terminal decisions are made.

Read the 2026 Annual Community Position Paper on Route 3.