A long-running Vancouver Island ferry service is bringing back Sunday sailings this August, nearly one year since the service was saved from sudden closure.
In August 2021, Lady Rose Marine Services was set to make its very last sailing, after 75 years in business, following difficulties the company faced due to COVID-19.
This reality came as a shock to the surrounding communities connected by the ferry, sending workers, business owners and home owners scrambling to find alternative methods of travel and delivery of goods.
Lady Rose Marine Services provides ferry services from Port Alberni to Bamfield, Ucluelet and other remote communities in the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound, the only ferry linking the remote communities in the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound and a vital means of communication and transportation for isolated communities along the inlet, like the Huu-ay-aht First Nation village of Anacla.
The ferry service also delivers goods and freight to businesses and passengers to homes, lodges, tourist and camping spots, the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and kayaking destinations.
Two weeks before their final sailing, the service was purchased by Devon Transport Ltd., effectively saving it.
They retained the entire ferry team and continued service without interruption.
See more: Port Alberni’s ferry service saved by local businessmen two weeks before final sailing
Now, the company has announced they will be bringing back Sunday sailings to the MV Frances Barkley ferry on the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound route starting on August 7th and throughout that month.
Sailings will depart Port Alberni at 9 a.m., featuring a 3 and a half hour scenic sailing along the inlet and sound, as well as an approximate 2 hour stop-over in West Bamfield.
There will also be a new food and beverage menu, becoming fully licenced to serve wine and beer as well.
“The almost 2 hour Sunday stop-over in Bamfield will allow such guests to explore the boardwalk, enjoy a bite to eat, take a stroll to Brady Beach or just relax and take in the natural coastal beauty,” said Greg Willmon, principal of Devon Transport which owns Lady Rose Marine Services.
