Ferry passengers again facing hours-long waits at Horseshoe Bay
Ferry passengers again facing hours-long waits at Horseshoe Bay
There was more frustration for BC Ferries passengers at the Horseshoe Bay terminal Friday, with some waits extending upwards of five hours at the outset of the long weekend.
The hectic conditions were the result of mechanical problems on the Queen of Alberni, which forced the vessel out of service this week and led to several cancelled departures during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
With six cancellations out of Horseshoe Bay on Canada Day, travellers who arrived at the terminal at around 10:30 a.m. without a reservation were left hoping for a spot on the 3:55 p.m. departure.
Conditions were similar on Thursday, when many drivers waited hours on end hoping to make it to Vancouver Island for the weekend. Among them was Richard Baumet, who tried to plan ahead by making a reservation, only to learn his sailing was cancelled due to the Queen of Alberni's engine troubles.
"This morning I was pretty stressed out because we're going to the island to take possession of a house we just got and we've got stuff to move," Baumet told CTV News from the ferry lineup.
"I looked for options for Tsawwassen and elsewhere and everything's booked up."
BC Ferries said the mechanical issue involved the Queen of Alberni's piston assembly, and said it would require "critical machining to repair."
The vessel is expected to be back in service on Saturday morning.
The company suggested passengers hoping to board at Horseshoe Bay or Departure Bay in Nanaimo Friday without a booking consider going on foot for a better chance of getting across.
"We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations," BC Ferries said in a statement.
Even before the Queen of Alberni was pulled from service, the company was bracing for a chaotic holiday, noting it was the first time in six years that Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day were bookending the weekend.
Up-to-date information on sailing schedules and available space is available on the BC Ferries website.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
While problem gambling affects a minority of the Canadian population, more than 300,000 are at “severe” or “moderate risk” for gambling-related problems, according to a Statistics Canada study of gambling behaviour.
The night before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the 'Freedom Convoy' protests, the prime minister’s national security adviser told him there was 'a potential for a breakthrough' in Ottawa, court documents show.
A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily suspended two articles of the province's new language law, saying they could prevent some English-speaking organizations from accessing justice through the courts.
The City of Toronto is investigating a power outage that left a large swath of the downtown core including office buildings, a major mall and a university campus without electricity yesterday.
Rising over beaches, buildings and statues, the last supermoon of the year created ample viewing and photo opportunities around the world Thursday night.
A federal judge was to decide as soon as Friday whether to grant the Department of Justice's request to unseal the warrant that authorized the FBI to search former U.S. President Donald Trump's Florida estate. Attorney General Merrick Garland declared there was 'substantial public interest in this matter,' and Trump backed the warrant's 'immediate' release.
Environmental compliance officers have fined a Victoria exterior washing company $11,000 for releasing a roof de-mossing agent into a creek in Sidney, B.C., killing hundreds of fish.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
Anne Heche is on life support after suffering a brain injury in a fiery crash a week ago and her survival isn't expected, according to a statement from a representative.
A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily suspended two articles of the province's new language law, saying they could prevent some English-speaking organizations from accessing justice through the courts.
The former chairperson of the STM board of directors will lead the independent investigation into the abrupt cancellation of the Montreal Pride parade last Sunday.
What started as a simple mistake of addresses has led to a nearly year-long fight for an 88-year-old Manitoba man over a medical suspension of his driver's licence – one he fears may have more to do with his age than his health.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was arrested in South Dakota for a possible illegal border crossing and kidnapping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Premier Scott Moe on Friday that will see more humanitarian flights with displaced Ukrainians land in Saskatchewan.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was arrested in South Dakota for a possible illegal border crossing and kidnapping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Premier Scott Moe on Friday that will see more humanitarian flights with displaced Ukrainians land in Saskatchewan.
A plaque commemorating Viola Desmond was revealed Friday by the federal agency at the former Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, N.S., where she was forcibly arrested while watching a movie on Nov. 8, 1946.
Police in London, Ont., are releasing the identity of a cyclist who was killed on Highway 401 after being struck by a vehicle and say the alleged driver who was arrested is now facing charges.
London police Chief Steve Williams says he understands the distress that can be caused to a transgender person when their ‘dead name’ (birth name) or incorrect gender is used during an interaction with his officers, and commits to make the necessary changes to internal databases and training.
In the age of doorstep deliveries, porch pirates who steal items from front doors have become common, but one North Bay mom says she was scared by a recent encounter with one.
A wellness check on a person living on Churchill Avenue in Wawa last month led to the discovery that the victim was being forcibly confined in their home by three people.
There has been another crash on Highway 69/400 north of Parry Sound that has closed the road Friday morning following a fatal collision earlier this week.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health says one person was bit and another was exposed after a rabid bat was found in the Melancthon area just north of Shelburne.
