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BC Ferries Awards Four-Vessel Contract to China Merchants Shipyard

Opposition parties are calling for cancellation over threats to Canadian jobs, citing rising trade tensions.

The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island leaves Tsawwassen, B.C., bound for Swartz Bay, on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Conceptual drawing of the bow of one of the ships that B.C. Ferries is seeking to build for its major routes.
The Queen of New Westminster, pictured at the Tsawwassen terminal in 2016, is the oldest major vessel in B.C. Ferries’ fleet. It was built in 1964.

Overview

  • BC Ferries chose China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build four new major vessels after a global bidding process that attracted no Canadian proposals.
  • The provincially owned ferry operator’s reliance on public funding, coupled with a single government shareholder, has intensified scrutiny of the contract’s domestic impact.
  • Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, called the selection “strongly informed” and vital for meeting growing coastal transit demands.
  • Set for spring 2029 service, the hybrid diesel-electric ferries will provide 52% more passenger space, 24% more vehicle capacity along with low-noise propellers to protect at-risk whales.
  • Federal Conservative MP Jeff Kibble has urged that a $33-million grant be tied to Canadian builds; Transport Minister Mike Farnworth noted BC Ferries’ independent operational authority.