A progression on the water

Coastal Connections: A History of British Columbia Ferries and Passenger Ships
by Derek Hayes

Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2025
$50 / 9781998526383

Reviewed by Steven Brown

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The remarkably prolific Derek Hayes has done it again. Coastal Connections isn’t the first book about BC Ferries or its predecessors but it has to be the most detailed and comprehensive. Like his other nineteen titles listed at his website it’s a large format hardcover absolutely loaded with images from the past and present, stitched together with an engaging, fact-filled narrative.

The present-day entity officially known as British Columbia Ferry Services Incorporated began as the brainchild of BC’s longest serving premier W.A.C. Bennett. It started as a crown corporation in 1960 with two ships, MV (motor vessel) Sydney built in Victoria at Victoria Machinery Depot and MV Tsawwassen built at Burrard Dry Dock in North Vancouver. The “Queen of” designation was added three years later. It’s interesting to note that a Scottish concern was outbid for the contract for these first two ferries. Today foreign shipbuilders are the only builders of BC Ferries. The last BC ferries built in BC were the ill-fated “fast cats.” The third of the three, Pacificat Voyager, was launched in 2000. It was already for sale and never entered service. Today there are 37 ships in the fleet on 25 routes serving 47 terminals. More than 5000 full and part-time employees make the ferries go.

Several enterprises served the coast over the many decades before BC Ferries. The first reliable ferry service commenced in 1859 with a ship named Eliza Anderson, a sidewheeler steamship operating a regular weekly schedule between Olympia at the head of Puget Sound, Victoria, and New Westminster, continuing for nearly ten years. In 1883, the British Columbia & Victoria Steam Navigation Company was amalgamated with the Hudson’s Bay Company ships to form the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company (CPN).

The company had nothing to do with Canadian Pacific Railway but that changed in 1901 when the railway took over the company. It had been looking to get into the coastal ferry service since completion of the transcontinental railway to the newly incorporated city of Vancouver in 1887. The new company was named British Columbia Coast Steamships (BCCS) and inherited fourteen ships from CPN. Vancouver as well as the rest of the province was growing. This led to more ships and the start of the Princess fleet to compliment the existing Canadian Pacific Empress fleet of intercontinental service to and from Canada. The ships were smaller than Empress ships but, like them, well appointed. It was only in 1955 though that the Princess of Vancouver arrived, the first in the fleet that could carry cars.

Union Steamships Company, created in 1889, also became a major player on the BC coast and was in continuous operation for seven decades. Union thrived carrying both passengers and freight while serving isolated communities up and down the coast including logging camps, mines, and pulp mills. Union was well managed and developed very successful if slightly over the top marketing campaigns with colourful posters and brochures promoting day trip voyages “Cruising the Scenic Fjords of British Columbia” or “Along the Gulf Coast Riviera.” Weekends were always busy. Passengers regularly left Vancouver bound for Bowen Island, Sechelt, or any of the small resorts up Howe Sound. It was the era of the big picnic.

Another major player on the coast before the arrival of BC Ferries was Black Ball Ferries. The Black Ball name went all the way back to a transatlantic service between Liverpool and New York started in 1817. The company’s ships were marked with a large black circle in the middle of their foresail—the black ball. Charles Peabody, the grandson of one of the founders of the line headed to the northwest coast in 1882. In 1894, he with others formed the Alaska Steamship Company in time to profit from the Klondike gold rush in 1897. By 1898 a subsidiary company was formed, Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSNC). Because of Peabody it became known as the Black Ball Line. Black Ball eventually competed with Canadian Pacific, especially for the Seattle to Victoria business.

Black Ball became a “fervent popularizer” of the concept of roll-on roll-off, that is, vehicles could drive onto one end of the ship and drive off the other end at their destination. The company also had the distinction of owning the bizarre looking Kalakala, an art-deco inspired shiningsteel enveloped car ferry, a one of a kind. It entered service in 1935. Aside from its unique look, Kalakala was an early example of a ship welded together instead of the usual rivet construction. It was also the first ship to be awarded a license for a commercial radar system. The Kalakala was an infrequent visitor to BC waters but became a legend in Washington State. Black Ball’s Canadian operations were eventually taken over by BC Ferries. The company exists today with one ship running between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington.   

Speaking of radar, the author details many of the collisions, on-the-rocks debacles and other mishaps, in the decades before radar and the many sunk ships resulting in significant loss of life. The coast could be treacherous and the weather less than ideal.

Other players in the competitive coast shipping business are detailed. Northland Navigation and Gulf Line both cut into Union Steamships business. Gulf Line eventually consolidated its services with three other smaller outfits in an effort to reduce costs but the new company was eventually absorbed by Union Steamships. Northland Navigation, Union’s main competitor, eventually took over Union but itself went into decline and eventually ceased operations. One reason was the growth of air travel on the coast. It took much less time for a person to fly into a remote location than to take passage on a ship. Another reason was the steady expansion of BC Ferries in both passenger car and freight hauling truck traffic.

BC Ferries indeed proved very popular from the beginning. In fact, the corporation underestimated its popularity. By 1965, seven larger ships were added, all basically the same design, plus three smaller ships for the inter-island routes. By 1970, five million passengers had been carried. By 1979, that number had doubled. Routes had been added, terminals built. Even larger ships were called for.

The idea of increasing the capacity of existing ships by lengthening or “stretching” them didn’t originate with BC Ferries but second-generation ships went through the process. It involved cutting right through the drydocked ship separating it into two sections then inserting a prefabricated new section between the existing two and welding it all together. Complicated, exacting, and expensive, yes, but far less expensive than building entirely new ships and faster. The idea of adding a complete new car deck does originate with BC Ferries. It’s an even more elaborate process. The entire length of the ship is cut through, the upper section is lifted using hydraulic jacks welded in place, and an entire new deck is inserted between the two sections increasing car capacity. This was done to five of the second-generation ships.

Superferries. Spirit class. Salish class. Island class. Cable ferry. The future. And so much more. Nothing is left out. This book is a feast, a motherlode. Everything is here, fit for the ferry aficionado and more than adequate for a casual interest. Ten out of ten. 

 

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“Books have ruined my life,” jokes Steven Brown. A professional in the book trade for years he’s managed to retain a deep and abiding passion for good books and first rate literature. He was born in Saskatchewan and grew up in Ontario and British Columbia. Vancouver is home these days. His reviews have appeared in Canadian newspapers, a literary review or two and he has donated reviews to good causes. [Editor’s note: Steven has reviewed books by John Horgan with Rod Mickleburgh, Robert J. Muckle, Peter Smith, Jonathan Swainger, Bruce McLellan, and Gail Anderson-Dargatz for The British Columbia Review.]

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The British Columbia Review

Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction)
Publisher: Richard Mackie

Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.

“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster