WEST VANCOUVER, British Columbia — BC Ferries restarted sailings through Horseshoe Bay after a police incident aboard the Queen of Surrey halted loading, unloading and departures, delaying routes to Langdale, Bowen Island and Nanaimo. Emergency crews requested a terminalwide pause while West Vancouver police assisted a member of the public on board the vessel, April 19, 2026.
The West Vancouver Police Department said the incident was resolved shortly after 6 p.m., and officers were working to reopen the area to the public, according to a CityNews report on the Horseshoe Bay response. BC Ferries said earlier that emergency services had asked that no vessels arrive or depart while the situation was being managed.
BC Ferries sailings resume after terminalwide delays
The disruption rippled across three major Horseshoe Bay routes. The Queen of Surrey’s 12:10 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale departed at 7:06 p.m., while the 2:25 p.m. sailing left at 9:38 p.m., according to the BC Ferries departures and arrivals page. Several later Langdale sailings were canceled, and the Nanaimo route also saw long delays and cancellations.
The Bowen Island route was also hit, with multiple Queen of Capilano sailings listed as canceled before service resumed in the evening. A Times Colonist report carried by Castanet said the Queen of Surrey was held at the dock for hours while police worked to resolve the situation.
Passengers were urged to check route notices and sailing conditions before traveling, especially because the late-day restart left crews working through a backlog of vehicles and foot passengers. BC Ferries did not immediately release details about the person involved in the police response.
Queen of Surrey issues add to a difficult month
Sunday’s disruption followed a difficult stretch for the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route. In an April 15 report on a Queen of Surrey breakdown, CityNews said the vessel’s generator failed before a morning sailing, canceling several trips before service resumed later that afternoon.
Two days later, Gibsons Mayor Silas White called for a better contingency plan after repeated disruption on the Sunshine Coast route, telling CityNews, “This is our highway,” in an April 17 article on community frustration with BC Ferries. The latest police incident was separate from those mechanical problems, but it again exposed how quickly a single disruption at Horseshoe Bay can affect travelers across the Sunshine Coast, Bowen Island and Vancouver Island.
With service restored, the main advice for travelers remains unchanged: confirm sailing status before heading to the terminal, watch for revised departure times and expect residual delays after major service interruptions.
