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{{Short description|British Columbian ferry}}
{{about||the earlier steamship of the same name|Queen of the North (steamship)|other uses|Queen of the North (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=April 2012}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Queen of the North @ Prince Rupert.jpg
|Ship caption=MV ''Queen of the North''
}}
{{Infobox ship career|Hide header=
|Ship country=Sweden
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Sweden|civil}}
|Ship name=''Stena Danica''
|Ship owner=[[Stena Line]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry= {{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden
|Ship route=[[Gothenburg]], Sweden and [[Frederikshavn]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=February 16, 1969
|Ship completed=
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=June 28, 1969
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Sold to BC Ferries for CAD $13.8 million in April 1974
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career|Hide header=title
|Ship country=Canada
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Canada|civil}}
|Ship name=''Queen of Surrey''
|Ship owner=[[BC Ferries]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry= {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Victoria, British Columbia]]
|Ship route=[[Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, British Columbia|Horseshoe Bay]] – [[Departure Bay, British Columbia|Departure Bay]]
|Ship acquired= April 1974
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=1976 to 1980
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Ship was refit and renamed.
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career|Hide header=title
|Ship country=Canada
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Canada|civil}}
|Ship name=''Queen of the North''
|Ship owner=BC Ferries
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry= {{flagicon|Canada}} Victoria, British Columbia
|Ship route=*[[Inside Passage]]: [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]] – [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]]
*[[Hecate Strait]]: [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]] – [[Queen Charlotte Islands|Skidegate]]
*Discovery Coast: [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]] – [[Bella Coola, British Columbia|Bella Coola]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=
|Ship completed=
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=* 1985 refit
* 2001 refit
|Ship identification={{IMO|6917267}}
|Ship fate=Sank on March 22, 2006. Ship's final position is [http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=MV_Queen_of_the_North¶ms=53_19.917_N_129_14.729_W_type:landmark 53°19.917′N 129°14.729′W]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[RORO]] [[ferry]]
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|8,806|disp=long}}
|Ship length={{convert|125|m|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|19.74|m|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|5.24|m|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=2 × [[MAN B&W Diesel|MAN]] V40/54 [[Diesel engine|diesels]]
|Ship speed={{convert|20|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship capacity=*'''Passengers:'''
* 700
*'''Car capacity:'''
* 115
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''MV ''Queen of the North''''' was a [[roll-on/roll-off]] (RORO) [[ferry]] built by [[AG Weser]] of Germany and operated by [[BC Ferries]], which ran along an 18-hour route along the [[British Columbia Coast]] of Canada between [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]] and [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]], British Columbia, a route also known as the [[Inside Passage]]. On March 22, 2006, with 101 people aboard, she failed to make a planned course change, [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] and sank (around 1400 ft). Two passengers, whose bodies were never found, died in the incident. The ship had a [[gross register tonnage]] of 8,806 (the fifth largest in fleet), and an [[Length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|125|m|ft|0}} (14th longest in the fleet). She had a capacity of 700 passengers and 115 cars.
==History==
===Construction and service with Stena Line===
[[File:Stena Danica II 1969 001.jpg|thumb|300px|MV ''Stena Danica'' in 1969]]
The ship was built by [[AG Weser]], [[Bremerhaven]], Germany in 1969, and was originally operated by [[Stena Line]] as ''Stena Danica'' on the route between [[Gothenburg]] (Sweden) and [[Frederikshavn]] (Denmark). She was sold to BC Ferries for CAD $13.875 million. With federal import duties the initial cost of the ship to B.C. ferries was $17.7 million.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 8, 1974|title=Our new $18 million ferry|work=The Province|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/504676030/?terms=%22Stena%2BDanica%22}}</ref>
===With BC Ferries===
After purchasing ''Stena Danica'' from the Stena Line, the ship was rechristened ''Queen of Surrey'' by then [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|NDP]] Minister of Transportation and Communications, [[Robert Strachan (politician)|Robert Strachan]],<ref>Bannerman, Gary and Patricia. ''The Ships of British Columbia - An Illustrated History of the British Columbia Ferry Corporation.'' Surrey: Hancock House Publishers, 1985</ref> in April 1974. ''Queen of Surrey'' began operating between [[Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, British Columbia|Horseshoe Bay]] in [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]] and [[Nanaimo]] on [[Vancouver Island]]. This busy route requires 8 transits per day and due to her [[RORO]] bow design, it was quickly evident that the vessel was unsuitable for this route since she could not be loaded and unloaded as fast as necessary. The ship was decommissioned in 1976 and laid up at BC Ferries' dockyard at [[Deas Island]] in Vancouver while the government debated what to do with her.
In May 1980, after an extensive $10 million refit for longer haul, northern service (staterooms, more restaurants and cargo holds) she was renamed ''Queen of the North''. She was assigned to the [[Inside Passage]] route between [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]] on Vancouver Island and [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]] in north-western BC. She occasionally also served [[Bella Bella, British Columbia|Bella Bella]], [[Skidegate]] ([[Queen Charlotte Islands]]), and several other small, north-western coastal villages. Due to the isolation of some of these communities (where roads were poor or non-existent), she served as the main source of transport, picking up residents and medical patients, and dropping off food, mail and supplies.
In 1985, she was refurbished and designated the "[[flagship]]" of BC Ferries' fleet. After the sinking of {{MS|Estonia}} in 1994, BC Ferries installed a second set of internally welded doors to prevent the bow from flooding in rough seas.
During 2001, she was given a major $500,000 refit at [[Vancouver Shipyards]], which included a redesign and modernization of the passenger decks. However, owing to her older single-hull design, the ship was not designed to survive a significant hull breach or the flooding of more than ''one'' bulkhead compartment. All newer ferries can survive flooding of at least two bulkhead compartments and because of this concern, the ship was intended to be replaced between 2009 and 2011.
===Sinking===
On March 22, 2006, ''Queen of the North'' sank after [[Ship grounding|running aground]] on [[Gil Island (Canada)|Gil Island]] in [[Wright Sound]], {{convert|135|km|nmi}} south of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. She sank at 12:25 am or 12:43 am [[Pacific Standard Time Zone|PST]] (08:43 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]), however, there are conflicting reports about the exact time. News reports indicated that the vessel failed to make a planned course change and was at the time of the collision one kilometre away from where it should have been.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mini-subs-look-for-missing-couple-on-doomed-b-c-ferry-1.571329 |work=CBC News |title=Mini-subs look for missing couple on doomed B.C. ferry |date=March 26, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074302/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/03/26/diving-vessel060326.html |archive-date=August 8, 2007 }}</ref> She was bound for Port Hardy.
According to emergency responders, the ship took approximately an hour to sink, giving passengers time to evacuate into [[Lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboat]]s. Eyewitness reports confirmed the approximate time between the incident and the sinking and also suggest that the ship sank stern first. The ship's final position is {{coord|53|19.917|N|129|14.729|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} according to the BC Ferries investigation. The [[Canadian Hydrographic Service]]'s [[Nautical chart|electronic navigational charts]] show the wreck at {{coord|53|19.932|N|129|14.794|W|type:landmark|display=inline}}, {{convert|77|m|yd}} WNW of the position cited in BC Ferries' investigation.
The [[Sea captain|ship's captain]], Colin Henthorne, was off watch and asleep in his bunk at the time of the sinking.<ref name="TC 2016" /> The second mate, Keven Hilton was on break, leaving the fourth mate, Karl Lilgert, in command. Quartermaster Karen Briker was piloting the ship.<ref>Henthorne, Colin. "The Queen of the North Disaster." Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061121/ferry_sinking_061121?s_name=&no_ads= CTV.ca | Former captain blasts crew of sunken B.C. ferry<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225173508/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061121/ferry_sinking_061121?s_name=&no_ads= |date=February 25, 2009 }}.</ref> Local weather reports indicated winds gusting to {{convert|75|km/h|0|abbr=on}} in the vicinity of Wright Sound. According to [[Kevin Falcon]], the BC Minister of Transportation, the autopilot equipment had been certified by [[Transport Canada]] as recently as March 2 of that year.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/officials-prepare-to-launch-mini-submarine-to-seek-sunken-b-c-ferry-1.628752 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722000326/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/03/24/diving-vessel060324.html | url-status=live | archive-date=July 22, 2012 | work=CBC News | title=Officials prepare to launch mini-submarine to seek sunken B.C. ferry | date=March 25, 2006 }}</ref>
On March 26, 2007, BC Ferries released its internal investigation<ref>[http://www.bcferries.com/about/qnorthdivisionalinquiry.html BC Ferries internal report (PDF)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815102648/http://www.bcferries.com/about/qnorthdivisionalinquiry.html |date=August 15, 2016 }} March 26, 2007.</ref> into the sinking. The report concluded that ''Queen of the North'' failed to make the required or any course changes at Sainty Point, and that the ship proceeded straight on an incorrect course for {{convert|4|nmi}} over 14 minutes until its grounding at {{convert|17.5|kn}} on Gil Island. The investigation found no evidence of alterations of speed at any time during the transit of Wright Sound and concluded that human factors were the primary cause of the sinking.<ref>[http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/07-024qnorthdivinquiry.pdf News Release<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528205955/http://www.bcferries.com/news/files/07-024qnorthdivinquiry.pdf |date=May 28, 2008 }}.</ref>
====Evacuation and rescue====
[[File:Queen of the north sinking.jpg|right|thumb|Final moments of ''Queen of the North'']]
{{Location map|Canada British Columbia|lat=53.2530|long=-129.1505|width=272|caption=Location of Hartley Bay in [[British Columbia]]|label=Hartley Bay}}
A large number of small fishing and recreational vessels from [[Hartley Bay]] were the first on the scene to answer the distress call, arriving in a fleet of small watercraft in the dead of night to pick up survivors. [[Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria]] tasked [[Canadian Coast Guard]] vessels {{ship|CCGS|Sir Wilfrid Laurier}}, {{ship|CCGC|Point Henry}}, {{ship|CCGS|W. E. Ricker}}, {{ship|CCGC|Kitimat II}} and {{ship|CCGS|Vector}}, along with two [[AgustaWestland EH101|CH-149 Cormorant]] helicopters and one [[De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo|CC-115 Buffalo]] aircraft from the [[442 Transport and Rescue Squadron]] at [[CFB Comox]] to the scene of the sinking.
Originally the evacuation of the ship was reported to be a smooth one; however, stories of chest high water and trapped crew members surfaced on March 24. According to the official BC Ferries press release, 99 of the 101 passengers and crew were safely evacuated with only a few minor injuries,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bcferries.com/files/AboutBCF/06-014queenofthenorth2.pdf| title=BC Ferries Press Release| date=March 22, 2006| publisher=BC Ferries| access-date=March 23, 2006| archive-date=March 24, 2006| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324025430/http://www.bcferries.com/files/AboutBCF/06-014queenofthenorth2.pdf| url-status=dead}}</ref> and many of them found refuge in nearby Hartley Bay.
====Loss of life====
Two people, Shirley Rosette and Gerald Foisy of [[100 Mile House, British Columbia]], apparently failed to reach the lifeboats and died when the ship sank.<ref>[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060324/bc_ferry_update_060324/20060324?hub=TopStories CTV.ca | First glimpse of sunken ferry could come soon<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225173458/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060324/bc_ferry_update_060324/20060324?hub=TopStories |date=February 25, 2009 }}.</ref> While a passenger reportedly told police the missing couple were seen in Hartley Bay during the rescue effort, a thorough search of the small Gitga'at community of 120 people by police turned up nothing. In addition, the couple did not contact relatives after the sinking.
When the ferry was located by submersible, the two missing passengers were not found in the wreck.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chronology of Queen of the North sinking |url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/chronology-of-queen-of-the-north-sinking-1.282400 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108105924/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/chronology-of-queen-of-the-north-sinking-1.282400 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 8, 2018 |website=CTV News |publisher=The Canadian Press |access-date=7 September 2020 |date=March 13, 2008}}</ref>
====BC Ferries crisis response====
The response by BC Ferries [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] David Hahn was that, although this was a catastrophic event, the emergency response by the crew is evidence of the safety of ferry travel. Hahn also stated a top-speed collision with Gil Island would "rip apart the hull of any ship, even a massive [[cruise ship]]".<ref>[http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=4138541b-8cb4-4498-998e-2a90e5caf1db&k=7083 Mini-Sub to hunt wreck for missing couple<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304004052/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=4138541b-8cb4-4498-998e-2a90e5caf1db&k=7083 |date=March 4, 2016 }}.</ref> The [[Premier of British Columbia]], [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]], echoed this and met with survivors in Prince Rupert on the day of the incident. Despite these events, the premier expressed confidence in the ferry system, saying that "The fleet is safe. Not only is the fleet safe, but it is manned by professional crews that are trained in safety."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/search_rescue/bc_ferry_quotes.html|title=B.C. ferry quotes|date=June 6, 2006|work=CBC News}}</ref> This was the second [[BC Ferries#Accidents and incidents|accident]] of a BC Ferries vessel within a year. On June 30, 2005, {{MV|Queen of Oak Bay}} lost power while docking.
Coastal villages served by ''Queen of the North'' expressed concern about replacement transportation, as many of the small communities rely on BC Ferries not only for transport, but for food, mail and supplies. BC Ferries employed {{MV|Queen of Prince Rupert}} as the temporary vessel on the Inside Passage route until the replacement vessel, {{MV|Northern Adventure}} began service at the end of March 2007. The ferry corporation declined suggestions that the replacement ship be named in honour of the village of [[Hartley Bay]].
====Investigations and legal aftermath====
BC Ferries completed an internal investigation into the sinking and the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] conducted a separate investigation.
On March 26, 2006, ''Queen of the North'' was located by a manned submersible craft at a depth of {{convert|427|m}}.<ref>[http://www.kirotv.com/news/8291673/detail.html Submersible Finds British Columbia Ferry Wreckage – News Story – KIRO Seattle<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928234722/http://www.kirotv.com/news/8291673/detail.html |date=September 28, 2011 }}.</ref> The ship was intact, according to BC Ferries, and was "resting in silt on the keel and the silt covers the hull up to what's called the rubbing [[strake]] and above in some areas."<ref>[http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428981912&rem=34031&red=80198123aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm CKNW News Talk 980 – CKNWAM<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064919/http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428981912&rem=34031&red=80198123aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm |date=September 27, 2007 }}.</ref> At the time of its discovery, the sunken vessel was located at 53° 19.91' N, 129° 14.72' W. Images of the scene were given to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada as part of the investigation into the cause of the sinking.
On March 26, 2007, BC Ferries released the results of its investigation. They blamed the sinking on [[human error]] caused by three crew members, specifically ''Queen of the North''{{'}}s helmswoman (Briker), who was at the wheel of the ship, as well as the ship's second and fourth officers, who had been in charge of navigation.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/queen-of-the-north-bridge-crew-face-disciplinary-probe-1.689592 ''Queen of the North'' bridge crew face disciplinary probe] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225123628/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/queen-of-the-north-bridge-crew-face-disciplinary-probe-1.689592 |date=February 25, 2009 }}.</ref> A ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'' editorial on the sinking noted that two ferry crew members on the watch—the ferry's second and fourth officer—were uncooperative during the course of the BC Ferries internal inquiry.<ref>"Ferry worker's refusal to cooperate puts still more passengers at risk," editorial of The ''Vancouver Sun'', March 27, 2007, p. A12.</ref> BC Ferries president David Hahn doubted that any new information would be forthcoming from a future disciplinary inquiry, due to the uncooperative responses by these two officers on night watch at the time of the sinking.<ref name=Harnett>Cindy E. Harnett, "Probe fingers crew in ferry sinking, the ''Vancouver Sun'', March 27, 2007, p. A4.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/queen-of-the-north-bridge-crew-face-disciplinary-probe-1.689592 |work=CBC News |title=Queen of the North bridge crew face disciplinary probe |date=March 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225123628/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/queen-of-the-north-bridge-crew-face-disciplinary-probe-1.689592 |archive-date=February 25, 2009 }}</ref> The ''Vancouver Sun'' stated that the BC Ferries report "dismisses the idea that confusion over how to use new bridge equipment installed a month before the crash had anything to do with the sinking."<ref name=Harnett /> The BC Ferries report also highlights the role of the fourth officer, who had control of the ship from Sainty Point, but failed to make the necessary course correction. According to the report, the ''Vancouver Sun'' wrote that:
{{blockquote|Just before the crash, the fourth officer screamed at the helmswoman to make a bold course correction – a 109-degree turn – and to switch off the autopilot. But she [the helmswoman] "''stated not knowing where the switch was located''." [The] BC Ferries' report questions the validity of this evidence "as the autopilot disengages simply with a single switch and would have been operated numerous times by the [helmswoman]." However, in its own report, BC Ferries states the master found it necessary to post a note for navigational crew on how to operate the autopilot and included procedures for changing modes. Evidence was given that the woman at the wheel didn't know the ___location of the ship when she took over as lookout – or that the ferry was about to crash – until she saw trees. She said she was asked to make only one, maybe two small course changes as directed by the fourth officer after she started her shift but that was ... until just before the vessel hit Gil Island.<ref name=Harnett />}}
The ''Vancouver Sun'' does cite an earlier safety board advisory which said that the bridge crew "were confused about how to use a new steering mode selector switch – that, among other things, controls whether the ship is on autopilot or manual steering – installed in a retrofit in February [2006]."<ref name=Harnett /> However, BC Ferries concluded that the bridge crew working the night of the disaster "chose" to use newly installed steering controls in a way "different" from the manner instructed, but that this choice did not appear to have been the cause for the grounding of ''Queen of the North''.<ref name=Harnett /> David Hahn states that:
{{blockquote|The ship never altered course at all. It never changed its speed, it just ran straight into Gil Island ... There's nothing to indicate they [the three crew members] ever tried anything, It's just human error.<ref name=Harnett />}}
While the three key crew members were reportedly cooperating with a separate Transportation Safety Board (TSB) inquiry into the tragedy, Michael Smyth, a newspaper columnist at ''[[The Province]]'', noted that the TSB does not have the authority to assign blame to any party involved in the sinking, unlike the BC Ferries internal inquiry.<ref>"Key crew should tell truth about what happened" by Michael Smyth, ''The Province'', March 27, 2007. p. A7.</ref> Consequently, no one would be held accountable for the sinking of ''Queen of the North''.
On March 27, 2006, Alexander and Maria Kotai filed a lawsuit against BC Ferries for [[negligence]], claiming that the company failed to train the crew adequately, supervise the bridge crew, keep proper lookout, operate at a safe speed, and conduct the evacuation to prevent or minimize injuries. The Kotais were moving house at the time from Kitimat to Nanaimo, and lost many of their personal possessions in the sinking. The amount of [[damages]] that they sought has not been specified.<ref>[http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=74281199912&rem=34121&red=801119923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm CKNW News Talk 980 – CKNWAM<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064724/http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=74281199912&rem=34121&red=801119923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm |date=September 27, 2007 }}.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/passengers-sue-bc-ferries-for-alleged-negligence-1.621570 |work=CBC News |title=Passengers sue BC Ferries for alleged negligence |date=March 27, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705230406/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/03/27/ferries060327.html |archive-date=July 5, 2007 }}</ref>
On April 24, 2007, BC Ferries fired three ''Queen of the North'' crew members who were on the bridge when the ship collided with Gil Island and sank. BC Ferries claims that these three employees were not cooperating fully with all investigators.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Distracted crew ignored basic navigation rules in ferry sinking: TSB report |newspaper=cbcnews.ca |pages=1 |date=12 March 2008 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/distracted-crew-ignored-basic-navigation-rules-in-ferry-sinking-tsb-report-1.745364 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315011126/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/distracted-crew-ignored-basic-navigation-rules-in-ferry-sinking-tsb-report-1.745364 |archive-date=March 15, 2008 }} .</ref> The B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers' Union represented the ferry crew members. The union indicated that it would appeal the terminations.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) continued a criminal investigation into the sinking.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=2cef1fb6-1ad8-439b-8a63-acf905370963&k=74508 3 Queen of the North ferry workers fired<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304212202/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=2cef1fb6-1ad8-439b-8a63-acf905370963&k=74508 |date=March 4, 2016 }}.</ref> The TSB's final report was released to the public on March 12, 2008. Its main conclusion was that sound navigational practices and regulations were not followed by the 4 navigational crew at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/communiques/marine/2008/comm_m06w0052.asp |title=THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA FINDS UNSAFE PRACTICES ON BC FERRIES QUEEN OF THE NORTH |date=March 12, 2008 |website=Transportation Safety Board of Canada |access-date=2009-04-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305073811/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/communiques/marine/2008/comm_m06w0052.asp |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
On the morning of March 16, 2010, in B.C. Provincial Court in Vancouver, a charge of criminal negligence causing death was laid against Karl Lilgert. He was the navigating officer responsible for steering the vessel at the time of the sinking. The charge was reported in a statement issued by the province's Criminal Justice Branch.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/charges-laid-in-bc-ferries-deaths-1.922907 |work=CBC News |title=Charges laid in BC Ferries deaths |date=March 16, 2010|access-date=7 September 2020 }}</ref>
On May 13, 2013, Lilgert was convicted of two counts of criminal negligence causing death in B.C. Supreme Court by a jury after five days of deliberations.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-ferries-officer-guilty-in-queen-of-the-north-trial-1.1317566 | work=CBC News|title= BC Ferries officer guilty in Queen of the North trial |date= 14 May 2013| access-date= 28 December 2017}}</ref> In 2015 the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal; it was expected he would have to serve his four-year sentence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/karl-lilgert-denied-appeal-by-supreme-court-of-canada-in-queen-of-the-north-sinking-1.3074106 |title=Karl Lilgert denied appeal by Supreme Court of Canada in Queen of the North sinking - British Columbia - CBC News |access-date=2015-08-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221224242/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/karl-lilgert-denied-appeal-by-supreme-court-of-canada-in-queen-of-the-north-sinking-1.3074106 |archive-date=February 21, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
====Environmental concerns====
The ship had approximately {{convert|220,000|litre}} of [[diesel fuel]] on board and {{convert|23,000|litre}} of lubricating oil.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e232abce-ef61-47b1-b3af-f3acc685bfea&k=59465 Story | The Vancouver Sun<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115065932/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e232abce-ef61-47b1-b3af-f3acc685bfea&k=59465 |date=January 15, 2016 }}.</ref> She was also carrying 16 vehicles, and her foundering created an oil slick that quickly spread throughout the sound. Containment efforts began that morning, and on March 25, 2006, officials said that it "appears no major damage has been done to the environment in the area."<ref>[http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=ef3e10c6-86f7-41c1-97b2-74306b5b5c5f&k=54078 canada.com | Article<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210132/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=ef3e10c6-86f7-41c1-97b2-74306b5b5c5f&k=54078 |date=March 3, 2016 }}.</ref> The long-term effects on Wright Sound's [[ecosystem|biosystem]], and especially its [[shellfish]] population, are not yet known. Officials doubted any salvaging of the vessel would be possible. Burrard Clean Operations was hired to conduct environmental response operations as required.
In the legislature in March 2007, NDP Opposition Critic for the Environment Shane Simpson questioned the lack of action in the previous year on removing the fuel from the sunken ship. Minister of Environment Barry Penner advised against "armchair engineering", responding that waterways and sunken vessels were federal responsibilities and that BC Ferries would be working with the Canada Coast Guard to put together a plan that would not result in the unintended release of fuel into the environment.<ref>[http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/38th3rd/H70326y.htm Question Period: Fuel Removal from ''Queen of the North''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207170052/http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/38th3rd/H70326y.htm |date=February 7, 2012 }}.</ref>
==Routes==
===With Stena Line===
As ''Stena Danica'' the ship sailed on the [[Gothenburg]], Sweden – [[Frederikshavn]] route.
===With BC Ferries===
Route numbers are used internally by BC Ferries. ''Queen of the North'' sailed the following routes:
*1974-1976
**Route 2 – [[Georgia Strait]] Central ([[British Columbia Highway 1|Highway 1]]): [[Nanaimo]] (via [[Departure Bay, British Columbia|Departure Bay]]) to [[Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia|Horseshoe Bay]]
*1985-2006
**Route 10 – [[Inside Passage]]: [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]] to [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]]
**Route 11 – [[Hecate Strait]]: ([[British Columbia Highway 16|Highway 16]]): [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]] to [[Queen Charlotte Islands]] (via [[Skidegate, British Columbia|Skidegate]])
**Route 40 – Discovery Coast: [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]] to [[Bella Coola, British Columbia|Bella Coola]] (with stops at [[Bella Bella, British Columbia|Bella Bella]], [[Shearwater, British Columbia|Shearwater]], [[Ocean Falls, British Columbia|Ocean Falls]] and [[Klemtu, British Columbia|Klemtu]])
===Maps===
Numbers in blue circles are ferry route numbers, in accordance to the route numbers listed above. [[List of British Columbia provincial highways|Provincial highway]] trailblazers are added where appropriate.
<gallery perrow="5">
Image:BC Ferries Zone Two.png|Zone 2 – Central Georgia Strait
Image:BC Ferries Zone Four.png|Zone 4 – Queen Charlotte Sound
Image:BC Ferries Zone Five.png|Zone 5 – North Coast
</gallery>
== See also ==
* [[List of BC Ferries accidents and incidents]]
== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="TC 2016" >{{cite news
|title=The sinking of Queen of the North
|date=13 November 2016
|author=Amy Smart
|newspaper= Victoria Times Colonist
|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/the-sinking-of-queen-of-the-north-4643144
}}</ref>
}}
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160307165144/http://www.bcferries.com/about/qnorthdivisionalinquiry.html Divisional Inquiry: ''Queen of the North'' Grounding and Sinking -- March 22, 2006] The internal investigation by BC Ferries
*[http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=+53%C2%B019%2746.69%22N,129%C2%B016%2724.47%22W&ll=53.329643,-129.273376&spn=0.125687,0.43396&t=h Location of sinking] (from [[Google Maps]] Canada)
*[http://www.westcoastferries.ca/ferries/queenofthenorth.html Westcoast Ferries: The M/V ''Queen of the North''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060408210815/http://www.westcoastferries.ca/ferries/queenofthenorth.html |date=April 8, 2006 }}
*[http://www.pbase.com/kstapleton/q_of_north Extensive photo collection while in BC Ferries livery]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060912175501/http://www.johngilliat.com/queen%20of%20the%20north.htm John Gilliat's tribute page w/ internal photos]
*[http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/StenaDanica1969.html Ship info page with history and many old photos]
*[https://archive.today/20130124183634/http://picasaweb.google.com/DerekLepper/TheQueenOfTheNorth?authkey=Gv1sRgCN_WycW8ssnC4QE&feat=directlink Interior photographs at completion of the 2001 renovation.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512145741/http://www.cbc.ca/bc/story/bc-ferrysinks20060322.html CBC News Story]
*[http://www.bcferries.com/onboard-experiences/fleet/ BC Ferries fleet page]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226003340/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=cdd62219-6a63-4e5c-8afa-68a967b2badc&k=72496 Steffenhagen, Janet, Vancouver Sun, Ferry Had Been Sailing on Borrowed Time]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080623070352/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/communiques/marine/2006/comm_QueenNorth_20060325.asp TSB Order Seizing the ship for investigation]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060430102403/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/communiques/marine/2006/comm_m06w0052_20060328.asp TSB Underwater Video of ship as surveyed by Submarine]
::[https://web.archive.org/web/20090327082021/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/communiques/marine/2006/M06W0052_video.wmv Direct Link to video] (requires Windows Media Player)
*[https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2006/m06w0052/m06w0052.html TSB's Report into the Sinking of MV Queen of the North]
{{S-start}}
{{Succession box
| before = {{MV|Queen of Prince Rupert}}
| title = [[BC Ferries]] northern [[flagship]]
| years = 1980–2006
| after = {{MV|Northern Adventure}}<br />{{MV|Northern Expedition}}
}}
{{S-end}}
{{BC Ferry Classes}}
{{2006 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen of the North, MV}}
[[Category:1969 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in Canada]]
[[Category:Ships of BC Ferries]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the British Columbia coast]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2006]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Sweden]]
[[Category:Ships built in Bremen (state)]]
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