Editor:
On behalf of all of us at BC Ferries, I would like to extend my sincere apologies for the effect our service interruption had on the lives of our customers when the Queen of Surrey made contact with the berth at Langdale terminal on March 26. We know many of our customers had their plans disrupted that day with the vessel being out of service.
I would also like to express my gratitude to the many individuals and organizations that responded quickly with assistance, including Seaspan, the coast guard, Lloyd’s Register, West Coast Marine Response, Sunshine Coast Water Taxi, Cormorant Marine, BC Transit and Transport Canada and others. We thank them for their efforts at the time of the incident, and in the days that followed.
Safety is our highest value, and we are thankful that no passengers were injured in this incident, and that there were no environmental consequences. A thorough investigation is underway to determine exactly what happened.
While the Queen of Surrey is undergoing repairs, we have redeployed vessels from across the fleet so we can continue to provide scheduled service between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay.
I’ve heard from many passengers who were on board the Queen of Surrey that day that our crew and terminal staff acted calmly and professionally. We are grateful for the way they handled this unexpected situation and our employees likewise have expressed their gratitude for the patience, kindness and respect they received from our customers throughout the day.
Incidents like these are never easy. We know that customers on board had places to go and appointments to keep, and their plans were disrupted. For that, we are truly sorry. We will be reviewing the findings of the investigation and the processes by which this incident was handled to ensure we apply all lessons learned going forward.
Corrine Storey, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, BC Ferries
