Statistics:

M.V. Saltspring Queen
Previous Name	M.V. Delta Princess (1949~1961)		At Retirement:
Place Built	Esquimalt, B.C.		Vehicle Capacity	36
Year Built	1949		Passenger Capacity	187
Date Launched	May 12, 1949		Length	145 ft.
Joined BC Ferries	1961		Gross Tons	276.46
Retired from BC Ferries	1996		Horsepower	480

History & Notes:

• The Saltspring Queen was nicknamed the Salty. She was built in 1949.

  The Saltspring Queen was almost identical to the Vesuvius Queen. Interestingly, they were built in different years and in different places, and never served together until they both joined B.C. Ferries (at separate times in the early 1960s).

• The Saltspring Queen began her life of ferry service crossing the Fraser River where the George Massey Tunnel is now located. At this time, her name was Delta Princess. (Bannerman, 20)

• The George Massey Tunnel was completed in 1959, and sometime after, the Delta Princess was bought by Gulf Islands Ferries. This company was bought by BC Ferries on on September 1, 1961 and the Delta Princess was soon renamed Saltspring Queen. (Bannerman, 170)

• The Saltspring Queen was sold by BC Ferries in 1996 for $106,000. (MacQueen)

Origin of the Names:

• Delta Princess - Likely named after the Fraser River delta and/or the municipality of Delta which was connected to Richmond by the ferry until 1959. (Turner, 129)

• Saltspring Queen - Named after Saltspring Island which was named for several salty springs that can be found on the island.

What happened to the Saltspring Queen?

• Bought by a local company to be used as a floating lodge (MacQueen). However, no word on what eventually happened.

• According to the Canadian Ship Registry, the ferry has been renamed Golden Queen and is now owned by Brant Investments Ltd. of Vancouver. Her official Canadian registration number is 0190667.

• If you have any more information, please e-mail me.

Works Cited & Sources:

Bannerman, Gary and Patricia. The Ships of British Columbia. Surrey: Hancock House Publishers, 1985.

Griffiths, Garth, and H.L. Cadieux. Dogwood Fleet. Nanaimo: Cadieux and Griffiths, 1967.

MacQueen, Ken. "Set your own ferry fare: Ferry Sale Creates Flurry of Interest: B.C. Ferries has a 47-year-old vessel to sell - but doesn't expect a new rival." Vancouver Sun 7 January, 1998: B1.

Relevant Links:

Photo's of Model Ships - Saltspring Queen model, second from top.

BC Archives Photographs (By Call Number)

I-26722 - The Delta Princess at Fulford Harbour (with Gulf Islands Ferry Co.)

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Page by John Hammersmark.

This page was last updated on August 11, 2003.

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