Learn the facts

1. We CAN build them here.

Canada has the skilled workers, shipyards and suppliers to build ferries at home. Seaspan alone contributes $4.3 billion to B.C.’s GDP. That’s money for groceries, rent, tools, kids’ sports. Not shipped overseas. Learn more from BC Building Trades.

2. No Canadian bids? Not quite.

Two Canadian shipyards pre-qualified, but cited capacity issues and walked away. That doesn’t mean others couldn’t have stepped in. Seaspan flagged flaws in the process over a year ago, warning it favoured cheap upfront costs over long-term value, jobs and tax revenue. BC Ferries chose not to structure the bid to support Canadian participation. That’s a flawed procurement process, not a capacity issue. BC Ferries never gave Canadian shipyards a real shot.

3. Cheap now, costly later.

BC Ferries claims to save money by building overseas, but they’re ignoring the costs that come with foreign-built ships.

• Expensive replacement parts that can’t be sourced locally.

• Delays in repairs due to overseas supply chains or waiting on overseas repair teams to arrive.

• Higher emissions from transporting ships and parts across the globe.

• Over a billion in wages and local GDP, gone.

• If we don’t build here, we lose the next generation of skilled workers. Shipbuilding isn’t just a job, it’s a trade we’re letting die.

4. Building here pays off.

BC Ferries claims local builds would cost more. But when you factor in wages, taxes and local investment, building here makes money:

• $1.2 billion in wages

• $1.1 billion into our economy

• 5,000+ skilled jobs in B.C., not China

Even if local builds cost more, they deliver over $2 billion in value.

5. Fare hikes aren’t caused by local jobs.

BC Ferries is warning of 30 per cent fare hikes by 2028. But if outsourcing saves so much, why are fares still going up? The real issue is under-funding, not local wages. Let’s be honest: BC Ferries has raised fares even while building ships overseas. Offshore builds haven’t saved passengers a dime.

6. Building here helps communities thrive.

Offshore builds create 360 jobs and $27 million in wages per year. Local builds could mean up to 9,800 jobs and $1.7 billion in wages for British Columbians. That’s real long-term value. Those are jobs that keep communities alive.

	Offshore Build (China)	Local Build (Canada)
Jobs created	360 jobs/year	Up to 5,000 jobs
Wages	$27 million/year	$1.2 billion total wages
GDP impact	$48 million/year	$1.1 billion in B.C.
Income tax	Not reported	Up to $641 million