NANAIMO — A lack of available crew is causing some headaches for area travellers.
BC Ferries have cancelled two sailings between Nanaimo’s Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, with both the 7:40 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. departures removed from the schedule.
Corresponding trips from Vancouver to Nanaimo at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. are also cancelled. All affected sailings are serviced by the Queen of Alberni, which does not have enough crew to sail.
“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,” a BC Ferries service notice read.
Crewing issues also caused a delay on the 5:15 a.m. sailing from Duke Point to Tsawwassen with the boat having to wait for around 45 minutes for crew to arrive.
BC Ferries have been forced to issue multiple service notices in recent days and weeks warning of potential cancellations due to a lack of crew.
Most were rescinded when the appropriate number of workers were found, however sailing cancellations have been common place through the summer.
The company went on a hiring spree earlier in the year and its work force is at its largest during the busy summer months with thousands of temporary, casual workers trained to work both on vessels and at terminals.
More information on sailing cancellations is available on the BC Ferries website.
Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening
info@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @Nanaimonewsnow