John

About 740 employees of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft gathered here Friday - along with a couple thousand of their closest friends and a few dignitaries - to bid goodbye to the first vessel they built for BC Ferries. Federal International Trade Minister David Emerson, B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon, as well as the prime minister of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Peter Harry Carstensen, attended the launch party.
A black covering on the side of the Coastal Renaissance was pulled away to reveal a full-length mural that will help to promote and celebrate the 2010 Olympics.
It was a perfect send-off, with just one catch. When the farewell party was over, everyone left the shipyard, but the ferry itself stayed put. It's not due to leave here for another month.

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