Residents of Bowen Island in B.C.’s Lower Mainland are expressing their frustration after B.C. Ferries suspended service due to a mechanical issue — two days after an unrelated incident in which a ferry struck three docked boats.
Taking a ferry is one of the only ways to access Bowen Island, which is three kilometres off West Vancouver and whose population of around 4,200 people regularly takes the 20-minute ferry to the mainland for work and school.
But ferries to and from the island were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday after a floating dock shifted positions overnight and became misaligned, according to a B.C. Ferries spokesperson.
The ferry authority says it is now working to repair the dock and has sourced a 38-person water taxi to accommodate commuters during peak hours.
Residents of the small island are critical of the ferry authority in light of the cancellation, especially as it comes two days after three boats and a private dock were damaged by the departing Queen of Capilano ferry.
B.C. Ferries says the ferry collided with the boats as it departed from Snug Cove terminal around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, a crash that local RCMP said it was now investigating.
Brittany Yu’s wooden boat, which was built in the 1970s, was one of the boats severely damaged in the crash. She said she was disappointed that the departing ferry didn’t stop to check if anyone was injured.
“They left the scene. It was a hit and run basically,” she told CBC News.
“So they left and went back to Horseshoe Bay. I had to find out via, you know, a video and several phone calls.”
Daniel (Winadzi) James was on the Queen of Capilano ferry on Sunday morning when he caught video of a loud crunching sound as the ferry struck three docked boats at Snug Cove on Bowen Island.
The B.C. Ferries spokesperson said that the Snug Cove terminal presented unique navigational challenges, given its small size and limited space for maneuvering and strong winds and adverse weather at the time of the collision further complicated matters.
“With safety as the top priority, the captain made the decision to continue into open water rather than risk further complications in a confined space,” the spokesperson said.
“Additionally, the vessel needed to assess the cause of the issue and doing so in open water helped prevent any further incident.”
In response to a question from CBC News about whether it would compensate the owners of the damaged boats, the spokesperson would only say the ferry authority was determining its next steps.
While Yu says the ferry authority has promised to compensate her for the damage, the Bowen Island resident says it may be a lot of trouble to repair her vintage boat in the circumstances.
“I no longer feel safe staying on my boat with my kids in that spot,” she said.
“Because now that I know that this is a possibility, I don’t think it’s smart or wise to stay right there in that spot.”
Questions about ferry service
Daniel (Winadzi) James was on the ferry as it left Bowen Island on Sunday and captured video of the collision that he sent to the boat owners.
“From what I saw, the ferry veering back and forth after it left, I suspect it was a mechanical issue,” he said when asked what might have gone wrong.
The B.C. Ferries spokesperson said it was investigating whether the crash was due to high winds, a mechanical issue, or a combination of factors.
While the ferry cancellation two days later was unrelated to the boat collision, Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard says the service’s suspension feels like a lifeline being cut for the community.
“The cancellations [Wenesday], for example, mean that the dangerous cargo sailings, which bring heating oil and fuel and gasoline to the island, can’t get over,” he said. “Our gas station on the island is rationing fuel right now.”
The mayor says he’s made his concerns about ferry service known to B.C. Ferries and the island’s residents want to see more reliable and safe service going forward.