Labour unions launch campaign calling for future B.C. Ferries vessels to be built in the province

Concerns over potential delays for parts and repairs top of mind for coalition

A coalition of 17 organizations that says it represents more than 7,000 workers in British Columbia's marine and related industries is sending a message to B.C. Ferries: build future vessels in B.C.

The coalition announced its Build Them Here campaign Monday, saying Canada is at "an inflection point."

"The need to buy Canadian and build Canadian has grown even more critical in the last 10 days," said B.C. Building Trades executive director Brynn Bourke, referring to the Canada-U.S. trade war.

In June 2025, B.C. Ferries announced it selected Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build four new major vessels.

At the time, B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth expressed concern about procuring services from "any country that is actively harming Canada's economy" with tariffs and protectionism.

The first ferry is expected to come into service in 2029, with the others following at roughly six-month intervals.

In an email to CBC News, B.C. Ferries said it "actively sought" Canadian participation in its procurement process. It said two Canadian shipyards were pre-qualified, but neither submitted a final proposal.

"We could not defer replacing aging vessels while waiting for domestic capacity to develop," the email read.

It said there are economic benefits to growing Canada's shipbuilding industry, but government and industry investment would be required to build capacity for large passenger-vessel construction.

Tourism providers on north Vancouver Island say ferry cancellations disrupting peak travel season

Sunshine Coast service resumes after mechanical issues with 2 B.C. ferries

Kendra Strauss, director of Simon Fraser University's labour studies program, said Canadian shipyards may not currently have the capacity to take on an order of this scale, but the coalition's argument is that they need "fair notice to be able to build up the capacity locally," along with predictable future orders and co-ordination with governments and B.C. Ferries.

The coalition can't influence the decision to build those four vessels in China, but it can influence "where the next four will be," according to Eric McNeely, president of the B.C. Ferry & Marine Workers' Union.

McNeely said vessels built overseas can require international teams or specialized parts to be brought in for repairs.

"Our members have seen repairs delayed and delayed again as we wait for international teams to be flown in to fix things."

The province is already "focused on" growing its maritime and shipbuilding sector through its Look West strategy, according to an email to CBC News from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit.

"We already have some of the world's most capable shipbuilding companies and skilled trades people operating here in B.C.," it said.

The province said B.C. has the largest maritime economy in Canada and it wants to see "more ferries and ships built here in British Columbia."

Arden McLeod, from Vancouver, is an associate producer with CBC News. He has a passion for community storytelling, local news, and reflecting the values of B.C. He graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology's broadcast and online journalism program. You can reach him at Arden.McLeod@cbc.ca.

With files from CBC News and The Canadian Press