The completion date for the new Kootenay Lake Ferry has been pushed back two years and will require $54 million more than what it was originally estimated to cost.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure told the Nelson Star that the ferry won't be completed this year. Instead, it is now estimated to be finished in 2026 with sailings to start in 2027.
The budget has also increased from the original $63 million to $117 million, according to the ministry.
The new ferry is under construction at a dry dock on Kootenay Lake in Nelson.
The ministry stated that the updated schedule and budget are "due to the unique nature of the project including the location of the build site in Nelson, the complexity of assembling a large vessel in a temporary shipyard, and the shortage of qualified trades people."
In a related post online, the ministry stated that specialized trades such as marine-certified welders are especially difficult to recruit and retain.
The post also says that "without permanent shipyard facilities, most of the steel work and all assembly must take place outdoors and are subject to schedule impacts due to weather conditions."
The 55-car vessel will replace the MV Balfour, which is one of the two ferries operating on the route between Balfour and Kootenay Bay. The MV Balfour was built in 1954 and is ready for retirement.
