BC Ferries plans major upgrades to Horseshoe Bay and Langdale terminals in service proposal for 2028-32
BC Ferries has submitted its proposed four-year plan to the BC Ferry Commission, which includes terminal upgrades on the Sunshine Coast route and new vessel deployments.
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BC Ferries has filed a four-year service proposal with the BC Ferry Commission that includes major terminal upgrades on the Sunshine Coast route and a plan to bring larger vessels to that service after next-generation ferries arrive on other routes first. The Coast Reporter reported on the submission on Nov. 1.
The proposal, called the Performance Term 7 submission, covers the 2028-32 period. BC Ferries identifies the Horseshoe Bay and Langdale terminals as part of a major infrastructure renewal program. The company says work is needed as facilities age and as it prepares for future vessel deployments.
What the plan says about vessels
BC Ferries' new Summit Class vessels, which the company says feature hybrid-electric propulsion and greater passenger and vehicle capacity, are expected to enter service on other major routes first. In a later phase, BC Ferries plans to redeploy existing Coastal Class vessels to Route 3, the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale crossing, which would require compatible berth infrastructure at both terminals.
The route's finances
Route 3 continues to run at a loss. According to BC Ferries' submission, the route generated $67.6 million in operating revenue in 2026 and incurred $79.2 million in operating expenses. BC Ferries says the route is projected to remain in deficit at the start of the PT7 period even after government funding and regulatory mechanisms are applied.
BC Ferries also noted the unusual importance of the service to the communities it connects. "Island communities and the Sunshine Coast depend on transportation from mainland Greater Vancouver for deliveries of food, building materials, pharmaceuticals, and other essential supplies and products," the submission says. Higher ferry fares, BC Ferries added, can push up the cost of goods in those communities, not just the direct cost of travel.
What comes next
The BC Ferry Commission is now reviewing the submission. The commissioner's office is accepting public comments until Feb. 28. The information in the submission and the comments it receives will be used to set the price cap for 2028-32, the maximum average annual fare increase BC Ferries is permitted to charge during the four-year period.
Residents who rely on the Sunshine Coast or other BC Ferries routes can submit comments to the BC Ferry Commission before Feb. 28 to influence the fare cap that will govern the 2028-32 period.
Questions this story answers
What is BC Ferries proposing for the 2028-32 period?
BC Ferries has submitted its Performance Term 7 proposal to the BC Ferry Commission. The plan includes major infrastructure renewal at the Horseshoe Bay and Langdale terminals, which the company says need work as facilities age and as it prepares for new vessel deployments. BC Ferries also plans to bring its new Summit Class vessels to other major routes first, then redeploy existing Coastal Class vessels to Route 3, the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale service.
How is the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route performing financially?
According to BC Ferries' submission, Route 3 generated $67.6 million in operating revenue in 2026 and incurred $79.2 million in operating expenses, a gap of $11.6 million. BC Ferries says the route is projected to remain in deficit at the start of the 2028-32 period even after government funding and other regulatory mechanisms are applied.
What are the Summit Class vessels?
Summit Class vessels are BC Ferries' next generation of major-route ferries. According to BC Ferries' submission to the BC Ferry Commission, they feature hybrid-electric propulsion and greater passenger and vehicle capacity than some of the vessels they will replace. BC Ferries says they are expected to enter service on other major routes before Coastal Class vessels are redeployed to Route 3.
When will the upgrades at Langdale and Horseshoe Bay happen?
BC Ferries' submission covers the 2028-32 Performance Term 7 period. The terminal work at Horseshoe Bay and Langdale is planned within that period to prepare for the arrival of larger Coastal Class vessels on Route 3. The BC Ferry Commission is now reviewing the submission and will set the price cap for those four years.
How do BC Ferries fares get decided?
The BC Ferry Commission sets a price cap, the maximum average annual fare increase BC Ferries is permitted to charge over a four-year period. The commission uses public comments and BC Ferries' own service submission to set that cap. The current process is for the 2028-32 period.
Why does BC Ferries say the Sunshine Coast route needs ferries more than other areas?
In its submission, BC Ferries says island communities and the Sunshine Coast depend on ferries for deliveries of food, building materials and pharmaceuticals from mainland Greater Vancouver. The company notes that higher ferry fares affect not just direct travel costs but can also push up prices for goods in coastal communities.
How can residents comment on the BC Ferries service plan?
The BC Ferry Commission is accepting public comments on BC Ferries' Performance Term 7 submission until Feb. 28. The commissioner's office says information from the submission and public comments will be used to set the price cap for the 2028-32 period. Comments can be submitted through the BC Ferry Commission.
What is the BC Ferry Commission's role?
The BC Ferry Commission is an independent body that regulates BC Ferries. It sets the price cap, the maximum average annual increase on fares that BC Ferries is permitted to charge each year during a four-year performance term. It reviews BC Ferries' service proposals and accepts public input before setting that cap.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Coast Reporter: BC Ferries flags Langdale upgrades and future vessel changes in new service plancoastreporter.net
- BC Ferry Commissionbcferrycommission.ca
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