BC FERRIES BECOME GIANT BILLBOARD

“SUPER C” FERRIES
GIANT GRAPHICS UNVEILED

The exterior graphic designs have been unveiled for two more “Super C-class” vessels that will sail here from Europe to join the BC Ferries fleet next year.
Like the first ship in the series – “Coastal Renaissance”, the second and third ships – “Coastal Inspiration” and “Coastal Celebration” will also feature giant photographs of winter sports and British Columbia scenes to serve as massive invitations to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
BC Ferries has been collaborating with VANOC and 3M Canada to design and create the giant decals, the largest marine application of printed graphics ever undertaken. All of the decals were produced in Vancouver and will be applied at the shipyard in Flensburg, Germany.
“Each of these three ships will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people on the way home, providing us with a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase both B.C. and the 2010 Winter Games,” said BC Ferries” President and CEO, David L. Hahn. “The promotional stops we’re planning for the ships will go a long way toward introducing B.C. to those who do not know us yet, and reintroducing us to tourists who have visited us in the past and are considering visiting us again in 2010.”
The giant images on the “Coastal Inspiration” include:
• Russ Howard in action during the preliminary round of the Men's curling between Canada and Sweden during Day 4 of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
• Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park - a 14-km finger of land that juts out into the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of Vancouver Island, northwest of Kyuquot
• Mercedes Nicoll of Canada competing in the Women’s Snowboard Half Pipe Qualifying on Day 3 of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games.
• Kootenay National Park - one of 41 national parks in Canada and represents the south-western region of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The third vessel “Coastal Celebration” will feature graphics of:
• Kim St-Pierre, Charline Labonte and Sarah Vaillancourt of Canada celebrating after their 4-1 victory over Sweden during the final of the women's ice hockey on Day 10 of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
• Clayoquot Sound - literally at the end of the road, the popular village of Tofino on Vancouver Island, has become a favoured destination for Northwest and European travellers alike.
• Samuel Edney of Canada competing in his final run in the Mens Luge Single Final on Day 2 of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games.
• Redfern Lake – located in northern B.C., about 8 km long and 1 km wide, is glacier-fed and surrounded by a narrow band of boreal forest, talus slope, alpine meadow, and rugged peaks with small glaciers.
The two newest vessels will be completed in coming months and in service on the B.C. coast by the summer of 2008. All three of the new “Super C-class” ships will be the largest double-ended ferries in the world, measuring 160 metres in length, with capacity for 1,650 passengers and 370 vehicles.
The first vessel “Coastal Renaissance” is due to sail from Flensburg, Germany in the next few weeks and head for British Columbia via the Panama Canal. The next two will be completed and delivered by summer of 2008. The journey home for the third vessel, “Coastal Celebration” will include promotional stops in London, Los Angeles, and Seattle to raise awareness for the 2010 Winter Games and to promote British Columbia as a tourism destination.
To mark the completion of the first ship, a celebratory barbeque for 3,000 guests will be held on September 21st at the Flensburg, Germany shipyard where all three vessels are being built. The event will be attended by Hon. David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics and Hon. Kevin Falcon, Minister of Transportation, Province of British Columbia.
The menu will feature B.C. products and creations by well-known Vancouver Chefs John Bishop, and Denise Sparrow. Among the menu items are Salmon Candy, Bison Burger on a Bannock Bun with Black Currant Chutney, Blueberry/Apple Crumble with Soapberry Whip, local beer and BC Ferries’ Famous Clam Chowder.