Northern Adventure resumes scheduled service, but with some fences to mend with residents, Island officials and travellers to and from Haida Gwaii

The Northern Adventure is back in service after a one week
suspension of service owing to staffing issues related to COVID

The  BC Ferry vessel Northern  Adventure returned to service this past weekend, with the first journey out of Prince Rupert taking the vessel to Port Hardy with stops at Central Coast communities on both legs of the trip.

Today, the vessel made its first passenger run to Haida Gwaii since last weeks cancellations, the vessel currently making its way back to dock in Prince Rupert after having made the crossing earlier this morning.

BC Ferries vessel tracker following the travels
of the Northern Adventure this afternoon
(From BC Ferries website)

The return to service comes after a one week suspension of service owing to staffing issues, eventually to be attributed to COVID by BC Ferry officials.

Last week, travellers and  Haida Gwaii residents and officials were making their disappointment known far and wide about the suspended service and lack of any tangible back up plans to restore service at the time. 

And as we noted last week, the week long suspension of service was a situation that also put North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice in the spotlight .

The topic was one of note on CBC Daybreak North on April 28th, you can listen in to some of that discussion here, it starts about the thirty seven minutes into the broadcast.

For the MLA the lack of information offered by BC Ferries was of concern to her, though she notes that the Ferry service operates independently of government and it's not her role to be their communication manager.

As part of the radio interview with CBC Radio's Carolina de Ryk, Ms Rice spoke to the question of what needs to happen to ensure that people who need to travel necessarily are provided for. 

Ms. Rice observed, that that Ferry dependent communities such as those on Haida Gwaai, North Coast and Central Coast need to be prioritized,  though she offered no indication as to what she believes BC Ferries should do to provide for that.

As to whether there should be more provincial control, the MLA recounted her thoughts on the past service under the Liberal government and on some of the changes the NDP government has put in place since taking power.

She spoke of how the government continues to create changes to allow for public interest to be considered, with rate reductions and service improvements as well as changes to the BC Coastal Ferries Act., noting how it needs more teeth.

As for what's ahead for the summer and any possible replay of the situation from last week ...

Ms. Rice observed how she had spoken with the Minister of Transportation on the issue, especially last week, stating they are trying to find solutions to ensure these kinds of situations don't happen again,  but noting that those changes  won't come quickly and how it's not as simple and straightforward as people think it is, owing to the private company status of BC Ferries.

The day before, CBC Radio had spoken with a resident on Haida Gwaii Mo Bailey, who had outlined a number of concerns over the suspended service and the impact on the communities on the Island. 

That conversation can be reviewed here, starting at the fifty one minute mark.

The topic of the suspended ferry service was also featured on TV7 last week, with a number of political officials on the Islands speaking out on the situation, expressing their ongoing frustration with the level of service provided to and from Prince Rupert.

That discussion on the situation can be explored here.

More notes on the recent suspension of service and other themes of BC Ferries on the North Coast can be explored from our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.