TransLink announced today that its new SeaBus is getting ready to set sail from a Netherlands shipyard to Vancouver.
The Burrard Chinook was christened at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands this January and will start its long journey soon, according to a news release.
“The Chinook name is a tribute to the largest and most iconic of the Pacific salmon species,” said the release. “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.
“The SeaBus operates in the traditional territory of the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation. We would like to acknowledge their generosity in sharing, with TransLink, their translations of the name ‘Chinook’ into hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the traditional language of the Musqueam Indian Band and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and the traditional language of the Squamish Nation.”
The Burrard Chinook is funded through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF); the Government of Canada at 50 per cent, the Province of British Columbia at 33 per cent and TransLink at 17 per cent. Total cost of the vessel is $32.2 million.
The Burrard Chinook will join the Burrard Beaver, Burrard Otter II and the Burrard Pacific Breeze in service late this summer.
