We CAN Build Ferries in BC
We are the 5,000 workers who build, operate and maintain ferries in British Columbia.
And we oppose BC Ferries building the next four new major vessels in China.
For more than a century, we’ve proudly built the ships that take families to their homes on the coast. When our province and country need world-class ships, we build them.
BC yards are building ships for the Royal Canadian Navy – some of the longest and most sophisticated vessels our country has ever made. We have the skills and capabilities to build ferries right here in our province. We stand ready to seize this generational opportunity – to keep good jobs here in our province while training the next generation of master shipbuilders.
We urge the BC and federal government to change course and build these major vessels here at home. We call for a Canadian shipbuilding strategy that includes requirements for BC workers, Canadian materials, and training for the next generation of shipbuilders.
Let's build our ferries here at home.
You should have the facts
- BC Ferries failed to require local content in the bids. This made Canadian bids impossible – pitting our high standards and family-supporting wages against the labour conditions in China.
- BC shipyards can build these ferries. BC has world-class shipbuilders and shipyards, and are currently building sophisticated Navy and Coast Guard vessels. The ferries being made in China are far less complex.
- In December we launched the HMCS Protecteur, the longest naval vessel ever to be built in Canada
The Numbers Prove It
5,000+
family-supporting jobs here in BC - not China
$1.2 Billion+
in wages paid to BC workers
$1.1 Billion+
added to our economy