Departure Bay is a major ferry terminal in
Nanaimo
Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
owned and operated by
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle fer ...
that provides ferry service across the
Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia (french: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada and the extreme northwestern mainland coast ...
to
Horseshoe Bay in
West Vancouver
West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is to the northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English Ba ...
. The terminal is located at the southern end of
Departure Bay.
Unlike Nanaimo's other major ferry terminal (
Duke Point), Departure Bay has public transit connections.
History
Beginning in 1951, the
Black Ball Line originally ran its ferry service from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay using the ferries ''
Kahloke'' and ''
Chinook''. In November 1961, BC Ferries took over service by acquiring the Black Ball Line.
Prior to the opening of the
Duke Point ferry terminal
Duke Point is a major ferry terminal owned and operated by BC Ferries that provides ferry service across the Strait of Georgia to Tsawwassen. The ferry terminal is located at Duke Point in Nanaimo and is the only major terminal in the BC Ferries ...
in 1997, Departure Bay had regular ferry service to
Tsawwassen
Tsawwassen ( ) is a suburban, mostly residential community on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the City of Delta in British Columbia, Canada. It provides the only road access to the American territory on the southern tip of the peninsul ...
. This change occurred to alleviate traffic flow in Nanaimo.
Notes
References
External links
Departure Bay ferry schedule
BC Ferries
Transport in Nanaimo
Ferry terminals in British Columbia
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