On July 6, 2006, we signed a $45.5 million contract with Vancouver Shipyards, a Washington Marine Group company, to build a new 100 metre, 125-car intermediate size ferry that will enter service in 2008. The Island Sky, featuring a comfortable lounge, a snack bar and a state-of-the-art lifesaving system, will accommodate 600 passengers and will initially sail on the scenic Earls Cove – Saltery Bay route on the Sunshine Coast.
Construction of the new ship began on December 11, 2006, with a keel-laying ceremony at Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver. In keeping with maritime tradition, the ceremony was marked by the placing of a coin into the keel blocks just prior to the lowering the unit into place. The special edition $20 coin will be retrieved at the time of launch and presented to BC Ferries.
