BC Ferries is redeploying several ships in the Powell River area to accommodate vessel refits and major terminal construction at the Westview (Powell River) and Little River (Comox) terminals.
The MV Island Sky, which usually sails between Earls Cove and Saltery Bay, will be replaced by the Queen of Chilliwack from Sept. 12 through mid-March 2014. The regular schedule will remain in effect on this Northern Sunshine Coast route.
The MV Island Sky will undergo a scheduled drydocking and maintenance refit from Sept. 12 until Oct. 30. On Oct. 31, the MV Island Sky will replace the Queen of Burnaby on the Comox–Powell River route.
The Queen of Burnaby will proceed to a scheduled drydocking and additional ship maintenance at the end of October until late December. After completion of this work and crew training, this ship will be temporarily redeployed to the Tsawwassen–Southern Gulf Islands route to replace the Queen of Nanaimo for its refit beginning in early January.
The Queen of Burnaby will return to the Comox–Powell River route mid-March, after completion of the Westview and Little River terminal rebuilds.
“In addition to conducting regular refits on our vessels, we are in the process of completely upgrading the marine structures at our Little River and Westview terminals to provide safe and reliable service for another 40 years,” said Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ Vice
President of Engineering. “While we are making every effort to minimize disruption to our service to accommodate this approximately $30 million project, it is necessary to temporarily
close both terminals and adjust sailing schedules to complete the work.
"We apologize for the inconvenience and we are doing everything we can to ensure the continued safety and reliability of our ships and terminals.”
A modified schedule, which will provide four round trips, will be in place on the Comox–Powell River route from Oct. 17 to 30 to accommodate pile driving for the projects at Westview and Little River.
— BC Ferries