BC Ferries has announced that the company has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to five pre-qualified shipyards, including one Canadian proponent, to build three intermediate class ferries to replace the 4,903gt/1965 built Queen of Burnaby and the 4,939gt/1964 built Queen of Nanaimo.

Both of these vessels are nearing the end of their service lives and will be retired in 2016. The two newbuilds will be capable of carrying 145 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crew to replace the Queen of Burnaby, which sails between Comox and Powell River and to replace the Queen of Nanaimo, which services the Tsawwassen-Southern Gulf Islands route. A third vessel capable of carrying 125 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crew will also be built to augment peak and shoulder season service on the Southern Gulf Islands route.

The shipyards approached are FiskerstrandBlrt As, Norway; FlensburgerSchiffbau-Gesellsch-aftmbH& Co.KG, Germany; Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A., Poland; Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd., Canada and the Sefine Shipyard, Turkey. The RFP closes at the end of February 2014 and after a detailed evaluation of the proposals received, BC Ferries expects to award a contract to the successful bidder in the spring of 2014. The two-145 vehicle ferries are expected to enter service in 2016 and the 125-vehicle ferry is expected to be in service in 2017.