Samwise Vancouver Island Newsletter
Sunday, April 12, 2026
BC Ferries Easter Weekend Meltdown: Cancellations, Communication Failures, and an Aging Fleet
BC Ferries travellers faced days of compounding disruptions over Easter weekend, with sailings cancelled across multiple routes due to mechanical failures and an aging fleet stretched beyond capacity. On Easter Sunday alone, the Queen of Surrey — fresh from a scheduled refit — developed steering panel problems, cancelling at least six sailings on the Horseshoe Bay–Langdale route. Two supplemental Tsawwassen–Duke Point sailings were also cut when the replacement vessel was redeployed. A Duncan-area traveller arrived at the terminal before receiving their cancellation email eight minutes before departure. CEO Nicolas Jimenez called it a “perfect storm,” while communications director Jeff Groot acknowledged delayed passenger notifications and pledged IT infrastructure improvements.
First Nations Leaders Warn Eby: Fix DRIPA Crisis or NDP Faces Decades of Collapse
First Nations leaders gathered in Vancouver on April 10 to denounce Premier David Eby’s plan to suspend key provisions of B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) while a related court appeal plays out. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs told reporters that “the problem is Premier Eby,” warning the NDP could face “decades” of collapse if the party does not address what he called a “colossal” leadership failure. His wife, NDP MLA Joan Phillip, is reportedly “heart sick” over the proposal. Eby is making the suspension bill a confidence vote, risking his one-seat majority.
Sources: Oak Bay News
Victoria’s 2026 Cruise Season Sets Sail with 331 Calls and Two New Lines
Victoria’s 2026 cruise season began April 10 with the arrival of the Nieuw Amsterdam — a Holland America Line vessel — at Ogden Point’s North B terminal. The ship docked at 10 a.m., arriving from Astoria en route to Vancouver, and departed at 10 p.m. The season will see 331 total cruise ship calls, along with the debut visits of two new cruise lines: Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises. May will be particularly active, with four inaugural ship calls. The season’s final sailing is slated for October 13, when the Norwegian Encore makes the year’s last call at the capital city.
Sources: CHEK News, Oak Bay News
Eby Promises Carbon Relief for Pulp Mills as Crofton Closure Marks Industry’s Struggle
Premier David Eby told the B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) convention April 10 that the province will ease industrial carbon pricing for pulp mills, acknowledging that lime kilns — a key part of the pulp-making process — cannot easily reduce emissions. The announcement came days after Domtar’s Crofton pulp mill on Vancouver Island completed its closure, the latest in a string of mill shutdowns hitting communities across the province. U.S. softwood lumber tariffs, regulatory red tape, and timber access challenges are squeezing the sector from multiple sides. Conservative interim leader Trevor Halford countered that the NDP has been “managing decline” rather than fostering growth.
Sources: Campbell River Mirror
Nanaimo Infusion 2026: 529 Healthcare Visitors Expected This Weekend, Double Last Year
Nanaimo’s second annual Infusion healthcare worker attraction event is drawing significantly more interest than its inaugural 2025 edition, with 529 people across 262 RSVPed groups confirmed as of April 10 — roughly twice the attendance from a year ago. About half of attendees are healthcare workers or travelling with one. Organizers Tod and Jocelyn Maffin have added on-site immigration consultants, realtors, and Island Health recruitment staff to help field practical questions from American professionals considering relocating to Vancouver Island. Since the 2025 event, dozens of healthcare workers and their families have moved to the Island, including several now working in Nanaimo. The main community gathering takes place Saturday.
Sources: Nanaimo News Now
Colwood Opens $6.3 Million Galloping Goose Bridge Over Old Island Highway
Colwood officially opened its $6.3 million Galloping Goose pedestrian and cycling bridge on April 9, creating safe passage over Old Island Highway (Sooke Road) for trail users who previously navigated a hazardous intersection. The 38-metre structure was funded in part by a $3.6 million federal-provincial grant through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Mayor Doug Kobayashi, Songhees Nation Councillor Eugene Sam, and Esquimalt-Colwood MLA Darlene Rochford cut the ribbon alongside West Shore Village seniors — the first to officially cross. Around 1,000 cyclists and pedestrians use the Galloping Goose trail through Colwood each day, a number the city expects to grow.
Sources: Sooke News Mirror
Island Health Reshuffles Nanaimo Lab Hours to Ease Overcrowded Satellite Site
Island Health is restructuring lab services at two Nanaimo locations beginning Monday, April 13, redirecting demand from an overloaded satellite site to an underused hospital lab. The satellite lab at 2-1599 Dufferin Crescent will cut its afternoon hours, closing at 3:15 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. Meanwhile, the outpatient lab inside Nanaimo Regional General Hospital will open at 9 a.m. rather than 8 a.m. and extend closing to 5 p.m., while also opening for general public appointments for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions limited access. Island Health says the changes are expected to accommodate up to 25 per cent more total patient visits across both locations.
Sources: Sooke News Mirror
Island Pulse
Victoria Royals: 2026 WHL Playoffs underway — visit victoriahockey.com for the latest schedule and results.
Victoria HarbourCats: HarbourCats’ season starts again June 2 (home opener vs. Edmonton Riverhawks, 6:30 PM, Wilson’s Group Stadium).
Curated by JD · samwise.agency