Are bigger, better vessels coming to BC Ferries? Why critics are questioning the proposal

BC Ferries is taking a step forward in its plan to build five new vessels, but critics say the proposal could be steering the province into troubled waters.

The proposal, now formally submitted to the B.C. Ferries Commissioner, would be the largest capital investment in the organization’s history.

“These ferries are going to be bigger, they’re going to be more efficient,” said Nicolas Jimenez, the CEO of BC Ferries.

“They’re going to be designed with a diesel-battery hybrid form of compulsion and importantly, they’re going to have an all-electric capability in place. So when we’re ready to transition to a fully electric mode of propulsion, they’ll be ready to do that,” he explained.

The new ferries wouldn’t be faster, however, they should fare better in the sometimes-unpredictable weather along B.C.’s coastline.

“These ships are going to be able to tolerate a higher threshold in terms of winds and waves and swells and tides,” Jimenez said.

Four of the new ferries would replace aging ones. The fifth would be an addition to the fleet.

“We have no relief capacity so when something goes wrong with one of our ships, particularly at peak season, the entire system feels it. We have no ability to absorb the loss of that vessel. So we’re putting this application forward for an extra ship so we can build more resilience into the fleet,” Jimenez said.

But what the CEO isn’t saying is how much the new ferries are projected to cost.

That doesn’t sit well with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“Time and time again we’ve seen this government blow right past their budgets on big procurement and capital projects. So, it’s important that taxpayers have some transparency right from the get-go with this proposal from BC Ferries. It’s unacceptable that they’re not being upfront and honest with us about what the projected costs of these procurements are going to be,” said Carson Binda, the Canadian Taxpayer Federation’s B.C. director.

Jimenz said they can’t talk publicly about cost yet as they are in the process of receiving bids from international shipyards.

Meanwhile, the transportation critic for the BC Conservatives said that adding just one additional ferry to the fleet doesn’t do enough to address growing demand.

“This doesn’t address the growing population, growing tourism and the need for the ferries. We had 21 million passengers last year,” said Langley-Abbotsford MLA Harman Bhangu.

He doesn’t believe the project, if approved, will be build on time or on budget.

“You look at Highway 1, it hasn’t been expanded. The George Massey Tunnel hasn’t been completed at all. And you look at Pattullo Bridge, announcement in 2018 and we’re still waiting. This government can’t put together and build and deliver on any infrastructure projects or for transportation at all. Their track record shows it,” Bhangu said.

Fare increases for passengers are capped at 3.2 per cent for four years, but it’s not clear what the public could pay after that.

Under the plan, the first vessels would be in the water by 2029 – but critics say getting to that stage will likely be anything but smooth sailing.