By
Rebecca Gibson |
BC Ferries is to name its newly acquired passenger ferry Northern Sea Wolf when she begins service on its new direct route from Port Hardy to Bella Coola in British Columbia, Canada in summer 2018.
Built in 2000, the vessel was acquired from Greece by BC Ferries and will accommodate a minimum of 35 vehicles and 150 passengers and crew. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in British Columbia this autumn, where she will undergo upgrades.
Northern Sea Wolf was chosen as the ferry’s name during a community engagement process that involved representatives from local First Nations, Ferry Advisory Committee members, BC Ferries employees and the Mid-Coast Ferry Working Group. The name is inspired by a First Nations legend in which the Sea Wolf is a manifestation of the orca, and serves as symbol for family and loyalty. It is said that the spirit of the Sea Wolf protects those travelling in its waters.
“We engaged the community to select a name for the vessel that reflects the region and celebrates the cultural heritage of local First Nations,” said Janet Carson, BC Ferries’ vice president of marketing. “We are pleased with their willingness to work together and come to consensus on the name. We are now preparing the Northern Sea Wolf to begin service next summer, which will support tourism to the mid-coast, taking customers directly into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.”
Northern Sea Wolf will sail departures from Port Hardy to Bella Coola five days per week during peak seasons.
“We are very excited for the future of the tourism industry from the North Island to the Cariboo Chilcotin coast region of British Columbia; Northern Sea Wolf will fuel economic development and job creation in First Nation and other communities across the interior,” said Pat Corbett, co-chair of the British Columbia Mid-Coast Ferry Working Group and a member of the naming task force. “Ensuring a steady flow of tourists experiencing the Great Bear Rainforest can only be done with the help of BC Ferries and the British Columbia government, and we are thrilled at the new vessel becoming a permanent part of the transportation infrastructure of the Central Coast of British Columbia.”