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Adjournment Proceedings

2026-06-09 Sitting 132 Showing 1–2 of 2

Debate on ferry funding, specifically for Vancouver Island and coastal BC. The NDP pressed the Liberals for more funding and support, while the Liberals mostly emphasized the importance of ferries and the support they've already provided during the pandemic. A fairly substantive exchange on the topic.

Official Hansard ↗

Caroline Desrochers

Liberal 12:15 p.m.

“I just want to sound like I care about ferry services and appreciate how important they are. But I'm not actually going to do anything more about the specific issue of BC ferry funding the previous speaker raised.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak today about the importance of ferry services in Canada and reaffirm our government's commitment to ensuring that these services remain reliable, affordable and sustainable for generations. Ferries are lifelines for communities, and they are a responsibility that the government takes seriously. From visiting friends and family to getting goods to market, Canadians and businesses across Canada rely on safe and efficient ferry services to keep communities connected and to help build an economy that works for everyone. On the Pacific coast, BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry operators in the world, carrying more than 22 million passengers and nine million vehicles each year. It is an essential public service that is critical to the daily lives of British Columbians. It operates as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company, with the single voting share held by the provincial government's, B.C. Ferry Authority. For the residents of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and countless smaller coastal communities, ferries are not a convenience; they are the only connection to health care, education and opportunity. The Government of Canada has long recognized this reality. Since 1977, Canada has provided an indexed annual contribution to the Province of British Columbia, recognizing that ferries are part of the provincial highway system. This year alone, that assistance amounts to nearly $38.6 million. This is a tangible expression of the partnership between Ottawa and British Columbia. During the pandemic, federal funding through the safe restart agreement allowed ferries to continue to sail. Without this partnership, communities would have had to deal with higher fares or reduced services. Neither option was acceptable, and the government stepped in to keep the system afloat. The Government of Canada has also taken steps to support ferry operators in Canada, including through the removal of importation duties on used ferries and by providing loans to BC Ferries to help renew its fleet with modern vessels. These efforts are supported by the national shipbuilding strategy. Since 2012, this strategy has created or maintained more than 20,000 jobs per year, contributed tens of billions of dollars to our GDP and restored stability to a sector that was once plagued by boom-and-bust cycles. Ferries are not regional amenities. They are part of the national infrastructure. They are constitutional obligations in the east, vital corridors in the west and vital arteries everywhere else. Investing in ferry services is an investment in Canadians, in communities and in the unity of our country.

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

Caroline Desrochers

Liberal 12:20 p.m.

“My job is to say nice things about our spending instead of answering whether we should spend even more. I know this is really important to you. But let me talk a lot about what we already do, to make it sound like we already give enough. Maybe if I list lots of nice-sounding words about how much we care and how much we already give, you'll forget that I never actually said no to more.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his work and for his advocacy on this important issue. As I mentioned before, ferry services in Canada are a lifeline for communities to get goods to market and support the economy. BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It provides an essential public service that plays a critical role in the day-to-day lives of British Columbians, in terms of bringing together smaller communities and facilitating connections to key services such as doctor's appointments and education. We are very well aware of the importance of the ferries to these communities. That is why, since 1977, we have provided an indexed annual contribution to the Province of British Columbia for the coastal ferry service within the province. This year alone, it is nearly $38.6 million. In exchange for an annual grant, the Province of British Columbia assumes sole responsibility for determining which ferry services receive financial assistance, and the Government of Canada was relieved of all obligations related to the funding and operation of ferry service within the province. In addition to the grant, we also provide funding to BC Ferries.

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

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