TransLink's new $32-million SeaBus vessel arriving from Europe this year

Mar 15 2019, 2:43 am

TransLink’s newest SeaBus ferry fleet addition now has a name.

The Burrard Chinook, which was christened at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands earlier this year, will begin its journey to Vancouver over the coming weeks.

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According to the public transit authority, the vessel is named after “the largest and most iconic of the Pacific salmon species.”

SeaBus Burrard Chinook

The Burrard Chinook SeaBus ferry vessel’s christening at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands in January 2019. (TransLink)

“The Chinook salmon has played a central role in life on the west coast of British Columbia for generations. It is also a renowned swimmer and a critical part of the ecosystem in the Burrard Inlet and the northern Pacific Ocean,” reads a release.

Translations of the name “Chinook” in the traditional languages of the local First Nations will be displayed on the vessel.

SeaBus Burrard Chinook

The Burrard Chinook SeaBus ferry vessel’s christening at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands in January 2019. (TransLink)

The other SeaBus vessels are named Burrard Otter (1976), Burrard Beaver (1976), Burrard Pacific Breeze (2009), and Burrard Otter II (2014). The first three vessels were built in BC shipyards, and the latter was built in Singapore.

While Burrard Otter has been retired, its original sister, the Burrard Beaver, has been retained as a spare vessel.

Each of these vessels can hold 385 seated passengers.

When the new $32.2-million vessel begins its regular operations this summer, TransLink will increase its peak hour SeaBus frequencies to every 10 minutes — up from the existing maximum frequency of every 15 minutes.

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