Powell River Peak - June 3, 2015<\/p>\n
Concerns were raised about the design of the new replacement ferries for the Queen of Burnaby<\/em> and Queen of Nanaimo<\/em> at the most recent meeting of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n Slated for completion in 2016\/2017, the Intermediate Class Ferries will have an semi-enclosed twin deck, with separate hatches and built-in roll on\/roll off ramps for loading and unloading passenger and commercial vehicles.<\/p>\n Committee chair, Kim Barton-Bridges, and others, asked for details about loading vehicles into the enclosed space, wondering if cars would be above the waterline.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like you are going down into a dark hole,\u201d said Captain Al de Koninck, Northern Islands marine superintendent. According to de Koninck, the twin-deck vehicle decks are both above water, and the design calls for portholes.<\/p>\n De Koninck explained that the roll on\/roll off design calls for commercial vehicles to be loaded on the top deck, with passenger vehicles below.<\/p>\n The design is being used, said de Koninck, because it allows for increased capacity and flexibility, and protects vehicles from spray.<\/p>\n \u201cThese designs are tried and true in the Northern Atlantic and Baltic, and they have weather that is equivalent, if not much heavier than ours,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A spokesperson from Transport Canada said roll on\/roll off ramps are a common design used by ferry operators.<\/p>\n According to statistics provided by the Canadian Ferry Association there are at least 53 roll on\/roll off ferries being used across Canada, including 34 by BC Ferries.<\/p>\n Darin Guenette, BC Ferries manager of public affairs, said there will also be a double set of consoles on the bridge, saving time at the terminal so the ferry does not have to turn around to load or off-load vehicles.<\/p>\n Despite faster ship loading and a quicker turnaround time, \u201cthere are no plans yet to change the schedule,\u201d said Guenette.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re 98 per cent of the way there,\u201d he said, estimating the design will be finalized by the end of this month.<\/p>\n