On Monday, July 18, Pacific Ferries launched a new run that leaves Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver from Monday to Friday at 4:45 p.m., taking passengers to the Sunshine Coast.
The new run will make a stop in Horseshoe Bay to pick up regular passengers there and depart again at 5:20 p.m., docking in Gibsons Harbour at 5:55 p.m.
Currently Pacific Ferries has no runs scheduled from Gibsons Harbour back to Coal Harbour.
The new ferry operator plans to offer an 8:30 a.m. run from Coal Harbour to Gibsons in the future, but that service is a couple of weeks away, according to Linda Feuerhelm, marketing and media relations person with the company.
She said the goal with the morning run will be to reload on weekday mornings – after dropping off commuters in Horseshoe Bay – with primarily tourists who want a bit of a longer, scenic tour to the Sunshine Coast. The morning run will also be open to locals, Feuerhelm said.
“So we’re just working on some marketing with some downtown hotels in order to do that and working on a concierge package, and then we’re going to run that one,” Feuerhelm said.
“But we wanted to start in the afternoon to help the commuters. So this week we’re working with the commuters and then hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can start the morning run.”
She said one major change connected with the new Coal Harbour afternoon pickup is that Pacific Ferries will no longer wait for passengers onboard the 257 express bus that stops in Horseshoe Bay.
She said waiting for passengers on the bus in the past has caused issues when the bus has experienced heavy traffic delays or breakdowns and not met its 5:18 p.m. scheduled drop-off in Horseshoe Bay.
“We’re constantly waiting on the 257 bus that leaves downtown from Granville Street at 4:35 p.m. so what I’m saying is forget about the bus. Wait an extra 10 minutes, go to Harbour Green and get on board [the ferry],” Feuerhelm said.
Pacific Ferries picks up passengers in Coal Harbour near the Three Harbour Green development at the end of Bute Street and West Cordova.
Feuerhelm said passengers should always text ahead (to 778-866-5107) to say they’ll be catching the boat. “So that we know to expect you,” she said, adding that the company will also alert passengers by text if there is any issue on their end.
The new Coal Harbour run is in addition to the Monday to Friday runs Pacific Ferries already operates, which leave Gibsons Landing at 6:25 a.m. and leave Horseshoe Bay at 5:20 p.m. each weekday.
See more at www.pacificferries.ca
