During holidays and the busy summer season, BC Ferries' route between Campbell River on Vancouver Island and Quadra Island becomes congested, resulting in sailing waits. Ferry corporation spokesperson Deborah Marshall acknowledges that the waits can stretch from one to three sailings.

Last winter BC Ferries widely publicized that the route would see relief with the introduction of a two-vessel service, rather than one, increasing capacity by 80 percent. This was scheduled to happen this summer.

CKTZ News reported in April that the service increase had been delayed until this fall. Deborah Marshall now says the two-vessel operation won't begin until the end of 2022 or early 2023. She says it all has to do with a continuing fleet-wide crewing shortage.

Marshall apologizes for the delay and says the ferry corporation has hired more than 800 additional workers this summer, some of whom are experienced, Ukrainian mariners.

She discusses BC Ferries' challenges in the update below with CKTZ News: