Passengers, Crew Safe after Ferry Sinking

On March 22, off B.C.'s north coast, rescuers plucked dozens of people from lifeboats after The Queen of the North, sailing south on a 450-kilometer overnight trip from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy along what's known as B.C.'s Inside Passage, hit a rock just after 12:30 a.m. and sank in choppy seas and high winds. All of the 101 people aboard - 42 crew members and 59 passengers - were rescued and accounted for. Most were taken to a community center in Hartley Bay where the town's residents brought them blankets and coffee. Others were aboard the Coast Guard vessel the Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The 125-meter-long vessel was reported to be completely submerged about 135 kilometers from Prince Rupert after hitting Gil Island in Wright Sound, listing to one side and then sinking. (Source: Canada.com)