A $2-million investment has paid for upgrades at a B.C. Ferries terminal building on Vancouver Island, converting it into a state-of-the-art training facility.

Screens, displays, computers and modern control panels are now set up at Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo and members of the media were given a tour Wednesday, May 10.

Malcolm Rodger, B.C. Ferries鈥� manager of simulation training and an instructor, said the set-up makes for a better educational experience. The equipment simulates real-world marine situations as much as possible, even providing a sensation of a rocking vessel. However, there are no vibrating floors or mist spraying and it鈥檚 all visual.

鈥淭he maps were built with pictures, digitalization and specific requests from B.C. Ferries. Things are in the right place and things are to scale鈥︹�� Rodger said. 鈥淚s it perfect? It鈥檚 not meant to be perfect, it鈥檚 meant to be in the likeness, but it鈥檚 very good.鈥�

Robin Grypma, B.C. Ferries鈥� senior manager of bridge simulation, worked in the fleet for 10 years and has been training people for the last six. The new simulator is impressive, she said, and 鈥渘ight and day鈥� compared to the equipment used when she was coming up. The previous simulator, while excellent, was outdated after 12 years, she said.

鈥淭he models themselves, they鈥檙e all hydro-dynamically developed, so they respond much more efficiently and with more response in this new simulator,鈥� said Grypma. 鈥淭he visuals are a thousand times better. The equipment we鈥檝e installed 鈥� is actually what鈥檚 on board. We replicate [what鈥檚] onboard so there鈥檚 less training about how to use equipment and more training with how to respond to emergencies.鈥�

Training facilities at Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are no longer being used, making the Nanaimo facility 鈥渢he focus,鈥� said Rodger.

鈥淚t鈥檚 central to the fleet, central to travel, central to the bulk of the crew,鈥� he said.

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