The Gage Canadian Dictionary defines 'coincidence' as: the chance occurrence of two things together in such a way as to seem remarkable.
On the day that the BC Ferries' passenger ship Queen of the North struck a rock [presumably a rather large one] in the Inland Waters of British Columbia and within minutes broke apart and sank in about 600 feet of icy water, this space received a query from a Honolulu-based reader who asked for addition information about that same BC Ferries company. This space had intended to comment on the sinking of the Queen of the North but with receipt of the query, decided to combine the two.
First, a bit of background information. A few years ago, the government of British Columbia decided to divest itself of the much-cherished and long-standing, crown corporation BC Ferry Corp. An American-based company, Washington Marine Group, itself a component of the Washington Companies, agreed to take on the ferry system. The deal was and is a bit complicated in that the ferry system was not sold lock, stock and barrel; the BC government retained an interest in it and also coincidently, the day the Queen of the North ended its 37-year life, the provincial treasury board discussed and presumably agreed to a long-postponed plan to commit to three new ships. More coincidence arises: earlier this year BC Ferries head David Hahn in an interview with the Vancouver Sun that the need for new ships was urgent. "It is important to do. It's a big deal. They should have been done 10 years ago."
Hahn's reference to "10 years ago" is a reminder that a decade ago the NDP was in power in Victoria and then-premier Glen Clark foisted his dream [in actuality, a sickening nightmare] of building three fast-cats [catamarans] to service the Vancouver Island-Lower Mainland route. The idea what that the fast-cats [so named because of the crouching puma painted on the ships' sides] could and would shave about 30 minutes off the one-hour-35-minute crossing. Well, it did not happen as Clark dreamt it would- the ships' wake caused havoc ashore, the ships did not cover the entire passage at top speed and in the end a mere 10 or 11 minutes were cut from the crossing. The NDP's nightmare cost the taxpayers of British Columbia abut $450 million dollars. A couple of years later, the fast-cats were put for auction. In an additional coincidence, the company that initially built the ships bought the three catamarans for about $19 million. The company - Washington Marine Group - toyed with various ideas of what to do with the lemons and in the end did nothing much. Like most lemons, the fast-cat ferries left a rather bitter taste in the mouths of British Columbians.
Fast forward to Wednesday, 22 March 2006 and the unfortunate sinking of the Queen of the North. The QN operated on the much-publicised Inland Passage that graces British Columbia's majestic fiord-type rugged coastline between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy near the tip of Vancouver Island. The water in that area can be a bit rough on marine craft especially those that cross Hecate Strait with its often-unfriendly sea. The QN however, at the time of the disaster was sailing in Wright Inlet. Some media reported that the ship struck a rock off Gill Island whereas other reports state that marine charts show only deep water. Passengers reported hearing a "terrible crunching noise." Deep water does not create a "terrible crunching noise." When she went down about midnight, the QN was about 75 miles south of Prince Rupert.
While the QN was capable of carrying upwards of 700 passengers, only 59 paying customers were onboard along with 42 crew. All 99 escaped, most without serious injury. Passengers praised the professionalism of the crew as rescue operations were carried out just as practiced time and time and time again. Safety does not come without practice.
The Washington Group comprises many companies and is headed by a Montana businessman, Dennis R. Washington, who holds controlling ownership position. Among the company's portfolio are: rail transportation, marine transportation, construction and heavy equipment sales, aviation technology and real estate development.
Included in the rail transportation folio are: Montana Rail Link, Inc. headquartered in Missoula, Montana; SRY Rail Link - Southern Railway of British Columbia Limited; Coast Engine and Equipment Co. headquartered in Tacoma, Washington and specialises in rebuilding diesel engines and selected components to support the marine, rail and power-generation industries.
The marine group includes: Seaspan International Ltd. of North Vancouver, BC - the company provides water transportation, barging and towing for companies what operate on the west coast between Alaska and Mexico; Washington Marine Group Shipyards - three units one each in North Vancouver, Victoria Shipyards Co. Ltd. and Vancouver Drydock Company Ltd.; Seaspan Container Lines owns and leases container ships including time-chartered to China Shipping [Group] Company; Seaspan Coastal Intermodal a commercial ferry service that provides regular service between the lower mainland region of BC and Vancouver Island; Norsk Pacific Steamship Co., operating out of Seattle, Washington Norsk transports newsprint and speciality paper from BC to California. Other companies within the Washington Marine Group include Manly Marine, a manufacturer of watertight and airtight hatches, doors and windows.
The construction and mining area includes civil construction and mining.
An environmental remediation civil construction company -Envirocon- is located throughout the United States. The company maintains a highly qualified professional staff that includes health and safety management personnel.
Montana Resources operates open-pit copper and molybdenum mine in Montana near the Continental Divide.
Heavy equipment distribution has Modern Machinery Co. Inc. that sells and rents heavy equipment and supplies service to support construction, mining and logging industries. The company spans the northwest U.S. and includes Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. It also conducts business internationally in Russia, China, South America and Canada. It is the sixth largest Komatsu dealer in the U.S.
Aviation technology and services includes Aviation Partners, Inc. located in Seattle, Washington that manufactures and installs the Blended Winglet Performance Enhancement System in business jet aircraft. Additionally, Aviation Partners Boeing is a joint venture with Boeing Company.
In the real estate and professional services segment are Washington Development Company that provides services for the real estate industry within Canada and United States. Washington Corporation provides central and administrative services to the Washington Companies.
Finally, there is the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation that provides charitable activities of the Washington Companies. The Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to charities focusing primarily on youth and areas of health care and education.
In a word, Washington Companies is a large organisation that provides myriad services to an extended range of needs.
Is it coincidence that the very night that the BC Ferries' Queen of the North went down while traversing a route that it has done so for more than a decade, the treasury board of the province of British Columbia agrees to free up millions for replacement ferries?
Is it coincidence that the company that won the bid to build the three catamarans [fast cats] is also the company that won when the fast cats were taken out of service?
Is it coincidence that the CEO of the BC Ferries, in an interview with the Vancouver Sun suggested that the need to replace certain ships was long overdue?
Is it coincidence that the then-premier of BC insisted that three catamarans be build to service the lower mainland area of BC and Vancouver Island and effectively stopped the BC Ferry Corp.'s plans to acquire new ships at a time when a replacement for the Queen o f the North could have been built and in service on the Inland Passage at midnight on 22 March 2006?
Fortunately, no lives were lost when the Queen of the North sank into icy waters - was that a coincidence or was that the result of many hours of training and an insistence that BC Ferries' crews be professional in all aspects.
Coincidence: the chance occurrence of two things together in such a way as to seem remarkable.
Bob Orrick is a retired private tutor of English grammar, literature, poetry and Canadian history to off-shore youngsters. His pupils hail from such places as Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Venezuela. He was previously in international marketing, was a ministerial assistant to a provincial cabinet minister, spent a few years as a reporter then editor of a community newspaper and enjoyed a career in the Royal Canadian Navy.
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