MV ''Quinitsa'' is an automobile

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

operated by

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, State-owned enterprise, publicly owned Canadian c ...

. It was built in 1977 by Vancouver Shipyards in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. The ferry was originally part of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways' (MoT) saltwater ferry fleet until 1985, when the MoT's saltwater ferries—including ''Quinitsa''—were transferred to BC Ferries. The 50-car ''Quinitsa'' began service in 1977 on the

Nanaimo Harbour Nanaimo Harbour, also known as the Port of Nanaimo, is a natural Harbor, harbour on the east coast of Vancouver Island in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. The city of Nanaimo runs along the west ...

↔

Gabriola Island Gabriola Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia (BC), Canada. It is about east of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, to which it is linked by a 20-minute ferry service. It has a land area of about and a resi ...

ferry route, replacing the 30-car ''Kahloke''. Like her predecessor, the ''Quinitsa'' soon became too small and in June 1982, the larger 70-car entered service, replacing ''Quinitsa''. For the rest of 1982 and for most of 1983, she was loaned to BC Ferries. She operated on a variety of routes, including Horseshoe Bay ↔

Bowen Island Bowen Island (; ), British Columbia, is an island municipality that is part of Metro Vancouver, and within the jurisdiction of the Islands Trust. Located in Howe Sound, it is approximately wide by long, and at its closest point is about w ...

Swartz Bay Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former pr ...

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Fulford Harbour Fulford Harbour is a residential community on the southeast side of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, located near the island's southern end. Fulford Harbour is the site of a BC Ferries terminal with regular ferry service to Swartz Bay on Va ...

, and she also served the

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands is a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia Coast, mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia", the original term used by Geor ...

from Swartz Bay. Upon returning to the MoT, she was placed on the

Buckley Bay Buckley Bay is a geographical location on the east coast of Vancouver Island, located between Union Bay to the north and Fanny Bay to the south. It is the departure point for the BC Ferries crossing of Baynes Sound to Denman Island and on ...

↔

Denman Island Denman Island, (also known by Sla-dai-aich or Taystayic, in the Comox language), is one of the Northern Gulf Islands and part of the Comox Valley Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member of the Islands Trust group of ...

route until 2019, when she replaced the

Howe Sound Queen Howe may refer to: People and fictional characters * Howe (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters * Howe Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845), Irish peer and colonial governor Titles * Earl Howe, two titles, an ex ...

on the Crofton ↔

Vesuvius Bay Vesuvius, also known as Vesuvius Bay, is an unincorporated settlement and ferry terminal on the northwest coast of Saltspring Island in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It is the eastern terminus of a ferry which connects Saltsprin ...

(Salt Spring Island) route and remains there on a temporary basis as of 2024. In 2008, she received a mid-life upgrade where she received new engines and generators, as well as a rebuilt bridge structure and a refurbished passenger cabin. In 2018, when unscheduled repairs to ''Queen of Cumberland'' required to carry traffic between

Pender Island Pender Island ( Saanich: ) is the collective name for two Southern Gulf Islands located in the Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. The Pender Islands, consisting of North Pender Island and South Pender Island, have a combined area of approxim ...

and Swartz Bay in addition to between Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay, ''Quinitsa'' was stationed at Fulford Harbour to provide additional sailings during peak demand on those routes, and to handle some dangerous cargo sailings.

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinitsa Q-class ferries 1977 ships Ships built in North Vancouver