The Spirit of British Columbia, one of the largest vessels in the B.C. Ferries fleet, is part of a new series of Canada Post stamps honouring the country’s marine heritage.
The series features five ferries operating in Canadian waters, including the Spirit of British Columbia, which connects Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay and has a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew and 350 vehicles.
Built in 1993, the vessel was converted in 2018 to dual-fuel propulsion, allowing the ship to use liquefied natural gas and significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
The other ferries in the series include Chi-Cheemaun, which travels between Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island in Ontario, across Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay; Trillium, which connects Toronto to the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario.; Alphonse-Desjardins, which links Québec and Lévis, Que., across the St. Lawrence River; and Grand Manan V, which connects Blacks Harbour and Grand Manan Island, N.B., across the Bay of Fundy.
In releasing the new series, Canada Post said waterway transportation has been a fundamental part of Canada’s history and development, with Indigenous Peoples traditionally using canoes, kayaks, umiaks and other vessels to hunt, transfer goods and carry people along coastal regions and across lakes and rivers.
Today, ferries in Canada transport millions of passengers and vehicles each year, playing important roles in regional transit systems and the tourism industry.
The issue includes a booklet of 10 permanent domestic rate stamps, an official first day cover (a first day of issue special envelope), and a souvenir sheet of five stamps.
The stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.
