BELLA DESGAGNES

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Latest news

Crew member tested positive for COVID-19

One crew member of the 'Bella-Desgagnés' has tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct 1, 2020 after leaving the ship. The Relais Nordik company that provides maritime services to Anticosti and the Lower North Shore was notified in the morning. Public Health was carrying out an epidemiological investigation to isolate the people who have been in contact with the engine room worker. He likely had no contact with any passengers. Public Health was studying the additional measures to be taken for the safe transport of food and essential goods in the isolated communities as the ferry was sidelined for the time being.

Ferry back in service

On Sep 28 the 'Bella Desgagnés' returned to service after six days off. The ferry which supplies goods and equipment to the Middle and Lower North Shore, resumed service in the morning with an ETA at Port Menier as of 11 a.m. before continuiing to Romouski. Shewas docked in Sept-Îles since Sep 22 due to a problem with one of its thrusters. The ship was to resume her normal schedule on Sep 30 with an evening departure to the North Shore. Communities on the Lower North Shore will have to wait until the middle of the week to get supplies, if all goes as planned. The 'Bella Desgagnés' was expected in Kegaska on Oct 2, before sailing to communities further east, to reach Friday Blanc-Sablon with both the cargo of last week and this week to minimize the degradation of perishable foods in these cargoes. The mechanical damage of the 'Bella Desgagnés' had caused significant food supply problems in the Lower North Shore. There were no more fruits and vegetables to buy. Faced with the lack of supply this week, the Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) was asked organize the delivery of food by air in the communities of the Lower North Shore, as is the case during winter, though air shipping is not a simple solution and is also not ideal for storing perishable goods. Air delivery is also a major logistical challenge considering that dozens of flights which would be needed to deliver tons of cargo.

Ferry sidelined with bow thruster trouble

The "Bella Desgagnés was being docked in Sept-Îles since Sep 22, 2019, due to a problem with one of her thrusters. The company Relay Nordik, which operates the ship, expected that the supply of the Middle and Lower North Shore could be resumed on Sep 25. A short circuit in an engine that drives the ship's port propeller was at stake. Finding the exact source of the problem was not an easy task as the mechanics tried to diagnose the problem, having to look at each of the cables, every electrical connection to determine the source of the short circuit. Experts from Sept-Îles, specialized in the repair of this type of equipment, were called as a reinforcement. In parallel, a replacement engine was delivered from Relais Nordik's warehouses to Sept-Îles, but it would be better to fix the problem rather than being forced to change the engine, an operation that would require several more days of work.