spuhéls and sthuqi’ will serve the new Nanaimo-Vancouver route beginning in early August as the new Hullo passenger ferry service begins operations. (Vancouver Island Ferry Company)

By Alex Rawnsley

hullo

Fares, rough start date and vessel names unveiled for new Nanaimo fast ferry service

Jun 8, 2023 | 6:01 AM

NANAIMO — The vessels which will make up the region’s new fast ferry service now have names, a rough start date and pricing to get on board.

Hullo have announced spuhéls (pronounced shpah-els) and sthuqi’ (pronounced shta-key) will be the names of the two ships to provide multiple round trips between downtown Nanaimo and Vancouver beginning in early August.

Both names are from Snuneymuxw First Nation and the hul’q’umi’num’ language and mean ‘wind’ and ‘Sockeye salmon’ respectively.

“One of the key pieces in our discussions with Snuneymuxw First Nation was to have them involved in helping name these vessels, and we couldn’t be more honoured or thrilled to have these particular names,” Alastair Caddick, CEO of Vancouver Island Ferry Company, told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Fares will range depending on the passenger and class of travel selected. (Hullo.com)

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One-way fares will range from $39.99 to $59.99 for adults with discounts for children and seniors. The company is offering a $10 discount for the first fare booked through a passenger’s online account.

Reservations will be available for up to 90 days in advance of the planned sailing.

Caddick said the pricing model was the result of extensive study and consultation of competing travel options and one he believes provides good value.

“We looked at ensuring our operating costs, our labour costs to ensure this model that we’re all excited about can be sustainable for the long term. We think this price point will allow us to be sustainable.”

Crew hiring is ongoing, however Caddick said the process is going well and they’re encouraged by the quality of applicants.

Both ships will dock in Nanaimo overnight, with the first sailing leaving Nanaimo at 6 a.m. daily, while the first departure out of Vancouver will be 8 a.m.

Up to seven round trips are scheduled per day to start, with the last ferry leaving downtown Vancouver at 9:30 p.m., although the departure may be pushed back for special events or occasions such as select concerts or sporting events.

Final sailings from Nanaimo will leave at 7:30 p.m. or later.

Dubbed “comfort” class, the main deck of the new Hullo vessels will be for a majority of travellers with over 250 seats available. (Vancouver Island Ferry Company)

Three classes will be accessible on board, with a 264-seat main cabin making up a lion’s share of the available space. Complimentary Wi-Fi will be included in the fare.

A 60-seat premium section will include nicer seats with USB charging, priority unloading and faster Wi-Fi connection. Finally, a business section will seat up to 30 with fully reclining seats and additional perks.

Bikes will be welcomed on board, however only a limited number of spots will be available to be reserved per sailing. Electric bikes with lithium batteries are not allowed on board due to federal regulations around transporting dangerous goods.

Pets are also allowed but must remain in a carrier or on the lap of the owner.

Both the spuhéls and sthuqi’ were loaded onto a cargo carrier last week and are headed to Victoria, before making the trip to Nanaimo.

Caddick said the boats are due to arrive in Victoria toward the end of June, before sailing up to Nanaimo by mid-July.

“There’s some really important work we need to do with Transport Canada to ensure that everything, our crews, our training and our drills meet all the strict requirements from Transport Canada.”

As of Thursday, June 8, the ship was sailing off the coast of South Korea and can be tracked here.

Both ships were loaded onto a cargo carrier in early June and are making the cross-Pacific trek to Vancouver Island. (Vancouver Island Ferry Company)

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