Victoria Harbour Ferries Opens New Digs and Docks
Twelve small boats find new home on the Inner Harbour

March 13, 2007: Changing locations for Victoria Harbour Ferries involves more than moving computers and furniture – twelve ferry boats also need to find a place to call home. The perfect fit turned out to be a downtown location on the water side of the Regent Hotel, the new permanent home of the Victoria Harbour Ferry offices and the overnight home for their ferry fleet. It’s part of the Victoria Harbour Ferries increasing involvement in revitalizing the downtown core and the harbour front.

“We’re committed to the revitalization efforts taking place downtown and in Old Town and the best way to do that actively is to move our base of operations to a downtown location,” says Barry Hobbis, Director of Operations, Victoria Harbour Ferry Company. “West Bay has been a wonderful home for us but with the Province celebrating its 150th anniversary and Victoria’s role from the beginning in the development of our province; it was time to move further into town.”

To support this commitment, Victoria Harbour Ferry will offer a City Circle Tour which will depart from in front of the Fairmont Empress, cruise along the Harbour to Lower Johnson and disembark at the Victoria Regent with tourists walking back through Old Town. The tour is designed to increase interest in the areas outside of the immediate lower harbour area.

With the move to a downtown base comes a commitment to make the immediate surroundings more user-friendly for tourists and locals. The Provincial Capital Commission’s Reeson’s property, the grassy area immediately adjacent to the Regent Hotel, is a priority. Reeson’s Landing will be the gateway to a major ferry stop and Victoria Harbour Ferry Company will be actively working to revitalize the area in partnership with the Downtown Victoria Business Association, City of Victoria, Hyack Air and the Victoria Regent Hotel and the Provincial Capital Commission. Plans are already underway for a new float to host boats and passengers and a new nautical sign announcing Reeson’s Landing as a gateway to Old Town.

“With the development and growth in the Upper Harbour this is going to be the place to be,” says Hobbis, Director of Operations, Victoria Harbour Ferry. “The Province turns 150 years old in 2008. Our harbour is a major part of that history and we want to be here for what will be a major milestone.”

Harbour Ferries has also introduced a “cruise card”, which can be loaded with hops or tours for regular commuters. “It’s about increasing convenience for commuters and encouraging people to experience downtown from James Bay to Old Town,” says Hobbis.

Victoria Harbour Ferry Company was founded in 1990 with two boats that moved passengers around Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The colourful ferries quickly became a fixture in the Harbour, instantly recognized by tourists and locals alike. The fleet has grown to twelve ferries, operating tours and hops on Victoria’s Inner and Upper Harbour.

For more information see www.victoriaharbourferry.com.

Media Contact:
Barry Hobbis, Director of Operations
Victoria Harbour Ferry Company
P: 708-0201