Construction on the BC Ferries Heriot Bay and Whaletown terminals will soon be coming to an end, and we will probably have a brand-new-to-us hybrid electric ferry this summer.

Sheila Reynolds, Senior Communications Advisor with BC Ferries, explained: “Construction at the terminals actually began last spring to replace both berths at Heriot Bay and Whaletown, which were both nearing the end of their service lives and needed replacing.”

Image: Close-up of either the Island Nagalis, or its sister ship, on the Campbell River run – Roy L Hales photo

Heriot Bay and Whaletown Terminals

“While the majority of that work over the past year didn’t disrupt ferry service, the project did require that both terminals be closed for three weeks in February. Since March 2, both of the terminals have been replaced and are safely open to customers, with regular service between Quadra and Cortes operating as usual. During the closures, people would have noticed that there was water taxi service, shuttle, bus service, and barge service for essential goods and services.”

“We’re well aware that these disruptions and construction in the community can be unnerving or cause some anxieties for people, but your communities were very collaborative. It went remarkably smoothly, actually. There weren’t any significant hiccups. Passengers seemed to get back and forth as needed. They did have a lot of lead times where people were pretty well prepared and aware, but the smoothness was largely due to the Quadra and Cortes communities, who are not only patient, but extremely collaborative throughout the planning, construction and during those temporary service changes. It was clear people understood and appreciated that this short-term disruption was going to result in long-term improvement.”

Cortes Currents: How did they help out?

Sheila Reynolds: “We are collaborating with all sorts of partners—residents, Indigenous partners, contractors, regional stakeholders. There were lots of conversations about how the closure period could be shortened, because originally it was going to be a longer closure period and potentially more disruptive.

“With the upgrades, the load limit is now increased to the highway-legal limit of 63,500 kilograms. That’s actually double the capacity of the old berths. Both berths also have hydraulic lifts, so they won’t be subject to tidal restrictions that the route used to experience with very low tides. The ramps are much wider, so trucks will be able to maneuver at Whaletown much more easily. For foot passengers, it’s a wider pathway, so people with bikes and luggage or other things will find it easier to navigate on and off of the vessels.”

Island Nagalis

“Most importantly, the berths are designed to accommodate the arrival of the ‘new-to-you’ larger Island Nagalis.”

Cortes Currents: When is it going to arrive?

Sheila Reynolds: “The Island Nagalis will shift from the Campbell River–Quadra route to the Heriot Bay–Whaletown route that is currently planned for this summer, summer 2026. The exact date is still subject to adjustment based on final delivery dates for the new Island-class vessels that are coming from Romania.”

Narrator: On March 19, 2026, BC Ferries announced the launch of the Island K’asa  (pronounced KAH-sah) at Damen Shipyards in Galați, Romania. This is the fourth of the latest batch of Island Class vessels, and will bring the total number of Island Class vessels in the fleet to 10.

Work at the Heriot Bay & Whaletown terminals

Cortes Currents: You mentioned there is still some work to be done.

Sheila Reynolds: “There’s just a bit of ongoing work at the terminals. The biggest item is the demolition of the old berth and temporary trestle that was used during construction at Heriot Bay. That’s expected to be complete by the end of March. There are lots of other smaller tasks underway, including revegetation along the shoreline at both terminals, and installing fencing, railings, and gates at the terminals. Currently I believe paving at both terminals is planned to take place in April, but that’s weather dependent.”

“A very positive point on this project was that most of the project’s materials and components were sourced and manufactured here in BC, with lots of the fabrication taking place in Duncan, Campbell River and Cowichan, and some in Delta as well. We’re really pleased that that was possible.”

Narrator: The Island Kwigwis (QUEE-WEASE) will temporarily be assigned to the Campbell River – Quadra run this summer, which is when the Isand Nagalis will be transferred over to the Quadra-Cortes route. Nagalis means ‘Dawn on the Land’ in Kwak̓wala and Lik̓wala dialects of the Kwakwaka’wakw language. The Island Nagalis has a carrying capacity of 47 vehicles and a maximum speed of 14 knots. 

Campbell River is currently scheduled to receive two new Island Class Ferries, the Island Island K’asa and Island Gwa’yam (Gwuh-yum), by early 2027. 

K’asa means ‘otter’ in the Kwak’wala language and the name was gifted by the Wei Wai Kum First Nation. The otter is a powerful guardian spirit who can navigate between the spirit and human world.

Gwa’yam means ‘whale’ in the Kwak’wala language. The We Wai Kai Nation chose this name because whales are powerful symbols of family and have recently returned to these waters.

Links of Interest:

• 10th Island Class vessel launched as BC Ferries advances fleet renewal – BC Ferries
• Island Class – BC Ferries
• Articles about, or mentioning, BC Ferries

All undesignated photos courtesy BC Ferries.

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