BC Ferries has announced that the four new vessels set to join the fleet will be dubbed the Summit Class, and each vessel will be named after a coastal species of tree.
The vessels will be named the Summit Arbutus, Summit Cedar, Summit Maple and Summit Spruce.
“We heard clearly through the naming process the importance of connecting these vessels to the natural environment of British Columbia and to the communities they serve—and that’s reflected in the vessel names,” said Nicolas Jimenez, president and CEO of BC Ferries.
“Many of our largest ships are approaching the end of their expected service life, and these new vessels are a critical part of renewing service on our busiest routes.”
BC Ferries says the vessel names were chosen through input from employees and a workshop with external voices.
Those discussions guided BC Ferries to put an emphasis on names that would reflect the coast, its natural environment and the communities BC Ferries serves.
“Arbutus, cedar, maple and spruce are some of the most recognizable trees in British Columbia—they’re central to our forests, reflect a long tradition of environmental stewardship, and help define the province’s landscape,” said Robert Guy, professor emeritus in the Faculty of Forestry at UBC.
“It’s fitting to see those names on vessels that so many British Columbians rely on to connect with family, support communities and keep people and goods moving along key coastal routes.”
These four vessels in the Summit Class were approved by the BC Ferry Commission in 2025.
The first of them is expected to enter service beginning in 2029, and all four vessels are anticipated to be in service by 2031.
They were designed to traverse BC Ferries’ busiest routes, with each Summit Class vessel having a capacity of carrying up to 360 standard-sized vehicles and up to 2,100 passengers and crew.
This represents an increase of approximately 80 more vehicles and over 1,000 additional passengers compared to some of the vessels they will replace.
The new vessels will replace the Queen of Alberni, Queen of New Westminster, Queen of Coquitlam and Queen of Cowichan.
In addition to the Summit Class vessels being named, BC Ferries is holding a naming ceremony for its newest Island Class vessel.
The Island xwsaĺux̌ul, is the newest addition to BC Ferries’ growing Island Class fleet, and the name was gifted to BC Ferries by the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
This name reportedly reflects the deep connection between coastal communities, language and the waters this vessel will serve.
The Island xwsaĺux̌ul recently arrived in BC following its journey from a shipyard in Romania.
This vessel will operate between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island.
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