BC Ferries sailings cancelled Sunday night due to lack of crew
BC Ferries cancelled two sailings between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland on Sunday because of a lack of crew.
The 9:30 p.m. sailing from Departure Bay in Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver on the Queen of Alberni was cancelled, as was the return voyage scheduled for 11:40 p.m.
Earlier in the day, BC Ferries had issued a service notice indicating that some sailings on the route were in jeopardy because of crew availability. Enough available workers were found to keep the rest of the scheduled sailings on the route running.
The ferry service said staff would be contacting customers with reservations on the cancelled sailings to let them know if space is available on an alternate sailing or if their booking must be cancelled.
"In the case of a cancellation, we will refund fees and/or fares," BC Ferries said in a service notice.
The Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay route was not the only one to see cancellations on Sunday. Several sailings on the vessel Quinsam between Crofton on Vancouver Island and Vesuvius on Salt Spring Island were cancelled, as well.
BC Ferries said all of the vessel's sailings in both directions from 6:45 p.m. on had been cancelled.
Two water taxis, with a total capacity of 18 passengers, will operate on the route in place of the cancelled Quinsam sailings, the ferry service said.
"We require a specific number of crew members on board the vessel to ensure the safety of our passengers in the unlikely event of an emergency and to comply with Transport Canada regulations," BC Ferries said. "The decision to cancel a sailing in these circumstances is made when we have exhausted all options to find replacement crew. That said, if circumstances change and replacement crew become available, we will notify customers immediately."
The company has been struggling with limited crew availability and periodic sailing cancellations for months.
Last month, just a week before former CEO Mark Collins was dismissed, BC Ferries said the level of absenteeism among employees had doubled from where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
At any given time, a spokesperson said, approximately 11 per cent of the ferry service's employees are unavailable because of illness, vacation, or other reasons.
The company advises travellers to check its Twitter account or visit the current conditions page on its website for the most up-to-date sailing and departure information.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Democrat who ran on abortion rights flips seat in deeply conservative Alabama
Marilyn Lands, who campaigned on abortion rights in deeply conservative Alabama, won a special election to the Alabama Legislature, in a victory that Democrats say illustrates voter backlash to extreme reproductive restrictions imposed by Republicans.