Federal Transport Minister Freeland slams B.C. Ferries deal with Chinese company

China's building four new ferries for BC:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1932533553549725788

 

[daftandbarmy]

Eby is to BC as Trudeau was to Canada.

It's a tough analogy to make ... but I get your drift

 

[CBH99]

Eby is to BC as Trudeau was to Canada.

1000%

 

[CBH99]

There are other reasons why vendors prefer not to bid on work with the BC Government...

Premier directs government to cancel American contracts wherever viable

The B.C. government has updated its direction to ministries, health authorities and core Crown corporations to critically review all contracts with United States companies to decrease the Province’s dependence on goods and services from U.S. suppliers.

news.gov.bc.ca

So divert business away from our closest ally & next door neighbour because of "tariffs"...

And redirect that business towards China, arguably a hostile power and a horrible friend to us - even though they also have put tariffs on us...

The Eby government smells a lot like the Trufeau government, in so many ways.


(South Korea. Poland. Romania. Spain. All quite capable of building 4 ferries for relatively cheap prices...but no...)

 

[brihard]

Dumb question; those ferries are clearly meant for operation in relatively calm coastal waters. If they’re built overseas can they be safely sailed here across the ocean, or do they load them up on one of those huge ship-shipping ships?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Dumb question; those ferries are clearly meant for operation in relatively calm coastal waters. If they’re built overseas can they be safely sailed here across the ocean, or do they load them up on one of those huge ship-shipping ships?

The ones built in Romania sailed here through the Panama canal. Amazing, and somewhat comforting.

Traveling the Georgia Strait in the winter can be pretty sporting...

 

[GR66]

So divert business away from our closest ally & next door neighbour because of "tariffs"...

And redirect that business towards China, arguably a hostile power and a horrible friend to us - even though they also have put tariffs on us...

The Eby government smells a lot like the Trufeau government, in so many ways.


(South Korea. Poland. Romania. Spain. All quite capable of building 4 ferries for relatively cheap prices...but no...)

Actually, buying Chinese ferries might be a good thing for the CAF. If the Chinese used one of their existing designs they are probably built to military standards...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Dumb question; those ferries are clearly meant for operation in relatively calm coastal waters. If they’re built overseas can they be safely sailed here across the ocean, or do they load them up on one of those huge ship-shipping ships?

They can be ballasted and modified to do the crossing at a particular time and weather states.

 

[The Bread Guy]

And guess who helped pay?

The CIB supports BC Ferries’ essential service upgrades | Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)

Loans help deliver 8 vessels to expand capacity, cut emissions and create quieter commutes for passengers

cib-bic.ca

Also archived here

https://archive.is/T7WfX

 

[Maxman1]

There should be a mechanism for the military to use the ferries for transport in an emergency.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Dumb question; those ferries are clearly meant for operation in relatively calm coastal waters. If they’re built overseas can they be safely sailed here across the ocean, or do they load them up on one of those huge ship-shipping ships?

As @Colin Parkinson they can be modified to make the trip.

The ship will also navigate around weather that would be to much. And the Pacific just a bath tub eh @Furniture ?

 

[Kirkhill]

Dumb question; those ferries are clearly meant for operation in relatively calm coastal waters. If they’re built overseas can they be safely sailed here across the ocean, or do they load them up on one of those huge ship-shipping ships?

There seem to be three basic fleets -

The open deck fleet that is basically a riverine fleet
The "inside passage" fleet for the Vancouver-Victoria runs (Horseshoe Bay, Tsawassen, Nanaimo, Swartz Bay)
The Port Hardy fleet.

The latter fleet is basically a "high seas" fleet. It has the full sweep of the Pacific behind it between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. No sheltered waters there. Much like most of Marine Atlantic's passages.

 

[Kirkhill]

As @Colin Parkinson they can be modified to make the trip.

The ship will also navigate around weather that would be to much. And the Pacific just a bath tub eh @Furniture ?

Well, it is so pacific. No?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

There seem to be three basic fleets -

The open deck fleet that is basically a riverine fleet
The "inside passage" fleet for the Vancouver-Victoria runs (Horseshoe Bay, Tsawassen, Nanaimo, Swartz Bay)
The Port Hardy fleet.

The latter fleet is basically a "high seas" fleet. It has the full sweep of the Pacific behind it between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. No sheltered waters there. Much like most of Marine Atlantic's passages.

Just a couple of sections are open water, but you can still get some really nasty short frequency waves up some of the sounds.

 

[The Bread Guy]

There should be a mechanism for the military to use the ferries for transport in an emergency.

If it's that much of an emergency, I'm sure the Chinese builders would love the CF to use them

 

[Blackadder1916]

There should be a mechanism for the military government to use the ferries for transport in an emergency.

There is. It's called the Emergencies Act.

Emergencies Act

Federal laws of Canada

laws-lois.justice.gc.ca

. . . the Governor in Council may make such orders or regulations with respect to the following matters as the Governor in Council believes, on reasonable grounds, are necessary for dealing with the emergency:

(a) the control or regulation of any specified industry or service, including the use of equipment, facilities and inventory;

(b) the appropriation, control, forfeiture, use and disposition of property or services;

The concept of what constitutes "an emergency" and how the government responds to it has been the subject of much debate.

 

[brihard]

There is. It's called the Emergencies Act.

Emergencies Act

Federal laws of Canada

laws-lois.justice.gc.ca

The concept of what constitutes "an emergency" and how the government responds to it has been the subject of much debate.

Yup. A hypothetical natural disaster- say The Big One finally hits the west coast - would be eligible as a Part I Public Welfare Emergency.