The Swartz Bay ferry terminal is a major transportation facility at Swartz Bay in North Saanich,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

. It is located north of Victoria on

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

. The terminal is part of the

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle fer ...

system, as well as part of

Highway 17 Route 17, or Highway 17 can refer to the following roads: For the roads named "A17", see list of A17 roads. International * European route E17 * European route E017 Australia * Brisbane Valley Highway, Queensland * D'Aguilar Highway, Queenslan ...

History

In 1889, former British Columbia Premier Amor De Cosmos, was the first person known to publicly suggest Swartz Bay as a feasible ferry terminal for connections to the Lower Mainland. In 1959, the search for a new ferry terminal north of Victoria involved consideration of the existing San Juan Islands ferry facilities at

Sidney Sidney may refer to: People * Sidney (surname), English surname * Sidney (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Sidney (footballer, born 1972), full name Sidney da Silva Souza, Brazilian football defensive midfielder * ...

. Insufficiently sheltered waters and added travel time, leading to higher fuel costs, precluded Sidney from being selected. A small private ferry dock operated by the Gulf Islands Ferry Company already existed at Swartz Bay when the choice was made to locate the B.C. Ferry Corporation terminal there. As a result of the decision, a paved extension of the

Patricia Bay Highway Highway 17 is a provincial highway in British Columbia, Canada. It comprises two separate sections connected by a ferry link. The Vancouver Island section is known as the Patricia Bay Highway and connects Victoria to the Swartz Bay ferry termi ...

to reach the terminal was undertaken. The first scheduled sailing from the terminal, described as a "mudhole" due to the continuing construction, occurred on June 15, 1960. On September 1, 1961, the company that built and used the smaller original dock at Swartz Bay was bought out by B.C. Ferries. In the SENĆOŦEN language spoken by Indigenous W̱SÁNEĆ people of the area, the bay's name is ŚJEL¸KES.

Accidents and incidents

A fire, caused by a cutting torch, led to $500,000 worth of damage to the terminal in December 1981. It destroyed part of the passenger walkway and a wingwall, prior to being contained by terminal staff, firefighters and the approaching '' Queen of Nanaimo'', which utilized its hoses to help keep the blaze at bay. Residents have expressed noise concerns over the years, and the matter has been raised in the Legislative Assembly. Concerns have also been expressed ranging from terminal expansion to the shooting of pigeons by ferry staff. On September 14, 2000, the ferry '' Spirit of Vancouver Island'' struck a pleasure craft just off Swartz Bay, killing two individuals. On May 20, 2011, a truck waiting in line drove up the upper ramp of the terminal's first berth and then through several guard barriers and safety netting at an increased speed. The truck then proceeded to drive off the end of the berth at a high speed and into the water. Later the same day, divers located the truck and deceased driver in the water off the end of the berth, identifying him later that week.

Ferry facilities and connections

Currently, there are five ferry berths at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. Completed in 2006, the Swartz Bay Berth 2 project involved the replacement of the old marine structures and counter-weighted ramp lift system with a $25 million state-of-the-art floating berth. The terminal provides BC Ferries service to the

Tsawwassen ferry terminal Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, as part of the BC Ferries system and of Highway 17, is a major transportation facility in Delta, British Columbia, positioned less than from the 49th parallel along the Canada–United States border. It is located ...

on the mainland, as well as all the major southern Gulf Islands. In the mid-1990s, a major terminal renovation was undertaken. The Seaspan Ferries Corporation also has a terminal here. The terminal includes an administration building, and various kiosks run by local artisans and other vendors mainly in the warmer months. There is also a cafeteria and coffee shop in the main building. File:CoastalCelebrationSwartzBay.jpg,

MV Coastal Celebration MV ''Coastal Celebration'' is the third and final ship to be delivered to BC Ferries. The class comprises some of the largest double-ended ferries in the world. The vessel completed construction in 2008 and entered service the same year. Unlike h ...

docked at Swartz Bay terminal in May 2014 File:Ship "Seaspan Reliant" in Swartz Bay BC Ferries Terminal, British Columbia, Canada 01.jpg, "Seaspan Reliant" at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal on 13 July 2018 File:Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal view2 2018.jpg, Parking area File:Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal Lands End Café 2018.jpg, Lands End Café The terminal is served by several Victoria Regional Transit System public transit routes, with Route 70 providing express bus service to and from downtown Victoria in about an hour. Short and long-term pay parking is run by a private operator under contract to BC Ferries. The terminal is located about 10 minutes from Victoria International Airport via

. The Lochside Regional Trail also runs south from Swartz Bay to Victoria. Swartz Bay is the only major southern terminal in the BC Ferries system without a traffic signal at its entrance or exit.

Notes

References

{{Commons category, Swartz Bay ferry terminal BC Ferries Transport in the Capital Regional District Ferry terminals in British Columbia