Black Ball Ferry Line is cutting back sailings

After more than 65 years of steady service linking British Columbia and Washington State, the Black Ball Ferry Line’s M.V. Coho is cutting back sailings ahead of its summer travel season.

The company announced it will delay the start of its full summer schedule by two weeks, citing a 14% drop in traffic compared to the same period last year.

The service, which runs year-round between Victoria and Port Angeles, typically ramps up in June.

Instead, the ferry will maintain its current three-sailings-per-day schedule until June 25.

Several sailings have been canceled, including 9:30 p.m. departures from Port Angeles (June 12–25) and 6:10 a.m. sailings from Victoria (June 13–26).

Growing tensions between Canada and the U.S. may be reason

“This decision was not made lightly,” the company said in a statement.

Industry leaders and local officials point to growing tensions between Canada and the U.S. as a key factor behind the reduced demand, especially for southbound travel from Canada into the U.S.

“It’s very clear that there is a travel boycott of Canadians to the United States,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Greater Destination Victoria.

“Our indications, everything we’re seeing, is that Americans are still traveling to Victoria. We’re actually seeing a slight increase over last year, but it’s Canadians not traveling south,” Nursey added.

Nursey says that while the ferry is important to cross-border tourism and trade, the temporary scale-back is a smart decision to preserve capital during a time when fewer Canadians are traveling to the U.S.

“We need to see a calming down of the rhetoric, the tensions. I get calls from my counterparts at US tourism boards all the time saying, ‘Maybe I will just hire a publicist and make this all go away,’ and my advice has been, It is much deeper than that.”

“That ship is important to both communities”

Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter echoed Nursey’s remarks, telling 1130 NewsRadio she too has noticed Canadians expressing reluctance to travel across the border.

“Reading through the comments on social media was really telling. I personally can understand why Canadians are feeling particularly patriotic right now,” said Dexter.

“I would hope that if folks came to Port Angeles, they’d feel safe. We have not changed — we are still here, and we would love to have you. But again, I understand why people are making the decisions that they are.”

While the mayor has not heard from local businesses about a major dip in tourism, she says the reported drop in southbound ferry traffic is concerning.

“That ship is important to both communities, so I’m hopeful that as summer approaches, we can support it — and Port Angeles — by encouraging folks to come spend time here and also get on the Coho and go visit Victoria.”