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Public input sought for upgraded B.C. Ferries service for Southern Gulf Islands

B.C. Ferries is asking the public for ideas on how to best schedule the new Salish Heron when it starts work in the corporation’s most complex service region — the Southern Gulf Islands.
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B.C. Ferries’ Mayne Queen leaves Swartz Bay for Pender Island in June 2019. The vessel is set to be retired once the new Salish Heron comes into service next year. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST B.C. Ferries vessel Mayne Queen leaves Swartz Bay Terminal for Pender Island in June 2019. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST

B.C. Ferries is asking the public for ideas on how to best schedule the new Salish Heron when it starts work in the corporation’s most complex service region — the Southern Gulf Islands.

With the Salish Heron scheduled to carry vehicles and passengers in fall 2022, B.C. Ferries is preparing for upgraded ­service to Saturna, Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Salt Spring islands.

Salish Heron will be sailing in and out of Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen.

While Salish Heron is undergoing construction and sea trials in Poland, the route will continue to be served by the smaller Mayne Queen, destined to be retired.

“The Southern Gulf Islands are growing and changing, and working towards pandemic recovery,” Mark Collins, B.C. Ferries president and chief executive, said in a statement.

“We want to better understand how things are changing for island communities and support their growth and recovery.”

The aim is to upgrade service to each island.

“The Southern Gulf Islands routes are complex and interconnected, and changes to one schedule can mean a change to all schedules,” Collins said.

“Customers rely on the ferry for a variety of travel needs, and these needs fluctuate and change by season.”

The first stage of the planning process is underway. B.C. Ferries is working with communities to develop criteria for evaluating schedule options to be presented in the second stage of the process.

Ferry users can go to ­bcferriesprojects.ca/sgi to ­comment.

B.C. Ferries is also connecting to communities through ferry advisory ­committees, at terminals and on vessels.

The 351-foot-long Salish Heron will run on liquefied natural gas and have capacity for 138 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crew.

It will join three other Salish-class vessels, also built in Poland.

cjwilson@timescolonist.com