|
|
Post by ferryrider42 on Jul 28, 2007 20:16:37 GMT -8
Paraphrasing some lady at BCFerries...
Two boats have already left outbound, two more will depart soon. The Naniamo will handle the gulf islands.
Things seem the getting under control. So long as route two dosn't get too much volume.
|
|
|
|
Post by Retrovision on Jul 28, 2007 20:17:00 GMT -8
8:30 pm update
|
|
Mirrlees
Voyager 
Bathtub!
Deck Engineer- Queen of Richmond
Posts: 1,013
|
Post by Mirrlees on Jul 28, 2007 20:27:07 GMT -8
It looks like the Queen of Nanaimo is just staying at Long Harbour. She hasent moved all evening! The New West is on route to Duke Point. Alberni is on route to HSB. It has been a crazy day today for BC Ferries! She's at Tsawwassen along with Bowen Queen. |
|
|
|
Post by Retrovision on Jul 28, 2007 20:34:56 GMT -8
8:45 pm update
|
|
Mirrlees
Voyager
Bathtub!
Deck Engineer- Queen of Richmond
Posts: 1,013
|
Post by Mirrlees on Jul 28, 2007 20:38:21 GMT -8
Update- the Nanaimo is now half way across the stait heading for the islands.
|
|
|
|
Post by ferryrider42 on Jul 28, 2007 21:06:17 GMT -8
10:00pm CKNW
Police have now finished combing the terminal. Debrash Marshall says the Spirit of Vancouver Island has now left for Swartz bay. With this the back log is now cleared out, and Tsawwassen is empty.
Full service is expected to resume tommorow morning. Delta police report that nothing suspicious was found as a result of their search. Additionally, police have so far been unable to identify the specific caller.
|
|
|
|
Post by Coastal Drought on Jul 28, 2007 21:38:09 GMT -8
Its a good thing to hear that things are slowly getting back to normal.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hardy on Jul 28, 2007 21:58:48 GMT -8
Now there's a strange sense of nostalgia, having the Alberni sailing Rte2! I bet that this won't happen again in normal operation ever again...
As for the decisions to cancel sailings, or close terminals, I do not think that BCFS had much choice other than to react how it did. Whether the reported bomb scare checked out or not, it was NOT simply the discovery of an unattended backpack on the car deck -- there was a 9-1-1 call reporting SOMETHING onboard or at the terminal -- and these MUST be taken at face value.
I am glad to see that the various agencies responsible stepped in, but this highlights that there are some serious shortcomings in the current contingency plans in general. Seeing that initially there was only 1 sniffer dog assigned (later augmented to three) leads me to beleive that we are woefully not ready. I am not sure of the "home locales" of the bomb sniffing dogs, but from what I have been able to gather these 3 were deployed: RCMP "E" div specialized, City of Vancouver ERT and one flown in by chopper from Victoria (Can anyone confirm helos inbound to Tsawwassen terminal???). I would think that with the Olympics coming soon, that the GVRD would have a larger capacity in this regard.
By my count now, this is the 4th security related incident that has resulted in partial suspension or long delay of service within the last year.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian on Jul 28, 2007 21:59:43 GMT -8
Global News on TV at 11pm
Check it out quick
|
|
|
|
Post by Retrovision on Jul 28, 2007 22:10:12 GMT -8
BBC News on Sattelite on the hour tonight Check it out quick   If you have some discretion, check out CTV News local at 11:30 pm on its own with or without global ;D |
|
|
|
Post by ferryrider42 on Jul 28, 2007 22:18:31 GMT -8
The supply of dogs seems adequate to me, and so does their current deployment. Spread them out so you can get one to any area fast. Then if you need more dog-power you can fly them in.
Granted for the Olympics Vancouver will need more, but surely these can be rented on a short term basis. Vancouver doesn’t need a large force of dogs to deal with situations like this that only arise once every few years.
The current system has the local dog taking care of the immediate danger immediately. As for searching everyone in the compound that was just being prudent, not what I see as something that needs immediate attention; those people can wait.
|
|
|
|
Post by Retrovision on Jul 28, 2007 22:29:40 GMT -8
That last post of mine was parody only, of course, but I'll leave it as is like an artist leaves a canvas No, I do not know if this story was featured on BBC's World News service on sattelite, but my dad, who's house has the sattelite connection, assures me that, for example, recent striking of oil in Burnaby was covered by the BBC Word service, in comparison. |
|
|
|
Post by hwy19man on Jul 28, 2007 22:33:31 GMT -8
This unfortunate incident made the news in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska states.
|
|
|
|
Post by hwy19man on Jul 28, 2007 22:39:55 GMT -8
Its a good thing to hear that things are slowly getting back to normal. Take a look at the Tsawwassen tower camera looking outside the terminal! Vehicles are backed up beyond the camera's viewing range. Things are quiet and normal now but for tomorrow morning it sure won't be normal. When was the last time a route thirty 515h sailing and\or route one 700h sailing on a Sunday morning was\were filled up? Or even the first two sailings on each route? |
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Jul 28, 2007 22:41:04 GMT -8
What a night! And I was sort of in the middle of it and didn't even know it;) We arrived at Departure Bay at about 6:50PM to get the 7:20... and were surprised to see traffic lined up down the street outside the terminal. Didn't expect that on a Saturday night. The Queen of Cowichan was a bit late.. nothing unusual. Once we were on the ferry I heard a few different people mention the word "bomb" and "threat".. but still didn't really know what was going on. Then the Queen of Alberni sailed into Departure Bay - empty.. so then I knew something was up. Unfortunately I couldn't get a photo. My wife was off changing a diaper and I was eating a BC burger and my daughter was eating a hotdog... and despite the overwhelming urge to leave my 2 year old with a table full of food, bags, and a stroller to go get a unique photo... I resisted and let the scene etch itself into my memory. Back on topic - around that time I overheard someone talking about the incident on their cell phone.
Then in the gift shop I heard the lady say that they had "voted" to do an extra round trip tonigh... and when I asked her what had happened.. she (nicely) said she couldn't say much. She gave my daughter free BC Ferries crayons for the ferry coloring book she bought;) Once we got out of Horseshoe Bay.. I noticed about 50 cars parked outside the toll booths.. I'm assuming they were headed for Nanaimo.
I heard a few people say that this was the 4th time this has happened in the last few months or the last year. However, I don't recall anything of this magnitude in recent memory.. wouldn't it have come up on the forum? This is pretty big news.. we're already on page 3 of this thread a few hours later - this type of incident hasn't happened since this forum was started a few years ago.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mac Write on Jul 28, 2007 22:56:04 GMT -8
Well I was in the middle of a Skytrain traffic jam (never ever seen that before). Long story short left mainstreet (and of course the alarm went off) and then near VCC-Clark we ground to a hault. 6-10+ trains ahead of us to get into Broadway station. You heard me 6-10+ trains ahead of us seperated by 2 car space. "Medical Emergency" was the word (found out from Skytrain person at Braid someone had jumped in front of a train) and "Shuttle bus' between Naniamo and Joyce was another word (when we got on the next train at Broadway, it went straight through, a Skytrain attendant was standing on a char on the other side!). Left waterfront@9PM arrived at New West (after our train going out of service@Broadway) 10PM. Got photos of the train parked behind us. Oh and the big group yelling and screaming at broadway to then hear about this bomb threat when I get picked up at Braid. Geez bad day today.
|
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 28, 2007 23:02:12 GMT -8
This is pretty big news.. we're already on page 3 of this thread a few hours later - this type of incident hasn't happened since this forum was started a few years ago. It's interesting reading the forum tonight in the "last 40 posts" view. It's almost exclusively posts on the bomb-thread thread, but the occasional random WSF thread post seems out of place. Those "WSF-only" fellows are missing out on our hot story. But they're having their own hot-story talking about the Elwha's repairs and other breaking-news items such as that... It's like we are 2 separate worlds, all on 1 forum. Sshhh: don't post so loud, or else those WSFers might find out that we're here.... ;D |
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 28, 2007 23:06:36 GMT -8
I just checked the BCFS website GPS page, and there are 3 C-Class ships within Departure Bay (the bay, not just the terminal berths), at the same time. This at 0:05 hours.
Alberni, Coquitlam, and Cowichan.
That would be a good photo, in the daylight, from Departure Bay Beach.
|
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Jul 28, 2007 23:18:18 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by BreannaF on Jul 28, 2007 23:23:06 GMT -8
For posterity:  Vessel Status Destination Last Update Queen of Cowichan Under Way Horseshoe Bay 0:08 AM Queen of Oak Bay In Port Horseshoe Bay 0:09 AM Queen of Coquitlam In Port Departure Bay 0:07 AM Queen of Alberni Under Way Departure Bay 0:08 AM Though you can't see all 3 icons at Departure Bay....... But they are there. |
|
|
|
Post by BreannaF on Jul 28, 2007 23:29:41 GMT -8
Those "WSF-only" fellows are missing out on our hot story. But they're having their own hot-story talking about the Elwha's repairs and other breaking-news items such as that... It's like we are 2 separate worlds, all on 1 forum. Sshhh: don't post so loud, or else those WSFers might find out that we're here.... ;D Been following every word from here -- but there's not much to contribute from down south here. Pretty exciting watching it unfold, though..... And........ appreciating the fact that the news is getting passed along so quickly! |
|
|
|
Post by hwy19man on Jul 28, 2007 23:33:20 GMT -8
Queen of NW is slowly docking into TSA right now on the satellite map. Soon I guess we'll see the Alberni heading for Duke Point.
|
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Jul 28, 2007 23:34:44 GMT -8
Looks like the causeway is one big campsite tonight. One guy with his big camper is camping out at Departure Bay it seems. I guess the overheights are full. There's also a line of cars waiting to board the Langdale ferry at Horseshoe Bay it seems. Do they let people stay overnight if they miss the last ferry?
|
|
|
|
Post by Retrovision on Jul 28, 2007 23:36:35 GMT -8
My only question is if the last sailing promised from HSB to Dep Bay sails in revenue service. |
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Jul 28, 2007 23:42:16 GMT -8
According to current conditions it's 14% full. Don't know if they're still selling tickets.. I suppose they would be.
|
|
