Photo: Contributed - BC Ferries

Following a provincial contest that was met with some hilarious feedback, BC Ferries has chosen the names of its three new ships.

Out of the more than 7,100 entries, a panel of judges has selected Salish Orca, Salish Eagle and Salish Raven as the names for its new intermediate class ferries currently under construction.

The decision was made by a panel of 12 judges comprised of representatives from local media, Ferry Advisory Committee members and BC Ferries’ employees, after reviewing the entries submitted during the Name a Ferry contest that ran from May 19 through June 9, 2015.

According to BC Ferries, the names Salish Orca, Salish Eagle and Salish Raven were chosen to honour the Coast Salish people and the Salish Sea where these vessels will operate.

“These names honour the Coast Salish people and truly reflect both the west coast travel experience and the culture of British Columbia,” says Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ President and CEO. “I would like to thank the members of the judging panel who had a difficult job to select only three names from the thousands of great names that were submitted. I also want to thank all the people who embraced the contest and enthusiastically submitted their suggestions.”

To celebrate Salish culture in the design, BC Ferries is now working with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council to select Coast Salish artisans to design artwork for the exterior and interior of the vessels.

“We are looking forward to working with Coast Salish artists and the BC Ferries team on this inspiring project to adorn the new ferries with Coast Salish Art,” says Tracey Herbert, Executive Director of the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. “This collaboration is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the vibrant and thriving cultural heritage found on the coast of the Salish Sea.”

Salish Orca will enter service on the Comox – Powell River route late next year, while Salish Eagle and Salish Raven will begin operations in the Southern Gulf Islands in 2017.

For taking part in partially naming the vessels Brian Douglas of Cobble Hill, Pat Burns of Vancouver and Mark Crawford of Saanich, B.C. won $500 in BC Ferries travel.