New ferry arrives to serve the Nanaimo Harbour-Gabriola Island route

NANAIMO — Capable of operating on electric power once on-shore charger installation work is complete, the second of two new Island Class ferries has arrived in Canadian waters from Romania.

With Island xwsaĺux̌ul arriving in the late spring and since operating on the busy inter-island route, its twin vessel has arrived in Victoria from a Romanian shipyard, BC Ferries announced on Wednesday, July 15.

The vessel, named Island sarlequun (pronounced sar-le-qwun) was gifted by Snuneymuxw First Nation, meaning ‘People at Nanaimo Harbour.’

With a capacity of 47 vehicles and a passenger and crew capacity upwards of 450 people, Island sarlequun is “expected to enter service on the Nanaimo Harbour-Gabriola Island route in the coming weeks,” BC Ferries stated.