Four new BC Ferries vessels will begin service on some of the busiest routes between 2029 and 2031.
BC Ferries announced names for the new ships, which will be built at China Merchant Shipbuilding Industry Group Co. Ltd. The vessels are part of the new Summit Class fleet and will be named after B.C. trees: Arbutus, Cedar, Maple and Spruce.
“We heard clearly through the naming process the importance of connecting these vessels to the natural environment of British Columbia and to the communities they serve – and that’s reflected in the vessel names,” said Nicolas Jimenez, president and CEO of BC Ferries.
“Many of our largest ships are approaching the end of their expected service life and these new vessels are a critical part of renewing service on our busiest routes. We believe that the first four Summit Class vessels will play an important role in improving reliability, adding capacity and strengthening the system over the long term.”
Each ship will carry up to 360 vehicles and 2,100 passengers and crew. BC Ferries said this is about 80 more vehicles and more than 1,000 more passengers than the vessels they will replace.
The vessels were approved in 2025 and the first is set to begin service in 2029. BC Ferries said the new class is designed to operate interchangeably across major routes.
“Today, operating multiple vessel types can limit flexibility when issues arise. The Summit Class will be a fleet of identical, interoperable vessels, which makes it easier to move vessels when and where they’re needed, aligning seamlessly with terminal infrastructure, and enabling consistent crewing and scheduling – ultimately helping BC Ferries to deliver more reliable service for our customers,” said Ed Hooper, head of fleet renewal.
