Getting to and from the mainland with ease and convenience is becoming a growth industry — and a boon for Islanders. Joining the likes of HeliJet, Harbour Air and of course the big daddy of them all, BC Ferries, Nanaimo-based Hullo Ferries is boasting a 50-per-cent annual passenger growth after 18 months in business, running two vessels between Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour. Hullo’s 12 daily sailings — or six round trips — have been supplemented by extra late sailings after select concerts and Canucks games, adding up to more than 650,000 passengers during the last year and a half. The two vessels carry 354 passengers and are wheelchair accessible, but they do not allow bicycles. The one-way cost for an adult is $39.99.
A free shuttle bus service, operated by Hullo, transports passengers from Nanaimo’s ferry terminal to the mid-Island city’s downtown. When asked whether Hullo is considering adding a service to Victoria, the company says that there are no current plans for a downtown Vancouver to Victoria run. However, if such a second route was undertaken, it would take another two years before a launch date. Instead, the Garden City is seeing a new airborne option as Kenmore Air adds a new service starting in May between Victoria and Tacoma, Washington. The Seattle-based airline’s new seasonal service operates May 15 to September 15, flying in and out of Victoria’s Inner Harbour to Tacoma, via a brief stopover on San Juan Island. The one-way fare is US $199.
