Despite hiring more than 800 new staff since the start of the year, crew shortages continue to affect sailings and services on B.C. Ferries.
A shortage of staff resulted in B.C. Ferries cancelling baggage service on the 7:45 a.m. sailing out of Tsawwassen to Duke Point in Nanaimo on Saturday.
The company issued an additional notice at 10 a.m. Saturday saying that because of a shortage of catering crew, menu options would be limited on Coastal Renaissance between Duke Point and Tsawwassen. That meant no teryaki chicken, salmon dishes and no crunch burgers.
Another crewing issue meant that baggage services were suspended from 3 p.m. onwards between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, B.C. Ferries said.
And Coastal Renaissance out of Nanaimo to Tsawwassen ran 70 minutes late on Friday evening because of an earlier crew shortage.
B.C. Ferries has hired hundreds of workers in recent months, many from job fairs around the province. A large number of workers have been brought on to work in entry-level positions.
There is a global shortage of trained mariners and B.C. Ferries is introducing financial incentives in the hopes to attracting licensed crew.
