Posted at 6:40 p.m.
Responsible for an accident in Matane in 2019, the ferry Apollo was put into service while still under repair, without a risk assessment. This is the conclusion of the investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), unveiled on Wednesday.
The report states that the ship docking incident Apollowhich occurred in the spring of 2019 while making its usual crossing from Godbout to Matane with 94 people on board, stems from safety and risk management shortcomings.
The Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) had acquired the boat to replace the one that provided the link between Godbout and Matane, before it was prematurely withdrawn from the network.
As’Apollo was already certified by Transport Canada, the STQ, in a hurry to relaunch the ferry service, had given the green light to the vessel “without carrying out an adequate identification of the dangers or an assessment of the associated risks”, reveals the final report of the TSB.
The study calls into question the effectiveness of inspections of ships in service, notes Line Laroche, manager of regional marine operations at the TSB. “To see a boat certified in this condition is very surprising,” she laments. Transport Canada inspections have also been in the sights of the TSB since 2020.
A controversial departure
After buyingApollo, in January 2019, the STQ had drawn up a long list of repairs to be carried out on the boat, which previously operated between Blanc-Sablon and Newfoundland and Labrador. Transport Canada had carried out an inspection of the ship at the port of Matane, and 19 safety deficiencies had been identified.
Once these shortcomings have been corrected, theApollo had obtained certification from Transport Canada and had been authorized to navigate the St. Lawrence River. The repairs initially identified by the STQ were however still in progress. To advance the work, the ferry schedule had even been reduced.
According to Merchant Navy Actthe responsibility that a boat is in order and in order rests with the owner, recalls Line Laroche.
Recommendations
On March 16, 2019, theApollo left Godbout on the North Shore in the direction of Matane. The captain ofApollo unaware of the broken bow thruster and an electric wire. During docking manoeuvres, the captain’s controls no longer responded. The vessel then struck the Matane wharf, and the hull was severely damaged. No spills or injuries were reported.
After the incident, theApollo was removed from the network by the STQ, which then identified defects on board the ro-ro ferry. Four days later, Transport Canada suspended the vessel’s operations.
An internal investigation was carried out by the STQ, which is currently proposing recommendations to ensure the safety and risk management of its boats. The final report proposes a “pre-purchase inspection focusing on essential equipment without emphasizing the urgency of restoring service”.