By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

With summer on the horizon, Quadra and Cortes islanders are keen to see promised changes implemented on BC Ferries’ Campbell River to Quadra Island route, for congestion ease.

For several years there have been chronic sailing overloads, no matter what time of year, extending the time it takes to make the 10-minute crossing, sometimes by hours, during peak summer months.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall says capacity will be nearly doubled, once two new hybrid “island class” vessels begin service, which should go a long way in easing congestion and wait times.

However, Marshall says while the vessels are ready for implementation, finding enough crew to operate them is the main issue in determining exactly when that will happen. She’s hopeful everything will come together within a few months.

Marshall adds that the ships herald an exciting new hybrid technology, that will eventually see them powered by electricity, which will not only reduce costs but have a positive impact on the environment.

Top photo credit: BC Ferries tests a new “Island Class” hybrid vessel in coastal BC waters. Image courtesy of BC Ferries.