The new cable ferry that will run between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and Denman Island made its first trip to its home port this week.
The $15-million ferry, named the Baynes Sound Connector, left Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver Tuesday night for the Island.
“This is major milestone for the cable ferry project as we get another step closer to introducing our newest vessel into service on the Buckley Bay–Denman Island route,” said Mark Wilson, B.C. Ferries’ vice-president of engineering. “Seaspan has built a fine ship that will serve our customers for decades to come.”
The ferry, named for the channel between the two islands, will be attached to three cables that were installed this year. It will have room for 150 passengers and 50 vehicles. The ferry will cross a distance of 6,234 feet and will be capable of reaching speeds of 8.5 knots.
Ferries crews will undergo training in August and September with an expectation it will go into service later this fall.
Tourism traffic on the rise
Victoria’s tourism industry is seeing a banner year according to the latest statistics compiled by Chemistry Consulting.
Hotel occupancy is up nearly five per cent through the first seven months of this year and revenue per available room, a key indicator of the health of the sector, is up almost $14 in that time.
Traffic on B.C. Ferries has also been up significantly this year, with a 6.14 per cent increase in vehicles, six per cent increase in passengers and 1.26 per cent increase in bus traffic through the end of July this year compared with the same period in 2014.
Victoria International Airport has also been busy with a five per cent jump in the number of passengers through its gates — 976,022 by the end of July.
According to Frank Bourree, principal at Chemistry Consulting, a lot of the improved performance in the industry is down to American traffic, and the relatively weak Canadian dollar is certainly helping it along.
On the move
Vecima Networks has added T. Kent Elliot to its board of directors. A 35-year veteran of the Internet security and telecommunication industries, he replaces Barry Baptie, who has retired from the board. Elliot held positions with ForeScout Technologies, Nokia, Nokia Internet Communications and Mitel Corp.
