September 9, 2021
BC Ferries’ newest hybrid electric ship transited the Panama Canal over the weekend and is now preparing for its trip home to British Columbia. Island 5, as it is temporarily named, departed Romania on July 31 under its own power. BC Ferries expects the ship to be in B.C. by late-September, depending on weather.
Together, Island 5 and Island 6 will allow for two-ship service on the Nanaimo Harbour – Gabriola Island route starting in 2022.