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Ferry refits in B.C. to cost $57 million this fiscal year

B.C. Ferries is expecting to spend $57 million during the current fiscal year in this province on refits to its fleet. In the past 10 years, B.C. Ferries has spent more than $1 billion at B.C. shipyards, the company announced Wednesday.
Queen of Cowichan005756.jpg
B.C. FerriesÕ Queen of Cowichan is worked on at SeaspanÕs Drydock in North Vancouver.

B.C. Ferries is expecting to spend $57 million during the current fiscal year in this province on refits to its fleet.

In the past 10 years, B.C. Ferries has spent more than $1 billion at B.C. shipyards, the company announced Wednesday.

“We’re serious about driving the B.C. marine economy, and the investment we make in the province for marine services, repair and maintenance is quite substantial,” said Mark Collins, B.C. Ferries president and chief executive.

The $57 million planned for this fiscal year will go toward work on 17 vessels between September 2018 and March 2019.

Contracts penned for this work include Esquimalt Drydock Co. and Point Hope Maritime in Victoria, as well as Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock in North Vancouver. Work is also being carried out by B.C. Ferries’ fleet maintenance unit in Richmond.

B.C. Ferries is renewing its 36-vessel fleet.

While much of the refit work is carried out in B.C., new ships are typically constructed offshore.

European companies are highly competitive, with advantages including lower labour costs and massive yards able to take on big projects.

Unionized shipyard workers have called for B.C. Ferries to do more to support local shipyards. This could include requiring part of the construction work for new vessels to be carried out in B.C.

B.C. Ferries is planning to order five new major ferries as well as four new Island-class vessels and one new Salish-class ferry.

Along with using B.C. shipyards for refit work, B.C. Ferries buys a range of services from companies in its home province. These include steel fabrication, machinery supply, painting and electrical work.

cjwilson@timescolonist.com