After beginning their voyage early this month from the Damen shipyard in Vietnam, the two brand-new high-speed catamaran vessels for the new Hullo Ferries service arrived in British Columbia this past weekend.
Hullo Ferries is a private, passenger-only ferry service linking downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo, designed for both regular commuters from Vancouver Island and tourists.
Both vessels have a hul’q’umi’num’ name according to the Snuneymuxw First Nation (*).
SPUHÉLS (**) and STHUQI’ (***) will begin sailing in early August 2023.
* The Snuneymuxw are a vibrant First Nation of the Coast Salish People, residing in the centre of Coast Salish territory on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, with villages on the Fraser River and waterways in the Gulf Islands. Snuneymuxw territory encompasses one of the most productive and resource rich areas at the heart of the Salish Sea.
**Spuhéls (spah – els): is the hul’q’umi’num’ name meaning wind.
**¨Sthuqi’ (sta – key) is the hul’q’umi’num’ name for Sockeye salmon.
