QUEEN OF COWICHAN

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Latest news

Ferry turned around for medevac

Sailings of the 'Queen of Cowichan' between Metro Vancouver and Nanaimo saw major delays on the morning of April 6, 2024, after a medical emergency forced athe vessel to return to dock in Horseshoe Bay. The 8:25 a.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay on the 'Queen of Cowichan' turned around mid-voyage and returned to the mainland. As of 10:30 a.m. the vessel remained docked in Horseshoe Bay. The 'Queen of Cowichan''s next scheduled voyage was supposed to depart Nanaimo's Departure Bay terminal at 10:40 a.m. with the vessel is now operating 132 minutes late as a result of the earlier emergency.

Ferry returned to dock due to medical emergency

Travellers between Metro Vancouver and Nanaimo saw major delays in the morning of Feb 17, 2024, after a medical emergency forced a the 'Queen of Cowichan' to return to dock in Horseshoe Bay. The 8:25 a.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay on the 'Queen of Cowichan' turned around mid-voyage and returned to the mainland as a passenger was in need of immediate medical attention that requires the vessel to return to Horseshoe Bay. As of 10:30 a.m. the vessel remained docked in Horseshoe Bay. The Qnext scheduled voyage was supposed to depart Nanaimo's Departure Bay terminal at 10:40 a.m.

Sailings cancelled due to Covid-affected shortening of staff

Four sailings were cancelled on Jan 15, 2022, on the 'Queen of Cowichan' between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo due to staffing issues. Some sailings could still go ahead despite a shortage of employees but that depended on whether key staff was affected. B.C. Ferries has contingency plans in place as requested by the provincial health officer to deal with a rise in absenteeism as the Omicron variant swept through the province, and that included cross-training staff to do other duties or deploying them to different locations. Service notices were posted online as soon as possible. Passengers can check bcferries.com for cancellations before heading to a terminal. They can also sign up to get cancellation notices sent to their mobile devices.