(VICTORIA, British Columbia) — BC Ferries is launching a construction project to replace its 40-year-old C-class ferries with five new vessels, the Vancouver Sun reported.
The company issued a request for proposals on Tuesday for naval architect and engineering support to develop construction bid packages and to review proposals from shipyards. BC Ferries did not release a timeline for the selection of a shipyard, but expects the first newbuild to go into service by 2024.
The five vessels would be replacements for the C-class ships, which were all built in British Columbia: Queen of Alberni, Queen of Coquitlam, Queen of Cowichan, Queen of Oak Bay and Queen of Surrey. All are 456 feet long.
Any construction plan is bound to reignite the decades-long discussion about where new vessels should be built. Unionized B.C. shipyard workers have consistently called for local construction to help support the province’s shipbuilding industry. A Polish shipyard, Remontowa, built BC Ferries' new Salish-class ferries.
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