The M/V ''Island Gwawis'' is the sixth vessel in the

Island Class Ferry The Island-class ferries are ferries owned and operated by BC Ferries. Six vessels were built between 2019 and 2021 by Damen Shipyards Group, a Dutch company, in Romania. The first two ships were launched in mid-March 2019, and commenced se ...

series, owned and operated by BC Ferries. Built by Damen Shipyards in 2021, this vessel is part of the second phase of Island Class vessels. ''Island Gwawis'' was launched as ''Island 6'' on April 22, 2021, left

Galați Galați (, , ; also known by other alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the Danube River. It has been the only port for the most par ...

, Romania, on October 13, 2021, and arrived at Point Hope Shipyard, Victoria, British Columbia on December 23, 2021. On January 11, 2022, ''Island 6'' was christened and renamed ''Island Gwawis'' by BC Ferries Director of Fleet Operations and Strategy, and First People's Cultural Council Special Advisor Cathi Charles Wherry. ''Gwawis'' means "raven of the sea" in the Kwakwaka'wakw indigenous language.

Naming controversy

The name ''Island Gwawis'' received backlash from Snuneymuxw First Nation. On the day after the name was released, Chief Mike Wyse issued a statement saying that he was "saddened and frustrated" that the ferry company "decided to choose a racist and discriminatory path riddled with colonial acts that is woefully inflammatory and offensive to building a relationship between" them and BC Ferries. The indigenous group believed that the vessel should've been named in the Snuneymuxw language, as the ferry would be sailing in their traditional waters. BC Ferries noted that vessels are no longer named by their service regions, and are standardized, likely to be moved around the fleet when needed.

Service history

''Island Gwawis'' entered service with her sister ship ''

Island Kwigwis The Island-class ferries are ferries owned and operated by BC Ferries. Six vessels were built between 2019 and 2021 by Damen Shipyards Group, a Dutch company, in Romania. The first two ships were launched in mid-March 2019, and commenced se ...

'' on April 12, 2022, replacing '' Quinsam'' on the

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

- Gabriola Island route. The vessel overnights next to the

Nanaimo Harbour ferry terminal Nanaimo Harbour, highly associated with and commonly referred to as the "Gabriola Island Ferry", is a ferry terminal owned and operated by BC Ferries in British Columbia that goes from downtown Nanaimo across the Northumberland Channel to Desca ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Island Gwawis Ships of BC Ferries Island Class ferries Damen Group 2021 ships