Busy BC Ferries sailings cancelled due to staffing issues
Posted February 6, 2022 10:00 am.
Last Updated February 6, 2022 1:03 pm.
A staffing issue has led to several cancellations Sunday for a popular BC Ferries route between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.
The Queen of Surrey was pulled from service Sunday morning, impacting at least four sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale.
The affected sailings include the 10:50 a.m. from Langdale, the 11:55 a.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay as well as the 1:05 p.m. leaving Langdale and the 2:10 p.m. from Horseshoe Bay.
#BCFHeadsUp #HorseshoeBay –#Langdale #QueenOfSurrey the following sailings will be cancelled today due to a crew shortage.
1050 ex LANG
1155 ex HSB
1305 ex LANG
1410 ex HSBWe appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience due to these cancellations. ^lo
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) February 6, 2022
BC Ferries said the unplanned cancellations are due to several factors, including the vaccine policies and the global shortage of professional mariners.
Under Transport Canada regulations, each vessel is required to have a minimum number of crew members on board to ensure the safety of its passengers.
A vaccine mandate for all employees who work on board the ferries took effect at the end of January, the remaining BC Ferries employees will be required to be fully vaccinated by Feb. 28.
Related Articles:
-
Planning a ferry trip? BC Ferries warns of possible service disruptions
-
BC Ferries service disruptions still possible due to COVID, flu, weather
-
Parkade at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal closed after rockslide
Both BC Ferries and the BC Ferry Workers’ Union had warned of service disruptions if even one or two high-ranking mariners is unable to work.
As a result of the staffing issues, made worse due to the Omicron variant, BC Ferries said it is working to train more people, redeploy staff from one location to another, and pay overtime to incentivize employees to cover the gaps.
