Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal
Ferry terminal in British Columbia, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Horseshoe Bay is a major ferry terminal of BC Ferries in British Columbia, Canada. Located in the community of Horseshoe Bay, a neighbourhood of West Vancouver, the terminal provides a vehicle ferry link from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and to Bowen Island, a small island in the southern part of Howe Sound.
West Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
Horseshoe Bay | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A ferry departing the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | 6750 Keith Road West Vancouver, British Columbia Canada | ||||
| Coordinates | 49°22′35″N 123°16′16″W | ||||
| System | Ferry terminal | ||||
| Operator | BC Ferries | ||||
| Lines | Route 2–Departure Bay Route 3–Langdale Route 8–Snug Cove | ||||
| Bus routes | 3 | ||||
| Bus stands | 1 | ||||
| Bus operators | |||||
| Connections |
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| Construction | |||||
| Parking |
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| Accessible | yes | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | HSB[1] | ||||
| Website | www | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | 1951 | ||||
Original company | Black Ball Lines | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 1961 | Acquired by the Government of British Columbia[2] | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2024 | 3 542 240[Note 1]  0.78% | ||||
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Comprising three berths, Horseshoe Bay is the third largest BC Ferries terminal, after Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay.[citation needed]
History
In 1951, the Black Ball Line leased a wharf and began a service to Gibsons[2] (later relocated to Langdale).[3] The ferry landing at Horseshoe Bay opened on August 11, 1951, with the 48-car vessel Quillayute entering service.[4] In 1953, a new route to Departure Bay in Nanaimo was established.[5] In 1956, services to Bowen Island began when Black Ball replaced the Union Steamship Company of British Columbia.[6]
In 1961, the provincial government purchased the various Black Ball operations.[7] In the late 1960s, the terminal was reconstructed and expanded.[8][9] In 1976, a new upper deck loading ramp was built.[10]
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.[11] A $250 million upgrade of the terminal is planned for the 2020s.[12]
On March 28, 2022, the first seismic sensor for British Columbia's earthquake early warning system was installed at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.[13]
Popular culture
Ferry rides from Horseshoe Bay are described by fictional characters in the novel The Cat's Table, by Booker Prize-winning author Michael Ondaatje, and in the short story What is Remembered, by Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro.
Incidents and accidents
- 1966: Langdale Queen ran over a nearby rowboat; both occupants survived.[14]
- 1982: Queen of Surrey rammed the dock, causing significant damage.[15]
- 1985: Three occupants were killed when Queen of Cowichan ran over a pleasure boat near the terminal.[16]
- 1989: A structural steel load on an arriving truck shifted, striking seven parked vehicles and injuring two women in the holding lot.[17]
- 1990: After brakes failed, a loaded truck struck a parked van and spilled hot asphalt, killing two of the occupants and injuring others.[18] The truck driver received an 18-month sentence, increased to five years on appeal.[19] At a new trial, the driver was found guilty of dangerous driving but not criminal negligence.[20]
- 1991: Robbers stole $12,000 in coin from a safe at the terminal.[21]
- 1995: Queen of Coquitlam slammed into pilings, damaging its bow.[22]
- 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.[23]
- 2019: A crew member was significantly injured after being hit by the Queen of Cowichan's bow door, which was having trouble opening at the terminal.[24]
- 2022: A minor rock slide on January 2 closed the parkade for rock removal and structural repairs. The parkade was re-opened on May 18, 2022.[25][26]
- 2025: A TransLink bus crashed into the bus stop next to the foot passenger area killing a pedestrian and injuring another.[27]
Gallery
Cars lining up at the terminal.
A ferry departing the terminal.
Queen of Oak Bay departing the terminal.
Entrance to the terminal.
Queen of Capilano arrives at the terminal.
Notes
- Figures obtained for 2023 & 2024 from adding the passengers counted at Horseshoe Bay from the routes 2, 3, and 8 in each month of the calendar year.[1] The figures under "Total Prev Year" are not used because those denote fiscal years instead of calendar years. The total passenger count at Horseshoe Bay for 2023 was 3 514 666.