b Skozs saws — Werinesday, October 4, 2009

3¢ Ferries add Thanksgivi

_ BC: Ferries will serve up
some extra sailings this ©
Thanksgiving to keep
traffic moving during
the busy holiday week-
end.
“The. Thanksgiving holiday

is the busiest weekend of the °
year. for foot-passenger travel,”

. said Bob Lingwood, president
-and CEO. “BC F Ferri¢s recom:
“s.mends that: passengers. plan
trips well ahead of time, arrive
at the terminals carly and take
_ advantage. of, reservation ser-
vices, perceualy 0 or, the major
routes... - -
: “Passengers

Q, ‘tons on Vancouver Island and =

“Mainland. routes are reminded
‘that they must check in at the

ticket booth 30 minutes betore ‘

- sailing. in order to clainy thei
reservations,” hie said. *”

Last year, BC Ferries carried °

about: 218,000 passengers and

*, 62,000. ‘vehicles: on. ite major

Bowen sailings reduced for dock construction

routes over the Thanksgiving
tong weekend.” That's about
50% more passengers than on
any average fall weekesid.

"As well as scheduled sailings
benveen Swartz Bay and
- Fsavvwassen at the top. of every
“odd hour, BC Ferries is adding
three round tips on Thursday,
five on. Friday and four. on
’ Saturday, Sunday and Monday
during peak travel periods.

Between Departure Bay and

-. Horseshoe Bay, the regularly.

scheduled eight round tips will
-be supplemented during busy
_ travel times.

An ena f ‘aund trip has also

been scheduled — between
Horseshoe: Bay and Langdale
Menday = evening, — leaving
Langdale at 10:16. p.m. and
Horseshoe Bay at 1] p.m.
There is also an extra round
trip scheduled berveen Saltery
Bay and Earls Cove on Friday
and. M onday afternoon, with a

1:25 p.m. ferry leaving Saltery

Bay and a 2:25 p.m. leaving
Earls Cove.

To contact BC Ferries’ pas-
senger service agents for up-to-
date traffic conditions and daily
schedules {between 7 a.m. and
10 p.m.), call 1-888-BC Ferry.

BC Ferries also. encourages

ane

€ re impo! tant

passengers to make vehicle
reservations on

the = major
routes by visiting its Web site ar
wwwbcferries.com or caliing 1-
888-724-5223 within B.C. or
(60-4). 44-2890 outside the
province.

While visiting the Web site,
viewers will see_a new interac-
tive site called Kidzone. These
pages cake children through
interesting facts about the cor-
poration and provide a 360-
degree virtual tour. of the
bridge ofa Spisit-class ship.

Meanwhile, BC Ferries
rexiinds Bowen’ Island‘ cus-

tomers thar ferry service will be.

reduced in Octe ber to accom-
modate the dock reconstruc:
tion at Snug Cove on Bowen
Island.

Reduced service days” will
be: October 4,5, 6, and
October 10, 11, and 12.

On these days, the Queen of
Capilano will sail on its regular
schedule from 6:05 a.m. up to
and including the 8:55 a.m.
departure from Horseshoe Bay,
and 5:45 a.m. up to and includ:
ing the 9:25: a.m. departure
from Snug Cove.

The One en of Capilano will
resume its regular schedule at
3:30 p.m. from Horseshue Bay,

“and 3:55 p.m. from, Snug

Cove. Weter taxi service will be

available in the middle of the
day when BC Ferries” dock § is
closed.

-When reduced service days
occur on Wednesdays, the dan=
gerous cargo sailings. will go
ahead as regularly scheduled — -
8:55 a.m. from Horseshoe Bay:
and 3:55. p.m. from Snug.
Cove. |:

The remaining five reduced

“service days will occur -in

November and December. The ~
two-day dock closure will occur .

_in December,

For | more “information

_ about the dock reconstruction
: project, contact BC Ferries’ 24-

jour recorded information line’
at 921-4285. .