Residents of Bowen Island in B.C.’s Lower Mainland are expressing their frustration after B.C. Ferries suspended service due to a mechanical issue — two days after an unrelated incident in which a ferry struck three docked boats.
Taking a ferry is one of the only ways to access Bowen Island, which is three kilometres off West Vancouver and whose population of around 4,200 people regularly takes the 20-minute ferry to the mainland for work and school.
But ferries to and from the island were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday after a floating dock shifted positions overnight and became misaligned, according to a B.C. Ferries spokesperson.
The ferry authority says it is now working to repair the dock and has sourced a 38-person water taxi to accommodate commuters during peak hours.
Residents of the small island are critical of the ferry authority in light of the cancellation, especially as it comes …