If Premier John Horgan wants ferries built in B.C., it’s going to take more than words to make it happen. The provincial and federal governments will have to work with shipyards to make sure they have the capacity.
B.C. Ferries said this week it wants to build as many as five new ferries to serve inter-island routes, and both Horgan and Ferries CEO Mark Collins would like to build them here. It’s an answer to the frequently heard complaints that Ferries has built new ships in Germany and Poland instead of nurturing an industry that should be thriving in a maritime province.
But it’s not enough to say that the corporation is putting out a request for proposals in a month and B.C. firms are welcome to bid. B.C. Ferries and the two levels of government should be sitting down with the shipyards regularly to make a long-term plan for developing the industry.
Big shipyards such as Seaspan in Vancouver, which have invested millions of dollars in modernization and expansion, are busy with the federal shipbuilding contracts. Many smaller yards haven’t had the resources to invest in improvements.
The service had a long period when it didn’t replenish its fleet. That was part of the reason that the province’s shipbuilding industry withered.
Paying lip service won’t help. The province has been pushing to train more tradespeople, including those in the marine industries. But if the jobs aren’t available, those newly trained workers will leave the province or seek other careers.
The fast ferries are frequently pulled out of the closet to terrify anyone who talks about fostering a B.C. shipbuilding industry. But that bogeyman doesn’t apply. B.C. Ferries isn’t taking a flyer on new technology; it knows the ships it needs and in some cases, even has the plans.
Will it take subsidies to develop the industry? That’s a question to be answered. The United States ensures its aerospace industry survives by keeping up a steady flow of contracts. It’s arguable that any such sector requires similar support.
Building a viable shipbuilding industry without dipping too deeply into the pockets of taxpayers and customers is not an easy task. Horgan’s good intentions have to be backed up with a strategy.
