View source for Sidney-class ferry

{{Short description|Canadian roll-on/roll-off ferries}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Queen of Sidney entering Westview Terminal - late Aug. 1993.jpg
|Ship caption=''Queen of Sidney'' entering the Westview terminal at [[Powell River, British Columbia|Powell River]] in 1993.
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Sidney'' class
|Builders=*[[Victoria Machinery Depot]], [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]]
*[[Burrard Dry Dock|Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd.]], [[North Vancouver (city)|North Vancouver]]
|Operators= [[BC Ferries]]
|Class before=
|Class after= [[V-class ferry|''Victoria'' class]]
|Subclasses=
|Built range=1959–1960
|In service range=1960–2007
|Total ships building= 
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed= 2
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active= 
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired= 2
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= for ''Queen of Sidney'' as built
|Ship type= [[Roll-on/roll-off]] [[ferry]]
|Ship tonnage= * {{GRT|2976}}
* {{DWT|702}}
|Ship length= * {{cvt|102.4|m|ftin}} [[Length overall|oa]]
* {{cvt|93.8|m|ftin}} [[Length between perpendiculars|pp]]
|Ship beam= {{cvt|22.6|m|ftin}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship power= [[Diesel engine]]s
|Ship propulsion= Two shafts
|Ship speed= {{convert|18|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship capacity=
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Sidney'' class''' consisted of two [[roll-on/roll-off]] [[Ferry|ferries]], ''Queen of Sidney'' and ''Queen of Tsawwassen'', built for the [[BC Ferries|British Columbia Ferry Corporation]] in service from 1960 to 2008. The design for the ships was based on the ferry {{MV|Coho}} with changes made to accommodate loading of vehicles through the bow of the vessel. Both vessels serviced different routes throughout their service lives.

==Design and description==
[[File:Queenofsidney.JPG|thumb|''Queen of Sidney'' sitting on the Fraser River in 2009]]
Design of the two [[roll-on/roll-off]] [[Ferry|ferries]], ''Queen of Sidney'' and ''Queen of Tsawwassen'', was based on a ferry that was under construction for Black Ball Transport, {{MV|Coho}} for international service along the [[British Columbia]] and [[Washington (state)|Washington]] coasts. ''Coho''{{'}}s design was altered by the original naval architect Philip F. Spaulding and his Canadian partner Arthur McLaren to allow the Canadian vessels to accept vehicle loading at both [[Bow (ship)|bow]] and [[Stern (ship)|stern]].{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=54}} Both ships were {{cvt|102.4|m|ftin}} [[Length overall|long overall]] and {{cvt|93.8|m|ftin}} [[Length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]] with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{cvt|22.6|m|ftin}}.{{sfn|Sidney}}{{sfn|Tsawwassen}} The ships were powered by 16-cylinder Mirrless twin [[diesel engine]]s{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=54}} creating {{cvt|6000|hp|lk=on|order=flip}} turning two [[Propeller|screws]] with a maximum speed of {{convert|18|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Sidney}}{{sfn|Tsawwassen}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.evergreenfleet.com/sidneyclass.html |title=Queen of Tsawwassen 1960 |website=evergreenfleet.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707231322/http://www.evergreenfleet.com/sidneyclass.html |archive-date=July 7, 2020 |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> The ships had different tonnages when built; ''Queen of Sidney'' was initially measured at {{GRT|2976|disp=long}} and {{DWT|702|disp=long}},{{sfn|Sidney}} while ''Queen of Tsawwassen'' was measured at {{GRT|3127|link=off}} and {{DWT|980|link=off}}.{{sfn|Tsawwassen}} As built, the vessels had a car capacity of 108, however in 1971, additional platforms were added to the car decks increasing capacity to 138.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=170}}

==Ships==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=54}}{{sfn|Sidney}}{{sfn|Tsawwassen}}
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|Builder
!scope="col"|[[Laid down]]
!scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]
!scope="col"|Completed
!Fate
|-
|scope="row"| ''Queen of Sidney'' (ex-''Sidney'')
| [[Victoria Machinery Depot]], [[Victoria, British Columbia]]
| scope="row" rowspan=2| May 9, 1959
| October 6, 1959
| scope="row" rowspan=2| May 1960
| Laid up in [[Fraser River]] in 2001. Burned on May 3, 2025
|-
|scope="row"| ''Queen of Tsawwassen'' (ex-''Tsawwassen'')
| [[Burrard Dry Dock]], [[Vancouver, British Columbia]]
| November 28, 1959
| Sold 2008
|-
|}

==Construction and career==
In 1958, the [[premier of British Columbia]] [[W.A.C. Bennett]] authorised the creation of a provincial ferry service.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=30}} The new service, known as the [[BC Ferries|British Columbia Ferry Corporation]] ordered two ships constructed from shipyards in [[British Columbia]]. ''Sidney'' was ordered from [[Victoria Machinery Depot]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], with the [[yard number]] 85 and was [[keel laying|laid down]] on May 9, 1959.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=54}}{{sfn|Sidney}} The vessel was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on October 6, 1959 and completed in May 1960.{{sfn|Sidney}} ''Tsawwassen'' was built by [[Burrard Dry Dock]] in [[Vancouver, British Columbia|Vancouver]] with the yard number 309 and was laid down on May 9, 1959.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=54}}{{sfn|Tsawwassen}} The ferry was launched on November 28, 1959 and completed in May 1960.{{sfn|Tsawwassen}} Both ships began service on June 15, 1960 servicing two terminals linking Victoria and Vancouver.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|pp=30–31}} In 1962, ''Tsawwassen'' was renamed ''Queen of Tsawwassen''{{sfn|Tsawwassen}} and in 1963, ''Sidney'' was renamed ''Queen of Sidney''.{{sfn|Sidney}} This was due to change in fleetwide naming policy based on [[CP Ships]] naming their vessels "Princess". As a result, the larger vessels of the British Columbia Ferries fleet would have "Queen" placed in front of their original names and the smaller ones have it added to the end.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|p=73}}
 
The two ships spent almost all of their service life identical to when they were constructed, except for an expansion of the restaurant areas, due to unexpected food demand shortly after they commenced service.{{sfn|Bannerman|Bannerman|1985|pp=16, 68–69}}

''Queen of Sidney'' was retired in November 2000.<ref name=olsen>{{cite web |url=https://www.missioncityrecord.com/news/after-years-of-effort-ferry-remains/ |title=After years of effort, ferry remains |last=Olsen |first=Tyler |work=Mission City Record |date=July 25, 2014 |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> The decommissioned ferry was sold to Bob and Gerald Tapp for [[Canadian dollar|CAN$]]100,000 in 2002 and renamed ''Bad Adventure''. The ship was sent to a shipyard in [[Mission, British Columbia]], where it has sat ever since.<ref name=olsen/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.squamishchief.com/local-news/what-happens-to-ferries-and-defence-vessels-at-the-end-of-their-lives-3096324 |title=What happens to ferries and defence vessels at the end of their lives? |last=Thuncher |first=Jennifer |work=The Squamish Chief |date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> ''Queen of Tsawwassen'' was taken out of service in 2007. This was due to the ship no longer capable of meeting government regulations and a refit being cost prohibitive. An {{sclass2|I|ferry|1}} was ordered to replace the ship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/s43-69/s55ApplicExecSumm0605.pdf |title=Intermediate Class Ferry Section 55 Submission |publisher=BC Ferry Commission |access-date=June 22, 2021 }}</ref> The vessel was put up for sale in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/for-sale-some-really-big-boats-says-bc-ferries-1.726145 |title=For sale: some really big boats, says BC Ferries |work=CBC News |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref>

On May 3, 2025, shortly before 2 am, the city of Mission activated its Emergency Operations Centre in response to an out of control fire aboard ''Queen of Sidney''. The [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] began investigating the incident immediately and were treating the blaze as "suspicious."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Derelict ferry moored offshore in Mission catches fire, RCMP investigating |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/derelict-ferry-moored-offshore-in-mission-catches-fire |work=Vancouver Sun |last=Crawford |first=Tiffany |date=May 3, 2025 |access-date=May 3, 2025}}</ref>

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last1=Bannerman |first1=Gary |last2=Bannerman |first2=Patricia |name-list-style=amp |year=1985 |title=The Ships of British Columbia – An Illustrated History of the British Columbia Ferry Corporation |publisher=Hancock House Publishers |location=Surrey, British Columbia |isbn=0-88839-188-9}}
* {{csr|register=MSI|id=5288011|shipname=Sidney|accessdate=June 22, 2021 |ref={{sfnref|Sidney}}}}
* {{csr|register=MSI|id=5288023|shipname=Tsawwassen|accessdate=June 22, 2021 |ref={{sfnref|Tsawwassen}}}}

==External links==
* In 2014 ''Queen of Sidney'' can be seen here {{Coord|49.1470|-122.3906|display=inline}}
{{Start box}}
{{Succession box
  | before = 
  | title  = [[BC Ferries]] [[flagship]]
  | years  = 1960–1962
  | after  = [[V-class ferry|''Victoria''-class ferries]]
}}
{{End box}}

{{Sidney class ferry}}
{{BC Ferry Classes}}

[[Category:Sidney-class ferries| ]]
[[Category:1960 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in North Vancouver]]
[[Category:Ferry classes]]