The completion date for the construction of the new Kootenay Lake ferry is still late 2026, according to a news release from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The ferry is expected to sail in 2027. The cost of the project is $117-million – no change from the budget the ministry announced last fall, but 85 per cent higher than its original budget of $63-million in 2021.
The new ferry is under construction by Western Pacific Marine in a temporary shipyard in Nelson.
The news release states that hull construction and superstructure assembly is nearing completion.
"Work is now focused on outfitting vessel systems, which are estimated to be more than 50 per cent complete since this work commenced in fall 2024."
Outfitting work includes installation of mechanical, electrical and control systems and interior components, installation of auxiliary systems bilge and fire pumps and piping, as well as engine cooling, exhaust, and mooring systems. Crews are also working on the vehicle deck and interior spaces.
The 55-car vessel will replace the MV Balfour, which is one of the two ferries operating on the route between Balfour and Kootenay Bay. The MV Balfour was built in 1954 and is ready for retirement.
The vessel was originally planned to be ready in 2023, only to be pushed back to late 2024 before its most recently rescheduling to 2026.
The ferry is being constructed so that it can be adapted to electric power.
“By 2030, once shore power is in place and the technology has been tested for reliable daily use, a full conversion will be made from diesel to electric propulsion,” the news release states.
