Newbuilds & Orders
Incoming B.C. government will look at the BC Ferries shipyard contract
B.C. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson told Global News the incoming government will look at BC Ferries' contract for new ferries at a Chinese shipyard. BC Ferries chose Weihai Shipyards to build four new Summit-class hybrid-electric ferries, with the first delivery expected in 2029, and said no Canadian shipyard bid. A study last year found that building the four ferries in B.C. would have generated an additional $1.5 billion in economic activity, most of it in B.C.
Source: Global News (opens in a new tab)
Global News reported on 30 October 2026 that B.C. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson will look at BC Ferries' decision last year to award a contract for new ferries to a Chinese shipyard.
Doerkson said: "I don't know what the deal looks like, I mean we would obviously have an interest in seeing that." He also said: "There's so much that we haven't seen, but there's a reason to look at it for the betterment of British Columbia and I'll look at it for sure."
BC Ferries chose Weihai Shipyards to build four new Summit-class hybrid-electric ferries, with the first delivery expected in 2029. BC Ferries said no Canadian shipyard bid for the project.
Werner Antweiler, a professor at UBC's Sauder School of Business, said: "The contracts have been signed and moving out of these contracts would very likely come with a contractual penalty." He said: "That is a cost that would have to be considered in addition to finding a replacement."
A study conducted last year found that building the four ferries in B.C. would have generated an additional $1.5 billion in economic activity, most of it in B.C.
In a statement, BC Ferries said: "We recognize the interest in what the change in government and recent leadership transition could mean for BC Ferries, including our fleet renewal program."