PORT ANGELES — A welcome back party for the MV Coho ferry is planned at noon Saturday.
The public is invited to hear speeches from representatives of both Port Angeles and Victoria and partake of refreshments during the hourlong festivity at the Black Ball Ferry Line terminal at 101 E. Railroad Ave., Port Angeles.
The Coho resumed service between Port Angeles and Victoria on Feb. 29 after a two-month hiatus, which began Jan. 3, for construction of a new wharf at its Canadian terminal.
The Port Angeles Business Association and Red Lion Hotel sparked the celebration and were soon joined by the Port Angeles Downtown Association, Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Revitalize Port Angeles and Lower Elwha tribe, said Edna Petersen, past president of PABA.
“It’s a community collaborative celebration of how important the Coho is to all of us,” Petersen said.
The ferry, which facilitates an interchange of visitors across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, contributes to “the synergy in the downtown area,” she said.
“It’s iconic. The Coho spreads good cheer in our community.”
The 57-year-old ferry is typically out of service for maintenance for 17 days in late January and early February.
The break was lengthened this year by construction.
Crews on the Victoria side recently completed a $17.4 million project in Canadian dollars to replace the aging wooden dock off Belleville Street.
On the Port Angeles side, mooring dolphins, a cluster of piles used for mooring vessels, were upgraded.
Another avenue of welcome is an “At Par” promotion in which some 30 businesses are offering financial incentives to Canadian visitors through March and April.
During the promotion, participating businesses will offer products at a 27 percent discount — for the average exchange rate between the currencies — to those who present an “At Par Passport” issued by organizers, a Canadian ID or a “Get off the Rock” button received from Black Ball or a hotel.
The goal is to offset the strength of the U.S. dollar to the Canadian dollar, which is worth 75 cents of its U.S. counterpart, and increase local business during the offseason, said Robert Utz, Red Lion Hotel general manager, who came up with the idea.
All offers will be featured on www.GetOfftheRock.com.
Business owners who want to join the promotion can email robert.utz@redlion.com.