The intermediate-class ferry Salish Orca will start plying the waters between Powell River and Comox starting late next year, BC Ferries announced this week.
Salish Orca was one of three names chosen by a panel of judges from 7,100 entries submitted during the Name a Ferry contest in May and June.
The other winning names were Salish Eagle and Salish Raven. They will begin operating in the Southern Gulf Islands in 2017. All three vessels are currently under construction in a Polish shipyard.
The 12 judges included media representatives, ferry advisory committee members and BC Ferries employees.
BC Ferries is working with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council to select Coast Salish artisans to design artworks for the vessels’ interiors and exteriors.
In a news release issued Tuesday, BC Ferries said the names were chosen to honour the Coast Salish people and the Salish Sea where the vessels will operate. CEO Mike Corrigan said the names “truly reflect the West Coast travel experience and the culture of British Columbia.”
Sliammon Nation Chief Clint Williams said he was pleased with the new names, “as they honour the elders, chiefs, people and traditional territories of the Coast Salish people.”
The Salish Orca will replace the 50-year-old Queen of Burnaby on the Powell River to Comox run. It’s expected to arrive in B.C. next year in late summer and will be in service later in the year after extensive crew training and familiarization.
With nine people submitting one or two the two winning names, three entrants were randomly drawn for grand prizes of $500 each in ferry travel. The winners were from Vancouver, Cobble Hill and Saanich. The other six entrants receive a round-trip ferry travel voucher.
