A ferry connecting a Vancouver Island (BC Canada) town to a city in Washington USA will not return until at least 2030, due to a shipping shortage and much-needed repairs on older boats.
The ferry service, operated by WSF-Washington State Ferries between Sidney BC (Vancouver Island) and Anacortes (WA USA), halted operations back in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
According to the Town of Sidney, it had not resumed since, due to a crew shortage and the retirement of older boats.
Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith said that the connection between the 2 communities was vital, and the loss of ferry service for another 7 years would have an impact on tourism.
"We were hopeful, particularly given the long history of the ferry service, that it would return this year."
The ferry between Anacortes-Sidney began in 1922, when 2 ships carrying 175 passengers and 23 cars headed through the San Juan Islands up to Canada, the City of Anacortes website says.