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New Hullo Foot Passenger Ferries Arrive At Ogden Point

The vessels will undergo about two weeks of tests and trials to earn Transport Canada certification prior to heading to Nanaimo.

The two new Hullo catamaran ferries arrived this weekend at Ogden Point, where they were being unloaded to sail to Point Hope Maritime before heading north to Nanaimo.

The vessels were built by Damen Shipyards Group in Vietnam and carried more than 11,000 kilometres to Victoria.

Walkers on the Ogden Point breakwater Sunday stopped to watch the ships being lifted into the water while tugs were on hand to help with the move. Those with maritime experience shared their thoughts about the vessels with many others watching and taking photographs.

Cargo ship UHL Freedom pulled up to Ogden Point with the green, white and orange vessels.

Once at Point Hope on Victoria's harbour, they will undergo about two weeks of tests and trials to earn Transport Canada certification prior to heading to Nanaimo.

The ferries are slated to begin running up to seven round-trips daily for foot passengers between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver in early August. Each ferry can carry 354 passengers.

A direct ferry service between Nanaimo and Vancouver has been a regular issue in elections in Nanaimo. The business and tourism community is eager to see the service start as Nanaimo undergoes a growth spurt that has pushed it above 100,000 residents.

Proponents believe the service will allow passengers to commute and to attend late-night events in Vancouver, and attract visitors.

One-way fares range from $39.99 to $59.99 for a 70-minute crossing, depending on the class. An introductory offer will reduce fares by $10 for a first-time booking.

cjwilson@timescolonist.Com

Direct Flights To Toronto To Resume At Nanaimo Airport

Tourism attractions and business opportunities in Canada's biggest city will soon be just hours away after the Nanaimo Airport announced they will resume direct flights to Toronto.

Starting on June 23, Air Canada Rouge will resume its seasonal direct flight from the Nanaimo Airport to Toronto Pearson Airport every Friday morning.

"The non-stop route makes it convenient for residents to vacation or do business in eastern Canada and the rest of the world, thanks to easy connections," an airport news release said. "It also helps create tourism and trade opportunities for the Island by bringing in thousands of visitors over the summer."

Along with the renewed 4.5 hour flight, the release said the airport plans to add another Vancouver departure to its summer schedule.

Read More: Air Canada lands 737 Max 8 at Nanaimo Airport for the first time

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New Nanaimo Hospital ICU To Take Patients Soon, Replacing One Of Canada's Worst Units

A new intensive care unit in Nanaimo will start taking patients next week, replacing an aging unit once called one of the worst ICUs in Canada.

British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix visited the Harbour City facility on Monday to announce that construction on the new 12-bed facility is complete.

The new ICU is expected to receive patients starting on June 28, according to the Health Ministry.

"We heard the needs of people in Nanaimo, and I'm proud that our government responded with a new ICU that provides both a technological upgrade and an expansion in size to provide better health-care services," said Dix.

The unit is located to the south of the current emergency department and will feature larger single-patient rooms, a medication room and a family consultation room.

The existing 10-bed intensive care unit was built in 1970 and is outdated in its functionality, according to the ministry.

Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Sheila Malcolmson, who is also Nanaimo's MLA, says the old ICU was reported in 2013 as one of "the most dangerous" in Canada and the new unit is greatly needed in the central Vancouver Island city.

An external review that looked at three of Island Health's ICUs said the physical condition of the Nanaimo unit was "by far the worst ICU we have seen in Canada."

The cost of the project is an estimated $41.6 million and is shared between Island Health, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District and the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation, according to the province.

Construction also continues on a new 12-bed high-acuity unit at the hospital, which will provide patients with more acute care and closer monitoring than a general hospital ward, but with fewer resources than an ICU.

The $18.5-million high-acuity unit will replace the temporary eight-bed unit when it opens in summer 2024.

With files from The Canadian Press

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