BC Ferries finds replacement vessel

While we touched on the purchase of the MV Sonia by B. C. Ferries in an earlier posting, we provide the local angles from the pages of the Daily News.

The Daily News had the announcement of the purchase of the Sonia on the front page on Monday, complete with reaction from local stakeholders in the tourist industry, government officials and the Ferry Corporation president himself.

B. C. FERRIES INKS DEAL FOR VESSEL TO REPLACE LOST FERRY
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Monday, September 18, 2006
Pages One and Five

B. C. Ferries has reached an agreement to purchase the MV Sonia to replace the Queen of the North that was lost on March 22.

With the announcement, the North Coast will once again be serviced by two vessels next summer, with the new ship servicing the Port Hardy-to-Prince Rupert run, while the Queen of the North will go back to servicing the Queen Charlotte Islands.

For many on the North Coast, the announcement was long awaited.

“An announcement couldn’t have been delayed any longer,” said Bruce Wishart, executive director for Tourism Prince Rupert. “We need to start planning for next summer.

“It’s great news for the North.”

B. C. Ferries had a contingency plan in place to lease another vessel had the potential purchase of the Sonia fallen through, but now the outright purchase will take place in the first week of October, said Deborah Marshall, director of media relations for B. C. Ferries.

“We’ll have the Sonia running by this spring,” she said. “We really thank everybody up in the North who have been patient with us.

The MV Sonia is only two years old and was servicing Spain. However, with the addition of the Sonia to the B. C. fleet, B. C. Ferries plans to restore full North Coast service in time for the 2007 summer season.

“We are extremely pleased to acquire this ship so that full service can be restored for the summer of 2007 to North Coast,” said David Hahn, B. C. Ferries president and CEO. “Thos acquisition sends a clear message to the global tourism industry that the Inside Passage route will be open for business next year.”

While the Sonia is similar in size to the Queen of the North, it does have more amenities available, including 70 cabins as opposed to the 55 that were available on the Queen of the North.

“It has increased level of passenger amenities and personal safety,” said Marshall. “The Queen of the North was 40 years old, while the Sonia was only built two years ago.”

Once the purchase becomes official, the vessel will undergo approximately $18 million in modifications throughout the coming winter before taking over the North Coast routes in the spring.

At that time, the Queen of Prince Rupert will be taken out of service for its annual refit, prior to being returned to service in time for the summer season. The Sonia can accommodate more than 600 persons and 101 vehicles.

The province of B. C. recently updated its agreement with B. C. Ferries to allow this change to take place.

Under the old agreement, the first new vessel for the northern routes wouldn’t have entered service until 2009. But with the announcement regarding the MV Sonia, the province has increased service payments to B. C. Ferries to allow the company to restore full service by 2007, and a new vessel will be added to the route by 2009 to replace the ageing Queen of Prince Rupert.

“The northern ferry routes are a vital link for residents in our northern coastal communities and an essential part of B. C.’s tourism industry,” said Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon.

“The tragic loss of the Queen of the North earlier this year has added urgency to the replacement schedule, so that’s why we are amending our contract so that B. C. Ferries can purchase a vessel and restore full service to the northern routes next spring.”