Fleet renewal

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Ferries for the future

We're focused on renewing our fleet to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable ferry service for generations to come. We are investing in modern vessels that are cleaner, quieter, and ready to meet the needs of a growing province. This transformation is about more than replacing ships—it's about shaping a stronger future for coastal British Columbia.  

Between 2016-2025, BC Ferries has introduced 10 new vessels to our fleet, including four Salish Class and six Island Class ferries now serving communities from the Southern Gulf Islands to the North Island. These vessels have improved service reliability, supported regional connectivity, and introduced more fuel-efficient technologies. With eight more vessels on the way by 2031—four additional Island Class ferries and four New Major Vessels—we are making the most ambitious investment in fleet renewal in our history, modernizing our system to serve BC’s growing population for decades to come.

 

Building resiliency through standardization

As we renew our fleet, we’re also simplifying it. Standardizing vessel classes across BC Ferries improves reliability, reduces operating costs, and increases flexibility by making it easier to rotate ships between routes, train crews, stock spare parts, and streamline maintenance. This approach also enhances compatibility with terminals, supports faster rollout of new technologies like electric propulsion, and creates efficiencies in procurement by enabling multiple vessels to be ordered from the same design and shipyard.

Investing in BC

BC Ferries plays an integral role in connecting people and goods in BC. The introduction of new vessels is expected to support significant incremental economic activity for British Columbia over the next decade, and throughout their operational lifespans. The NMVs alone are expected to create 204 new jobs annually, including direct and indirect roles, with annual wages of $19 million. Over the vessels’ lifetime, this equates to over $851 million in wages and nearly $2.5 billion in expected economic output.

The NMVs are also anticipated to help welcome 14 million new visitors, generating nearly $5 billion in spending and supporting over 1,100 tourism-dependent jobs every year in BC’s coastal communities. It’s expected that the NMVs will have the ability to carry 1.3 million more commercial trucks than today, transporting goods worth $31 billion between 2029–2075.

Finally, to support the introduction of the NMVs, BC Ferries anticipates more than $600 million in related terminal upgrades, estimated to create over 1,300 jobs with $118 million in wages. Nearly 80% of this investment would stay in BC, supporting local contractors and green infrastructure development.

Reducing our environmental impact

Six battery-electric hybrid Island Class ferries are already in service, with four more under construction that will be capable of operating on 100% electric power. The New Major Vessels will be able to use biodiesel and renewable diesel, with the ability to transition to full electrification as BC’s grid evolves. Our Salish Class ferries were the first in the BC Ferries fleet to use liquefied natural gas as a fuel, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are also designing new vessels with propulsion systems specifically engineered to minimize underwater noise, helping to minimize impacts on at-risk marine mammals.  

As one of the largest ferry services in the world, we’re committed to operating responsibly and reducing our environmental impact. Planning responsibly when building new vessels is critical as we work towards a cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable future on the coast. 

Responsible vessel recycling

As part of the effort to renew our fleet, we’re committed to disposing of retired vessels in a safe and environmentally responsible way. This includes using approved recycling facilities, protecting the health of workers and communities, and minimizing impacts on the marine environment. We’ve invested locally to recycle two retired Bowen-class vessels, and we’re actively supporting efforts to build ship recycling capacity here in British Columbia to keep this work local in the future.

Upgrading our terminals

Fleet renewal also includes targeted terminal upgrades to support our new vessels. On some routes, terminals will be rebuilt to accommodate larger ships and improved passenger access. We’re also adding shore-side charging infrastructure so our hybrid-electric vessels can operate in battery-electric mode, reducing emissions and noise in the communities we serve.

Working with Coastal First Nations

As we renew our fleet, BC Ferries is committed to working closely with coastal First Nations to acknowledge their enduring cultural heritage connected to marine and terrestrial territories in our operations along the Pacific West Coast.
 

Vessel naming

The Salish Class was named to honour the many Nations of the Coast Salish as the original mariners of the Straight of Georgia Region now referred to as the Salish Sea. Our Island Class vessels carry names gifted by local First Nations.

Four of our newest vessels (2017-2022) carry names gifted by local First Nations:

• Gwawis (GWA-WIS) means “Raven of the Sea” in Kwak'wala language and was selected with input and support from the 'Na̲mg̲is First Nation.
• Kwigwis (QUEE-WEASE) means “Eagle of the Sea” in Kwak̓wala and was selected with support from the 'Na̲mg̲is First Nation.
• Nagalis (NAH-GAH-LEASE) means “Dawn on the Land” in Kwak̓wala and Lik̓wala and was selected with support from the We Wai Kum and Wei Wei Kai Nations.
• K'ulut'a (Q-LUTA) means “Porpoise” in Kwak̓wala and Lik̓wala and was selected with support from the We Wai Kum and Wei Wei Kai Nations.

Vessel artwork

All four Salish Class vessels carry artwork by coastal First Nations artists who were chosen through an artwork competition in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, a provincial Crown Corporation:

• Salish Heron – artwork by Maynard Johnny Jr. from Chemainus
• Salish Orca – artwork by Darlene Gait from Esquimalt Nation
• Salish Eagle – artwork by John Marston from the Stz'uminus First Nation
• Salish Raven – artwork by Thomas Cannell from Musqueam First Nation