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BC Ferries (British Columbia, Canada)

image by David E. Nelson, 12 March 2006
Source: BC Ferries web site

Description of the flag
- Flag since April 2003
- Flag: 1960 to April 2003

Description of the flag

Flag since April 2003

Founded in 1960 under a different name as a crown corporation, British Columbia Ferry Services Inc (BC Ferries), currently has thirty-five vessels serving forty-seven ports of call along the coast of the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

Its first house flag, in use from 09 June 1960, had a green background, which appears to be in the proportion of 1:2, with a rendition of the dogwood flower, (Cornus nuttallii) - the Province's official flower - centred on it. An image of this flag, together with details of the company's history, may be seen on the BC Ferries web site and the image also appears on menu items, carpets and other promotional material elsewhere on the web site. This web site also features a large section of historical photographs of ship launches and so on, on some of which it can clearly be seen that their vessels are flying flags other than the dogwood house flag. However, the details are too small to be able to precisely identify them.

When the new BC Ferries company was created on 02 April 2003, the new house flag was created and the company web sites states that the old flag was "retired" to the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, located on Bastion Square in Victoria.

In April 2003, the new house flag was instituted. Its dimensions are 914 mm x 1829 mm (3' x 6') and it is constructed according to Federal Standard CAN/CGSB-98.1-92, for the Canadian flag, which are still extant and costing over CAD 65 to download. [See "The Maple Leaf Flag"] This covers such matters as specifications for the material, thread, stitching, rope and toggle assembly, and construction. The flag has what is known as the "wave" element of the company's logo in white on a blue background, quoted in the company's specification as Pantone 541.

Sources:
(1) British Columbia Ferry Services Inc web site, http://www.bcferries.com (12 March 2006)
(2) British Columbia Ferry Services Inc web site, http://www.bcferries.bc.ca (12 March 2006)
(3) BC Ferries, Identity Specifications, Signage, Company Flag, dated 23 July 2003, downloaded from http://www.british-columbia-ferry-authority.net (12 March 2006)
(4) Standards Council of Canada web site, http://www.scc.ca (12 March 2006)
(5) Maritime Museum of British Columbia web site, http://mmbc.bc.ca (12 March 2006)
(6) Government of British Columbia, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat, Protocol & Events Branch web site, http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca (12 March 2006)
Colin Dobson, 12 March 2006

I saw a flag used for the BC Ferries service at the bus station at Tsawwassen. This also happened to be the ensign used on their ships; the flag was blue with the wavy logo (see http://www.bcferries.com minus text) centered. It nearly stretched to each corner of the flag. The ratio was 1x2, along with the Canadian and BC flags I saw at Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay and on the ships itself.
Zachary Harden, 2 July 2011

I managed to stumble on the document http://www.bcferries.com/corporate/brand_identity/specs/signage/BCF_Flag.pdf which details the construction of the BC Ferries flag. This confirms my initial report that the waves of the BC Ferries logo is only used on the flag and it extends from each side of the flag. According to also the document, the ratio is indeed 1x2 (3x6 feet according to this). The new set of information is that the Pantone color for this flag is 541 (termed by the company as BC Ferries Blue). The document also mentions that the physical construction of this flag is regulated by the "Federal Standards for the Canada Flag – CAN/CGSB-98.1-92" (which is for outdoor usage according to http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/ongc-cgsb/publications/catalogue/cat2011-eng.html). The exact adoption of this flag is unknown, but the specification sheet is dated July 23rd, 2003.
Zachary Harden,, 8 July 2011

Flag: 1960 to April 2003

image by Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2005
Source: travel.webshots.com

Flag to April 2003. The core of the flag flower should be yellow, not green. According to company site it is the 'Dogwood flag' and was used for 25 years.
Neale Rosanoski, 22 November 2003

image by Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2005
Source: photo from Dean McGee

Victoria, BC. - green flag, white flower with yellow heart.
Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2005