UPDATED NOVEMBER 2 BC Ferries has extended the overnight drilling at the Westview ferry terminal by another night. Work will be taking place tonight, November 2, from 9:30 pm to 8 am.
Originally, crews working at replacing the berth at the Westview ferry terminal were installing steel piles over three nights, October 30, October 31 and November 1. BC Ferries announced the additional night November 2.
The berth at the Westview terminal is unavailable for use between the hours of 11 pm and 6:30 am on those four nights.
BC Ferries issued the notice of the berth closure on Wednesday, October 30.
Darin Guenette, BC Ferries’ manager of public affairs, said it was anticipated that windows of night work would have to occur. The contractor gives short notice of that work, he added, as the windows open up. The work will take place between 9:30 pm and 8 am.
Normal operations won’t be affected by the closure, Guenette explained, however, BC Ferries won’t be able to respond to emergency calls from Texada Island.
The schedule on the Powell River-Comox route returned to normal on Thursday, October 31. The schedule had been modified, starting October 17, to facilitate pile drilling and driving at the Little River ferry terminal in Comox.
Additionally, the Island Sky, the usual vessel on the Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route, went on the Powell River-Comox route on Thursday as well, replacing the Queen of Burnaby, which went in for annual maintenance. The Island Sky just came out of refit and will stay on the route all through the terminal closures until the work is completed in March and both terminals are reopened.
Guenette said the Island Sky uses the same heavy-weather matrix as the Burnaby and BC Ferries doesn’t expect increased delays or cancellations.
The upgrades to the ferry terminals are scheduled in two stages. From January 12 to February 7, 2014, both the Westview and Little River terminals will be closed. There are a variety of alternative service plans during that time.
For complete details, interested readers should follow the links on BC Ferries’ website.
Crews working at replacing the berth at the Westview ferry terminal will be installing steel piles starting tonight, October 30, and continuing on Thursday and Friday nights, October 31 and November 1.
The berth at the Westview terminal will be unavailable for use between the hours of 11 pm and 6:30 am on those three nights, when drilling activity is taking place.
BC Ferries issued the notice of the berth closure on Wednesday, October 30.
Darin Guenette, BC Ferries’ manager of public affairs, said it was anticipated that windows of night work would have to occur. The contractor gives short notice of that work, he added, as the windows open up. The work will take place between 9:30 pm and 8 am.
Normal operations won’t be affected by the closure, Guenette explained, however, BC Ferries won’t be able to respond to emergency calls from Texada Island. “BC Ambulance is really the one that needs to know this and they do,” he said. “If they have an emergency, they have a list.”
First, they go to BC Ferries, Guenette said, then they go to the Canadian Coast Guard. “They just know that we’re not available during these hours for three nights.”
The schedule on the Powell River-Comox route is returning to normal tomorrow, October 31. The schedule had been modified, starting October 17, to facilitate pile drilling and driving at the Little River ferry terminal in Comox.
Guenette said that now that work has been completed, similar work will start at the Westview terminal. “Westview can do it during the night so they wouldn’t have to affect service at all.”
Another change that starts tomorrow is that the Island Sky, the usual vessel on the Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route, is going on the Powell River-Comox route, replacing the Queen of Burnaby, which is going in for annual maintenance. The Island Sky just came out of refit and will stay on the route all through the terminal closures until the work is completed in March and both terminals are reopened.
The upgrades to the ferry terminals are scheduled in two stages. From January 12 to February 7, 2014, both the Westview and Little River terminals will be closed. There are a variety of alternative service plans during that time.
The Island Sky has the same heavy-weather matrix, or a grading of weather conditions to determine if it’s safe to sail, as the Burnaby, Guenette added. “People were thinking, it’s open, it seems smaller physically, it must not be able to operate in the same kind of weather,” he said. “It’s the same weather operating conditions. We don’t anticipate any increased delays or cancellations because of weather than we would have if the Burnaby had been there.”
For complete details, interested readers should follow the links on BC Ferries’ website.
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