Major Fire at the Old Queen of Sidney Ferry - Total Disaster?

Derelict former B.C. ferry Queen of Sidney burns: What happens now?. Okay, so this old B.C. ferry, the Queen of Sidney (aka the "Bad Adventure" πŸ’€), straight-up went up in flames in the Fraser River. The smoke was so sus, they told everyone to stay inside. Now, everyone's asking who's gonna clean up

TL:DR

Okay, so this old B.C. ferry, the Queen of Sidney (aka the "Bad Adventure" πŸ’€), straight-up went up in flames in the Fraser River. The smoke was so sus, they told everyone to stay inside. Now, everyone's asking who's gonna clean up this mess and why there's a whole graveyard of boats in the first place. πŸ‘€

The Full 🍡

Alright, fam, listen up. This is wild. The Queen of Sidney, this old-school ferry that used to be part of B.C. Ferries, just had a massive glow-up... in the worst way possible. πŸ”₯ We're talking a full-on fire situation while it was chilling in the Fraser River on May 3, 2025.

The smoke was THICK, like, "hide your lungs" kinda thick. People nearby were told to stay indoors to avoid breathing in that toxic stuff. Mission Fire Rescue, the Mounties (RCMP), the Coast Guard, and even the B.C. Ministry of Environment rolled up to the scene. It was a whole vibe, but not a good one.

So, who's to blame? Well, B.C. Ferries sold this thing back in '02, so they're like, "Not our problem anymore, bye Felicia." The current owner is supposed to be taking care of the boat – moorage, upkeep, the whole shebang. And now, they gotta deal with this fiery L.

The real tea? Getting rid of these massive boats is HARD. There aren't many places on the West Coast that can recycle them properly, so it costs a fortune to haul them somewhere else. πŸ’Έ B.C. Ferries is trying to be more eco-friendly with their retiring ferries, but it's still a major struggle.

And here's where it gets even more πŸ₯΄. This ferry was part of a whole "boat graveyard" in Mission. Apparently, the city's been trying to clean up this area for a while because it's an environmental hazard waiting to happen. But the laws are kinda weak, so they haven't been able to do much. This ferry was rated as "low risk" for pollution before it went up in flames, but now? That's def sus.

The Coast Guard is doing a deep dive to see if the fire caused any pollution. And the RCMP is playing detective to figure out what even started the fire in the first place. Was it arson? A rogue spark? πŸ€” We need answers!

The owner is gonna be on the hook for any cleanup costs if things get dicey. Abandoning a boat in Canada is a major no-no since 2019. But get this: the Coast Guard hasn't even handed out many fines for that law. πŸ‘€ The feds are ultimately responsible for dealing with these abandoned boats. Hopefully, they'll step up their game.

Abbreviations Glossary

Abbreviation Full Form
Tea Gossip, information, details.
Sus Suspicious, questionable.
L Loss.
Glow up Major change.
πŸ₯΄ Dizzy face emoji. Used to express feeling overwhelmed.
Def Definitely.
Mounties The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

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