Sunday, April 22, 2007
Swastika-like symbol upsets Jewish ferry riders
The international propeller symbols painted on B.C. Ferries' new German-built Super-C-class vessel will be replaced with softer, rounder versions -- in hopes no one mistakes them for swastikas.
The company says it received about 10 calls from people who saw media coverage of the launch of the Coastal Renaissance's hull and thought the symbols were swastikas, most recently associated with Second World War Nazis.
"We didn't see it that way. To us, it's an international prop symbol," spokesman Mark Stefanson said Friday. "But if people are concerned about it, obviously we are concerned about it, so we will make sure it's changed before she leaves Germany."
Mira Oreck, director of the Canadian Jewish Congress in the Pacific region, told The Province yesterday that concerned calls received by the group's office were passed along to the company.
"I think the concern was legitimate," Oreck said, adding that her office contacted B.C. Ferries, which "called back right away" to assure the group that the symbol would be repainted to appear "significantly" different.
Stefanson said he has no idea whether the fact the new ferries are being built in Germany played a role in the swastika perception.
The Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard, where the ferries are being built, constructed U-boats for Adolph Hitler during the Second World War.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=c1491145-bbb2-41d1-9ee8-0549152c79f3
The international propeller symbols painted on B.C. Ferries' new German-built Super-C-class vessel will be replaced with softer, rounder versions -- in hopes no one mistakes them for swastikas.
The company says it received about 10 calls from people who saw media coverage of the launch of the Coastal Renaissance's hull and thought the symbols were swastikas, most recently associated with Second World War Nazis.
"We didn't see it that way. To us, it's an international prop symbol," spokesman Mark Stefanson said Friday. "But if people are concerned about it, obviously we are concerned about it, so we will make sure it's changed before she leaves Germany."
Mira Oreck, director of the Canadian Jewish Congress in the Pacific region, told The Province yesterday that concerned calls received by the group's office were passed along to the company.
"I think the concern was legitimate," Oreck said, adding that her office contacted B.C. Ferries, which "called back right away" to assure the group that the symbol would be repainted to appear "significantly" different.
Stefanson said he has no idea whether the fact the new ferries are being built in Germany played a role in the swastika perception.
The Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard, where the ferries are being built, constructed U-boats for Adolph Hitler during the Second World War.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=c1491145-bbb2-41d1-9ee8-0549152c79f3
Comments:
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY THE POSTING INFORMATION IS IN RUSSIAN INSTEAD OF ENGLISH?
Comment Credit ---This article posted by 
: April 22, 2007 5:49 PM
: April 22, 2007 5:49 PM
I see it's already been painted over:
http://tinyurl.com/2dq5p5
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http://tinyurl.com/2dq5p5
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : April 24, 2007 10:10 PM
: April 24, 2007 10:10 PM
