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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ferry’s loss bad economic news

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

PRINCE RUPERT, British Columbia – Before the Queen of the North ferry sank in Wright Sound on Wednesday, it was the “main driver” of the economy in isolated coastal communities with hundreds of residents, and its loss could be devastating, local officials say.

The ferry, carrying 101 passengers and crew, hit a rock early Wednesday and sank about an hour later, after those aboard took to life rafts in choppy seas and bone-chilling 45 mph winds. Two people are missing and presumed drowned.

On Friday, attention began to turn to the impact of the sinking on the northern British Columbia coast.

Towns and villages there and in the Queen Charlotte Islands relied on the 409-foot ferry to provide much more than a scenic ride for tourists on regular runs between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy at the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

Many communities lack roads and depended mainly on ferry service for food and general cargo. In most cases, the only alternatives are float planes and barges.

“For the people on the Queen Charlotte Islands, it’s their only conduit to the mainland for groceries, medical supplies and goods and services,” said Steve Smith, general manager of the Crest Hotel in Prince Rupert and chairman of a regional ferry advisory committee. “A lot of stuff moves on the water.”

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski has offered to allow the state ferry Matanuska to stop in Prince Rupert on its regular weekly runs between Ketchikan, Alaska, and Bellingham.

The Matanuska can carry 499 passengers and 88 vehicles, compared with 700 passengers and 115 for the Queen of the North, which covered a 280-mile route.

In Shearwater, Doug Sharkey, retired and a member of the local chamber of commerce, said 90 percent of the food for that part of the coast comes by ferry, as well as all building materials and manufactured goods.