By Grant Warkentin
BC Ferries is just now letting the public know about a March 8 incident, which nearly saw the Northern Adventure run aground on a shoal south of Klemtu.
According to BC Ferries, “on March 8, 2026, the Northern Adventure briefly altered from its planned course to allow crew to take necessary measures to secure the vessel in heavy weather. During this time, the vessel entered an area of reduced water depth near Milbanke Sound. At its shallowest point, the vessel travelled briefly over a shoal in approximately nine metres of water. The vessel executed immediate corrective manoeuvres and returned to its planned track.
“BC Ferries immediately reported the incident to Transport Canada, as required, and has now submitted a detailed report to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). With that report now complete, BC Ferries is sharing details of the incident publicly.”
It’s been just over 20 years since the Queen of the North ferry went off course and crashed into Gil Island on March 22, 2006. The vessel sank and the bodies of two passengers, Shirley Rosette and Gerald Foisy, were never recovered. The Queen of the North remains at the bottom of Wright Sound.
The TSB found the incident was caused by human error, specifically the bridge crew’s failure to monitor the vessel’s position and make required course changes. Fourth Mate Karl Lilgert was charged with criminal negligence causing death and sentenced to four years in prison, while Helmswoman Karen Briker was fired.
“Our learnings from the Queen of the North incident more than two decades ago led to an industry leading safety program at BC Ferries,” said Nicolas Jimenez, BC Ferries president and CEO, in a statement. “This recent near miss reinforces that safety must remain the foundation of everything we do. Our customers and crew must both feel and be safe when they travel with us, and we are committed to applying the lessons from this review to further strengthen our operations.”
The ferry corporation has initiated an internal review, including a full debrief with deck crew, a review of procedures, interviews with key personnel, and analysis of voyage data and bridge resource management practices.
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