New ferry names coming Tuesday

VICTORIA — Winners of the contest to name B.C.’s three made-in-Poland ferries will be revealed Tuesday morning.

The winning names have been picked from more than 7,000 entries.

BC Ferries opened its naming contest in May for the three intermediate-class vessels being constructed in Poland for $165 million. The first of the ferries is to arrive in B.C. in 2016.

As soon as the contest was announced, citizens immediately started firing off names via social media — some funny, many critical of the ferry system and issues such as fare rates. Suggestions, which will never make the final cut, included Spirit of the Wallet-sucker, Queen of the Cash Cow, and Queen of the Oblivious Marketing Department. BC Ferries urged citizens to “celebrate the beauty of coastal B.C.” by entering the contest. Three prizes of $500 in BC Ferries travel vouchers will be handed out.

BC Ferries was looking for one name to describe the class of vessel, such as the Queen, Spirit or Coastal classes. Those names were not in the running for this group of vessels.

The new ferries’ second name will be specific to a vessel and are typically descriptive.

The rules specified names had to be gender-neutral, could not be geography-specific, could not refer to an individual or event, or already be in use on another ferry.

BC Ferries set up a judging panel to draw up a short list of nine for its executive management committee to pick from.

No one under 19 years old could enter. Entries were limited to one per person, each allowed to suggest three names.