September 2, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Amidst the controversy over its decision to contract with a Chinese shipyard, BC Ferries stated that the government needs to provide more support for building new ships in Canada. This includes helping to train a skilled workforce and strengthening the domestic supply chain.
BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez delivered this message at a meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, called by Federal Transportation Minister Chrystia Freeland.
In June, BC Ferries sparked a national debate by awarding the contract for four new large ferries to China Merchant Industry’s Weihai Shipyards. These ferries are critical for replacing aging vessels, some of which are 53 to 65 years old. The new diesel-battery ships will each carry 360 cars and 2,100 passengers and are expected to be delivered between 2029 and 2031.
Freeland had also criticized the decision, especially since China has imposed high tariffs on Canadian exports like canola, seafood, and pork.
The meeting, titled “Made In Canada,” aimed to bring government and industry leaders together to discuss what is needed to build ferry and railway projects domestically using Canadian steel and aluminum.
Jimenez explained that Canadian shipyards need to be more competitive to offer fixed-price contracts on guaranteed timelines without political interference. He also mentioned that BC Ferries had adjusted its pre-qualification criteria to allow Canadian yards to qualify, such as lowering the minimum size of a ship a yard had to have built since 2018.
While BC Ferries has not revealed the final price of the contract, Jimenez said that choosing even a European shipyard would have added $1.2 billion to the Chinese price, which would not have been financially responsible.
“That’s not the fiduciary responsibility that I have to British Columbians, to the company, to my board, or even the regulator,” Jimenez said.
Loading ...
