BC Ferries

Most of the major vessels are based on similar designs which are aggregated into "classes" of ferries:. (He or she cannot choose to sit for the entire examination once again in September, as the September exams may only be taken by those who have not been able to take the June exams : illness or other serious reasons). All of the vessels in use by BC ferries are "roll-on, roll-off" car ferries. If the student does poorly in the orals and receives below an 8, he or she may choose to repeat the final year of lycée (terminale). There are 35 vessels, ranging from small 16-car ferries up to 470-car "superferries". If the student does well enough in these orals to raise the overall, weighed grade to a 10, then he or she receives his or her baccalauréat. BC Ferries has the largest fleet of vehicle ferry vessels in the world. If a student averages an 8, he or she is permitted to sit for the épreuve de rattrapage (also called the second groupe), a supplemental oral exam given in two subjects of the student's choice.

All routes allow vehicles unless stated otherwise. For example, a grade of 13 over 20 is comparable to 82%. Route numbers are used internally by BC Ferries. Here is a useful formula¹ to convert a French grade (x) to an equivalent percentage grade (y):. The Queen of Oak Bay was repaired and tested, then returned to regular service on July 8, 2005. This shows that more than 60% of all passing students finished with a grade between 10 and 12 over 20. The faulty speed governor had been serviced 17 days before the incident during a $35-million upgrade and the cotter pin was not properly replaced at that time. In the 2004-2005 school year, according to official statistics, 38.6% of successful examinees were awarded honours.

Without the pin, the nut fell off and the linkage separated, causing the engine, clutches, and propellers to increase in speed until overspeed safety devices tripped and shut down the entire propulsion system. It is also very rare to see scores lower than 3 (which is much less than required for a supplemental examination anyway). The pin normally retained a nut on a linkage between an engine speed governor and the fuel control for one of the engines. Therefore it is practically impossible to get a perfect score of 20 out of 20. On July 7, 2005, BC Ferries concluded that a missing cotter pin was to blame. The same applies when marking the baccalauréat. An inspection revealed minimal damage to the ship, with only some minor damage to a metal fender, paint scrapes to the rudder, and some minor scrapes to one blade of a propeller. French educators seldom use the entire grading scale.

On July 1, 2005, BC Ferries issued a statement that Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board, and Lloyd's Register of Shipping were reviewing the control and mechanical systems onboard to find a fault. Honours are crucial for students wishing to enter the classes préparatoires, before going to a grande école. No casualties or injuries were reported. For the baccalauréat three levels of honours are given:. The horn was blown steadily and an announcement telling passengers to brace for impact was made minutes before the 139-metre ship slowly ran into the nearby Sewell's Marina, where it destroyed or damaged 22 pleasure craft and subsequently went aground a short distance from the shore. The 2004-2005 success rate for the baccalauréat in mainland France was 79.7%. The vessel became adrift, unable to change speed, but able to steer with the rudders. The passing mark is 10 out of 20.

On June 30, 2005 at about 10:10 in the morning (17:10 UTC), the vessel Queen of Oak Bay, on the Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay (or Trans-Canada Highway) ferry route, lost power four minutes before it was to dock at the Horseshoe Bay terminal. The oral exam covers works studied throughout première. 260 people were hurt, but there were no deaths. It also has an oral examination component, along with the written part. The collision occurred in heavy fog, with both vessels suffering minor damage. Students generally take the French language and literature exam at the end of première, due to the fact that this subject is not taught in terminale (where it is replaced with a philosophy course). On March 12, 1992, at 8:08 am (16:08 UTC), the Queen of Alberni collided with the Japanese freighter Shinwa Maru southwest of Tsawwassen. This is especially true in subjects such as philosophy and French literature.

The Soviet ship was not supposed to be in Active Pass, and as such, the Soviet government was forced to compensate BC Ferries. Since most answers — even for biology questions — are given in essay form, there is considerable room for subjectivity in grading by the examiner. Three people were killed and damage was estimated at over one million (1970) dollars. Unlike the British GCSEs or the American SAT, the French baccalauréat is not a standardized test. On August 2, 1970 the Soviet freighter Sergey Yesenin collided with the Queen of Victoria in Active Pass, slicing through the middle of the ferry. To avoid conflicts of interests, a teacher who has lectured to a student or group of students cannot grade their exam. The three vessels are expected to be delivered in 2007 and 2008. The correcting staff is usually a member of the teaching staff in the same district or, at a larger scale, in the same académie.

The contract protects BC Ferries from any delays through a fixed price and fixed schedule contract, and the performance of the ferries is guaranteed with strong contractual requirements. In this fashion, anonymity is respected. On September 17, 2004, BC Ferries finally awarded the vessel construction contract to Germany's Flensburger shipyard. The number is written on all exam material and the name is hidden by folding the upper part of the examination sheet(s). shipbuilders. Students usually have an identification number and an assigned seat. The advantages of employing European shipbuilders were that they had far more experience and shipyards that were more capable of constructing the ships, the cost was expected to be significantly less, and others' contract terms could be negotiated that were superior to what was likely to be available from B.C. The procedure is the same for each subject, in each stream.

shipbuilding industry, and entitle the provincial government to a large portion of the cost in the form of taxes. Secrecy surrounding the material is very tight and the envelopes containing the exams are unsealed by a high-ranking school officer (usually a principal or vice-principal) in front of the examinees only a few minutes prior to the start of the examination. The argument for domestic construction of the ferries is that it would employ numerous British Columbia workers, would revitalize the sagging B.C. When taken in mainland France, the baccalauréat material is the same for all students in a given stream. The contract is estimated at less than $500 million for the three ships, which are each designed to carry 370 vehicles and 1600 passengers. (except in Math where they occasionaly appear but often require justification). A controversy began in July, 2004 when BC Ferries, under a new American CEO, announced that the company had disqualified all Canadian bids and only the proposals from European shipyards to build three new Super-C class ships were being considered. Although multiple-choice exams (questionnaire à choix multiples) do exist in the French educational system, they do not appear for the baccalauréat.

More information about the various aspects of this change to the company is available here. All foreign language exams include a short translation section as well. Critics have said that the company, however reorganized, will continue to be subject to political interference, despite the Government's assurances to the contrary. Math and science exams are problem sets but some science questions also require an essay-type answer. The single voting share is held by the BC Ferry Authority, which operates under the rules of the Act. The number of pages filled-out varies from exam to exam but is usually substantial considering all answers have to be written down, explained and justified. This was established through the passing of the Coastal Ferry Act (Bill 18-2003). The student is given a substantial block of time (depending on the exam, from two to four hours) to complete a multiple-page, well-argued paper.

In 2003, the Government of British Columbia announced that BC Ferries, which had been in debt, was going to be reorganized into a private company. Most examinations are given in essay-form. The distinctive 'dogwood on green' flag that BC Ferries used between 1960 and 2003 gave the service its popular nickname "the Dogwood Fleet". This is a very stressful period for students and preparation starts early in the school year, sometimes even a few years beforehand. This action dramatically increased the size of BC Ferries' fleet and its geographical service area. For lycée students, this is the end of the last year, terminale. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, which ran ferry services to very small coastal communities. The majority of the baccalauréat examination takes place in a week in June.

In the mid 1980s, BC Ferries took over the operations of the saltwater branch of the B.C. This bias is inherent to the French educational system but is more and more contested, especially by teachers from the other two general streams of study. waters, with only two foreign purchases and one domestic purchase. A majority of French students choose to take the bac S as it is said to open more doors, for a greater range of post-graduation opportunities. The vast majority of the vessels in the fleet were built in B.C. The baccalauréat permits students to choose to sit for exams in over forty world languages or French minority languages (such as Basque, Breton, Corsican, and Occitan). Another method of satisfying increasing demand for service was BC Ferries' unique "stretch and lift" program, involving seven vessels being cut in half and extended, and five of those vessels later cut in half again and elevated, to increase their passenger and vehicle-carrying capacities. Students who sit for the baccalauréat général choose one of three streams in the penultimate lycée year (première):.

As the ferry system expanded and started to service other small coastal communities, BC Ferries had to build more vessels, many of them in the first five years of its operations, to keep up with the demand. The exam is no different than the one administered to secondary-school students. ferry system, as it literally took over operations of the Black Ball Line and other major private companies providing vehicle ferry service between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Students who did not take the bac upon completion of secondary school and would like to attend university, or feel that the bac would help them accomplish professional aspirations may exercise this option. The next few years saw a dramatic growth of the B.C. Though most students take the bac at the end of secondary school, it is also possible to enter as a candidat libre (literally, "free candidate") without affiliation to a school. BC Ferries' first route, commissioned in 1960, was between Swartz Bay, a small suburb of Sidney on Vancouver Island, and Tsawwassen, a part of the Corporation of Delta, using just two vessels. Furthermore, it is also possible to enter a university without the bac by taking a special exam, the diploma for entrance to higher education.

needed to be government-owned, and so he set about creating BC Ferries. For entrance to regular universities, however, there are no real restrictions as to the type of baccalauréat that was achieved (with a few exceptions of course). Bennett to decide that the coastal ferry service in B.C. Each of these categories encompasses several somewhat specialized curricula. In the late 1950s, a strike caused the Social Credit government of W.A.C. There are three main types of baccalauréat degrees:. . The word bac is also used to refer to one of the end-of-year exams that students must pass in order to get their baccalauréat diploma: le bac de philo, for example, is the philosophy exam (which all students must take, regardless of their field of study).

coast. The students in lycée could choose not to sit for the baccalauréat at the end of the lycée, as it is in law more an exam for entrance into university than a lycée completion exam. Set up in 1959 to provide a substantially better service then those provided by the Black Ball Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which were affected by frequent spurts of job action, BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America and the second largest in the world, boasting a fleet of 35 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 48 locations on the B.C. Howewer, it's legally an academic degree, wich means the examination must be headed by a university professor. British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is the company that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services on the West Coast of British Columbia. Much like British A-Levels or American high school diplomas, the baccalauréat allows French students to go on to tertiary education or to obtain a professional qualification that will enable them to get a job in a particular field upon completion of high school. Skeena-Queen Charlotte. .

Central Coast. The baccalauréat (IPA: /bækælore'ɑ/), often known in France familiarly as the bac, is a academic degree which French students sit for at the end of the lycée (secondary school). Powell River. A mark of 16 will earn a mention of très bien (highest honours). Sunshine Coast. A mark of 14 will earn a mention bien (high honours);. Greater Vancouver. A mark of 12 will earn a student a mention assez bien (honours);.

Mount Waddington. the baccalauréat technologique (technological baccalaureate). Comox-Strathcona. the baccalauréat professionnel (professional baccalaureate);. Nanaimo. the baccalauréat général (general baccalaureate);. Cowichan Valley.

Capital. FastCat Series. Retired BC Ferries ships. Other ships of BC Ferries (not classed).

Two T class ships. Three K class and Two Q class ships, for small inter-island routes. As the name suggests, this vessel can carry 100 cars per load, for use on busy, short inter-island routes. One Century class vessel.

Three Powell River class ships. Two Intermediate class vessels. Built in the 1960s, these ferries have only been stretched to increase their capacity, except for the MV Queen of New Westminster, which was only lifted. Three Burnaby class.

Built in the 1960s, these ferries have been stretched and lifted to increase their capacity. Three V class. Five C class, double-ended ferries. Three Super C class, Currently in the design stage.

Two S class or "superferries", the largest in the fleet. Route 40 - Discovery Coast: Port Hardy to Bella Coola (with stops at Bella Bella, Shearwater, Ocean Falls and Klemtu). Route 30 - Mid-Island Express (Highway 19): Nanaimo (via Duke Point) to Tsawwassen. Route 26 - Skidegate Inlet: Skidegate (on Graham Island) to Alliford Bay (on Moresby Island).

Route 25 - Broughton Strait: Port McNeill to Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island) and Sointula (on Malcolm Island). Route 24 - Sutil Channel: Quadra Island (via Heriot Bay) to Cortes Island (via Whaletown). Route 23 - Discovery Passage: Campbell River to Quadra Island (via Quathiaski Cove). Route 22 - Lambert Channel: Denman Island (via Gravelly Bay) to Hornby Island (via Shingle Spit).

Route 21 - Baynes Sound: Buckley Bay to Denman Island (via Metcalf Bay). Route 20 - North Stuart Channel: Chemainus to Thetis and Kuper Islands. Route 19 - Northumberland Channel: Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island (via Descanso Bay). Route 18 - Malaspina Strait: Powell River to Texada Island (via Blubber Bay).

Route 17 - Georgia Strait North: Powell River (via Westview) to Comox (via Little River). Route 13 - Thornbrough Channel: Langdale to Gambier Island and Keats Island (passengers only). Route 12 - Saanich Inlet: Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay. Route 11 - Hecate Strait (Highway 16): Prince Rupert to Queen Charlotte Islands (via Skidegate).

Route 10 - Inside Passage: Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Route 9 - Active Pass Shuttle: Tsawwassen to Saltspring Island and the Outer Gulf Islands (listed above in route 5). Route 8 - Queen Charlotte Channel: Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island (via Snug Cove). Route 7 - Jervis Inlet (Highway 101): Earls Cove to Saltery Bay.

Route 6 - South Stuart Channel: Crofton to Saltspring Island (at Vesuvius). Route 5 - Swanson Channel: Swartz Bay to the Outer Gulf Islands (Galiano, Mayne, Pender, and Saturna Islands). Route 4 - Satellite Channel: Swartz Bay to Saltspring Island (at Fulford Harbour). Route 3 - Howe Sound: Langdale to Horseshoe Bay.

Route 2 - Georgia Strait Central (Highway 1): Nanaimo (via Departure Bay) to Horseshoe Bay. Route 1 - Georgia Strait South (Highway 17): Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. Seattle Times story. CBC story.