VICTORIA — The head of BC Ferries welcomes plans to expand Canada's shipbuilding industry, but says future vessel procurements must be "free from political interference" after lessons learned from the so-called fast ferry scandal of the 1990s.
Nicholas Jimenez, BC Ferries president, says his organization always prefers to build new ferries at home, but any financially responsible program must meet "certain realities," including local shipbuilding capacities, fixed costs, guaranteed delivery dates, and an "open and competitive" process to avoid past mistakes.
The B.C. New Democrat government of former premier Glen Clark wanted to revive local shipbuilding by ordering three catamaran-style fast ferries at a cost of $210 million, only to see their final costs rise to $463 million.
The vessels had technical defects and proved unsuitable for local waters during their brief use, before being put up for sale and auctioned off for less than $20 million in 2003.
BC Ferries continues to face criticism for purchasing four new vessels from a state-owned Chinese shipyard, but Jimenez says no Canadian shipyard bid for the contract, because of lack of capacity.
Jimenez, who spoke at Tuesday's Made in Canada: Ferries and Rail Summit in Hamilton, says the experience of other countries has shown that it could take anywhere from 10 to 20 years to build up a competitive shipbuilding industry under an all-in approach.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2025.
Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
