Entries by Rachel Garrick

Keeping B.C. moving this Victoria Day long weekend

Long weekends are some of the busiest and most stressful times for ferry and marine workers. While most people are travelling, taking breaks and spending time with family, our members are working long hours behind the scenes to keep passengers, cargo and communities moving safely. To every member working through the Victoria Day long weekend, […]

Atlantic Canada gets ferry fare cuts. B.C. gets excuses.

Prime Minister Mark Carney proudly listed cutting ferry fares by 50 per cent in Atlantic Canada as one of his core achievements during a recent fireside chat with Canadians. Workers, families and coastal communities in the Maritimes deserve affordable marine transportation. But so do people in British Columbia. Ottawa subsidizes multiple ferry routes in Atlantic […]

May 5, 2026

BCFMWU has been contacted regarding an external employment opportunity. Please see below for details. They are currently looking for the following: Chief Engineer (1) Key details The Chief Engineer is responsible for: • Engine room operations and vessel machinery• Maintenance planning and spare parts inventory• Bunkering and sludge oil management• Engine logs and daily maintenance […]

Finding balance in a 10-hour shift: Samantha’s story

In 2018 my husband had been working for the ferries for about four years. He kept telling me it would be a good idea for me to start at the ferries as well, especially because we were thinking about buying a house. At the time, I was working in health and wellness, which I have […]

Every dress tells a story

  On May 5, Canadians honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people. We work in traditional territories on routes that connect families, Nations and communities. Getting people home safe is what we do. Red Dress Day reminds us that too many Indigenous women never made it home. This year […]

A death, a fine, and a fight to avoid responsibility

On April 28, workers across Canada pause and remember those who never came home from work. One of them was our member, Kenny Chohan. Kenny died in June, 2020. He was working alone, doing repair work on a ferry at Deas Dock, BC Ferries’ fleet maintenance unit. As he was working, he leaned over the […]

Day of Mourning: Remember the dead, protect the living

On April 28, we pause to remember workers who didn’t make it home. Our members work on the water, on open decks, in engine rooms, around heavy equipment, in rough weather and face-to-face with the public. We’ve seen serious injuries from equipment failures, workers hurt during drills, assaults from passengers and lives lost. Our members […]

Holding it together when things fall apart

I started working for BC Ferries through my previous job. I was working in the marine industry and BC Ferries was one of our customers. I’d been to the Fleet Maintenance Unit (FMU) site several times. When I learned that  my company was closing its doors at their Vancouver office, I had to figure out […]

Thank you for showing up

This past long weekend put significant pressure on our ferry system. Delays, cancellations and long waits affected thousands of people travelling across the coast. It was frustrating for passengers and difficult for the communities that rely on these routes. Behind all of that were crews doing everything they could to keep service moving. This weekend […]

“The ships are old” isn’t accountability.

BC Ferries’ CEO spent this week apologizing for the Easter long-weekend breakdowns by pointing to one thing: the ships are old. True. But aging vessels aren’t a surprise; they didn’t age overnight. Keeping the system running reliably despite an aging fleet is his job. He also explained that a proposed fifth vessel wasn’t approved by […]