BC Ferries officials unveiled a dramatic security upgrade for their fleet Tuesday, from security cameras to bomb-sniffing dogs.
Ferries chief operating officer Mike Corrigan says the enhanced security is intended to dissuade potential terrorists during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
"You can never say you can ultimately stop it, but what you can say is that you reduce the risk of it happening through detecting and deterring," Corrigan said.
"In some ways, it really is Big Brother watching from a BC Ferries perspective."
A total of 800 surveillance cameras have been installed, at every terminal and on every ship. The company is also purchasing two remote submarines to check for underwater threats.
A central operations centre has been set up in Victoria, which will monitor all cameras and track all the ships.
But not everyone is in favour of the $35 million security facelift.
"It seems like overkill, but maybe we need it. I don't know. It's a sad statement if we do," ferry passenger Renee Watson said Tuesday.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jim Beatty
