| M.V. Queen of New Westminster | |
| Place Built | Victoria, BC |
| Year Built | 1964 |
| Vehicle Capacity | 286 |
| Passenger Capacity* | 1,306 (+ 34 crew) |
| Length | 129.96 m |
| Gross Tons | 8,706 |
| Service Speed | 21 knots |
| Horsepower | 15,000 |
| Est. Retirement Year* | 2014/2015 |
| Onboard Services* | Cafeteria, Snack Bar, Gift Shop, Vending, Video Arcades |
| * From BC Ferries Coastal Ferry Services Contract (2003) |
Special Notes:
- The Queen of New Westminster operates on the Mid-Island Express route between Tsawwassen and Duke Point along with the Queen of Alberni. Both vessels have car decks designed to carry the maximum amount of overheight traffic.
- Originally identical to the Queen of Nanaimo, the Queen of New Westminster more resembles the V-Class vessels now. For example, the Queen of Saanich looks almost identical to Queen of New Westminster, however they are very different ships. The Queen of New Westminster has a smaller car capacity (50 less), smaller passenger capacity (54 less), lower gross tonnage (596 less), higher service speed (2 knots faster), and a higher horsepower (6,500 more).
| Year | Event |
| 1964 | Launched |
| 1968 | Along with several other of the original BC Ferries, the Queen of New Westminster had extra platforms installed to increase vehicle capacity.. |
| 1970 | Along with 6 other ferries, the Queen of New Westminster was stretched with the insertion of a 84-foot mid-section to increase capacity around this time. |
| 1971 | October - A vehicle fell into the water at Departure Bay when the Queen of New Westminster left the berth while unloading. Two people in the car, from Alberta, were rescued. |
| 1991 | The Queen of New Westminster followed the V-class ferries in having an upper car deck installed to increase vehicle capacity. At this time, the lower car-deck platforms were removed to increase truck capacity. |
| 1992 | August 13 - In an incident strangely similar to the 1971 accident, three people (from Alberta) were killed when their van carrying 6 people fell from the upper car deck ramp onto the lower car deck and then into the water when the Queen of New Westminster left the dock before loading was completed. Later investigations found that lack of proper communication between the terminal and the bridge were mainly to blame. For a federal government (Transportation Safety Board of Canada) report of this accident, follow this link: Report Number M92W1057 |
| 2002 | August 13 - The Queen of New Westminster was on the scene of the rescue operation of the seiner, Cap Rouge, which capsized at the mouth of the Fraser River. The ferry acted as a windbreak and the crew pulled the only two survivors from the water. Five others were trapped in the boat and perished. |
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This page was last updated on February 12, 2004.