Horseshoe Bay is a major ferry terminal owned and operated by

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle fer ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. Located in the community of Horseshoe Bay, a neighbourhood of

West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is to the northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English Ba ...

, the terminal provides a vehicle ferry link from the Lower Mainland to

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

, the

Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...

, and to Bowen Island, a small island in the southern part of

Howe Sound Howe Sound (french: Baie (de /d')Howe, squ, Átl'ka7tsem, Nexwnéwu7ts, Txwnéwu7ts) is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosp ...

. Comprising three berths, Horseshoe Bay is the third largest BC Ferries terminal, after Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay.

Establishment and expansion

In 1951, the Black Ball Line leased a wharf and began a service to Gibsons (later relocated to Langdale). In 1953, a new route to Departure Bay in

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was ...

was established. In 1956, services to Bowen Island began when Black Ball replaced the Union Steamship Company of British Columbia. In 1961, the provincial government purchased the various Black Ball operations. In the late 1960s, the terminal was reconstructed and expanded. In 1976, a new upper deck loading ramp was built. In 2002, substantial improvements were completed at a cost of $39 million, which primarily addressed traffic awaiting embarkation on ferries. Holding stalls increased from 650 to 1,265 by absorbing former highway, removing a freeway bridge and truck runaway lane, and reconfiguring a highway interchange. Additional construction included a 450-car underground parkade and new buildings for foot passengers, amenities and maintenance. A $250 million upgrade of the terminal is planned for the 2020s. On March 28, 2022, the first seismic sensor for British Columbia's

earthquake early warning An earthquake warning system or earthquake early warning system is a system of accelerometers, seismometers, communication, computers, and alarms that is devised for notifying adjoining regions of a substantial earthquake while it is in progr ...

system was installed at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.

Incidents and accidents

* 1966: ''

Langdale Queen ''Asbury Park'' was a high-speed coastal steamer built in Philadelphia, and intended to transport well-to-do persons from New York to summer homes on the New Jersey shore. This vessel was sold to West Coast interests in 1918, and later converted ...

'' ran over a nearby rowboat, on which both occupants survived. * 1982: ''

Queen of Surrey MV ''Queen of Surrey'' is a double-ended roll-on/roll-off ferry in the BC Ferries fleet. The ship was launched in 1980 and entered service in 1981. The ferry normally operates on BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route. She is named for t ...

'' rammed the dock causing significant damage. * 1985: Three occupants were killed when '' Queen of Cowichan'' ran over a pleasure boat near the terminal. * 1989: A structural steel load on an arriving truck shifted, striking seven parked vehicles and injuring two women in the holding lot. * 1990: After brakes failed, a loaded truck struck a parked van and spilled hot asphalt, killing two of the occupants and injuring others. The truck driver received an 18-month sentence, increased to five years on appeal. At a new trial, the driver was found guilty of dangerous driving but not criminal negligence. * 1991: Robbers stole $12,000 in coin from a safe at the terminal. * 1995: '' Queen of Coquitlam'' slammed into pilings, damaging its bow. * 2005: '' Queen of Oak Bay'' lost control and smashed into a number of private boats at the marina in Horseshoe Bay; no fatalities were reported. * 2019: A crew member was significantly injured after being hit by the ''Queen of Cowichans bow door which was having trouble opening at the terminal. * 2022: A minor rock slide on January 2, 2022 closed the parkade for rock removal and structural repairs. May 19 is the target reopening date.

Gallery

File:Horshbay-ferry-lineup.jpg, Cars lining up at the terminal. File:Horshbay-ferry-dep.jpg, A ferry departing the terminal. File:Queenofoakbay-horshbay.jpg, ''Queen of Oak Bay'' departing the terminal. File:Horshbay-ferrytermin-entrance.jpg, Entrance to the terminal. File:Queenofcapilano-horshbay.jpg, ''Queen of Capilano'' arrives at the terminal.

Notes

References

{{BC Ferries , state=expanded BC Ferries Transport in Greater Vancouver Transport in West Vancouver Ferry terminals in British Columbia