Nanaimo's Duke Point terminal will be part of a month long pilot project involving an overnight commercial vehicle sailing to Tsawwassen. (Ken Walker/Wikimedia Commons)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LATE NIGHT CROSSING

Overnight commercial sailings planned between Duke Point & Tsawwassen

Sep 1, 2021 | 12:24 PM

NANAIMO — More ferries will shuttle commercial goods to and from Vancouver Island.

Beginning Sept. 7, BC Ferries will operate one round trip sailing between Tsawwassen and Duke Point in the late night and overnight hours.

Four days a week, from Monday to Thursday, the Queen of New Westminster will leave Tsawwassen at 9:15 p.m. with a return departure from Duke Point at 12:15 a.m.

“We’re really targeting our commercial customers, as well as our drop trailer business,” Deborah Marshall, BC Ferries spokesperson said. “We know there’s demand to get goods to Vancouver Island and back.”

The sailings will also be open to a limited number of cars and passengers, although no catering services will be offered on the crossings.

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Reservations are recommended for under height vehicle passengers, with BC Ferries running a reduced crew on the late night sailing.

“We need a certain amount of crew to safely evacuate in the unlikely event of an emergency,” Marshall told NanaimoNewsNOW. “If we’re sailing with fewer crew, we’re permitted by Transport Canada to carry fewer passengers.”

The ship will operate as normal under the reduced crew, including the sounding of the ship’s whistle on departure from Duke Point.

Marshall said she didn’t foresee it being an issue given the lack of homes in the Duke Point area, however whistles from departures at the terminal can be easily heard on Gabriola Island.

BC Ferries said the pilot project is in response to an increase of e-commerce deliveries as well as a demand for groceries and general freight.

The pilot project will run through to Oct. 7, at which point the company will determine how to proceed based on customer feedback.

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