All ferry sailings between two of B.C.'s Discovery Islands were cancelled Saturday because of a lack of crew.

All ferry sailings between two of B.C.'s Discovery Islands were cancelled Saturday because of a lack of crew.

BC Ferries announced the cancellations on the route between Heriot Bay on Quadra Island and Whaletown on Cortes Island in a statement Saturday morning. Initially, the company said six sailings had been cancelled, but by 10 a.m., all 12 of the sailings on the route Saturday were affected.

The route between Quadra and Cortes islands is the only BC Ferries route serving Cortes Island.

BC Ferries has been struggling with staff shortages for months, even as it works to hire more people and welcomes back employees who were placed on leave without pay because of the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for transportation workers.

The company said this week that it has hired approximately 850 workers since the start of the year. About 150 people were placed on leave because of the vaccine mandate.