Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries held a christening ceremony for its first Salish-Class vessel at Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland earlier this week.

The new ferry, named Salish Orca, will replace the 50-year-old Queen of Burnaby on the Comox – Powell River route after it joins the BC Ferries' fleet in late 2016.

Featuring dual-fuel, Salish Orca is capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or ultralow sulphur diesel.

Three ships are currently under construction, with the other ships, Salish Eagle and Salish Raven, set to enter operations in the Southern Gulf Islands in 2017.

Using primarily LNG to fuel the news ships will result in reduced emissions and reduced costs for BC Ferries.