Do you remember the brief furore when the police brought their drug dogs along for a ferry ride a few times, several years ago? Thin edge of the wedge, buddih... and if the ferries are part of the highway system, then the police are perfectly within their power to look you and every bit of your vehicle over, just as they are entitled to pull you over on the Malahat or anywhere else.
The ferries seem to operate in a weird zone between "highway" (provincial jurisdiction) and "marine traffic" (federal jurisdiction). nocturnalmuse above points out the relevant Transport Canada memo about levels of maritime security.
They seem to be playing some kind of absurd catch-up against non-existent threats to ship traffic in the Straits. Witness the near-future deployment of a "marine commando regiment" at Comox; it's supposed to be there to protect against threats to ferries and cruise ships. Someone's been watching Speed 2: Cruise Control, I betcha!
Re: No warrant... no search!
The ferries seem to operate in a weird zone between "highway" (provincial jurisdiction) and "marine traffic" (federal jurisdiction).
They seem to be playing some kind of absurd catch-up against non-existent threats to ship traffic in the Straits. Witness the near-future deployment of a "marine commando regiment" at Comox; it's supposed to be there to protect against threats to ferries and cruise ships. Someone's been watching Speed 2: Cruise Control, I betcha!