Category Archives: Transportation

Transportation

West Coast bus service connecting Tofino and Ucluelet set to expand in January

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By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

West Coast, BC – The public bus service connecting Tofino and Ucluelet is expanding in the new year.

Starting Jan. 4, 2026, West Coast Transit riders will benefit from more frequent midday trips and a late-night service will also be reintroduced, with buses departing Ucluelet at 9:20 p.m. and Tofino at 10:25 p.m. 

Operated by BC Transit and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), the West Coast Transit System has stops in Tofino, Ucluelet, Long Beach, the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ community of hitaću, and the Tla-o-qui-aht communities of Esowista and Ty-histanis.

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Transportation

Ottawa’s weak EV targets could stall BC’s transition

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

BC is squandering its electric vehicle advantage by rolling back ambitious targets to match Ottawa’s slower pace, experts warn.

It’s “counterintuitive” for BC — which still commands a zero-emission electric vehicle (ZEV) market share of nearly 20 per cent even during a sluggish sales year — to yoke itself to national targets that accommodate slower markets like Saskatchewan, said Richard Ivity, board chair of the national Electric Vehicle Society.

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Transportation

BC Ferries: Shutdown of Cortes Ferry reduced to 3 weeks; Hydro Electric Ferry coming sooner

Work on the Heriot Bay and Whaletown ferry terminals is proceeding faster than expected, and the much-anticipated shutdown of service on the Cortes to Quadra run has been shortened to three weeks. Cortes Island’s new hydroelectric ferry could arrive as early as late spring or summer of 2026. The Cortes and Campbell River ferries could both be fully electric earlier than previously expected. The key word for both of those last items is ‘could’ because they are possibilities, not promises. In this morning’s interview, Sheila Reynolds from BC Ferries gave Cortes Currents an update on the scheduling for our area.

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Transportation

Cortes EV Forum

On October 31st, the Cortes Climate Action Network (CCAN) hosted an EV forum at Manson’s Hall, attracting over a dozen people. The event began with a prepared presentation about the carbon/energy profile of EVs vs internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, followed by general Q&A in which local owners of EVs answered questions about their cars, usage patterns, and overall experience.

The last EV discussion and demo event to be held on Cortes was pre-Covid, on Earth Day in 2019. Since then the number of EVs on the island has grown considerably and many more brands and models are now available. E-bikes have become more common on our local roads than pedal-only bikes, and interest in “going electric” for our transportation needs seems to be growing.

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Politics, Transportation

Area C Director’s Report: seeking ferry-related traffic solutions

From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney

Hello,
Summer’s bustle has faded while the warm amber of the big leaf maples is brightening our shorter days. We are so fortunate to live in a beautiful place which visitors want to experience and while visiting, support our island economy. Along with our golden memories of a lovely island summer, some folks may have recollections of seasonal ferry-related traffic concerns.

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