OTTAWA — The House of Commons transport committee will study BC Ferries' decision to buy four electric-diesel vessels from a Chinese-owned firm — a purchase financed in part with $1 billion from a federal Crown corporation.
BC Ferries announced last month that it had hired China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build four new ships following a five-year procurement process that did not include a Canadian bid.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank contributed $1 billion to the deal and said in a June 26 statement that the new ferries "wouldn't likely be purchased" without this financing.
The committee will call Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson and the CEOs of BC Ferries and the Canada Infrastructure Bank to testify.
These hearings are to be scheduled within the next 30 days.
Freeland sent her B.C. counterpart a letter on June 20 saying she is "dismayed" by the deal and expects BC Ferries to mitigate potential security risks.
She also asked the B.C. government to confirm that no federal funding will be diverted to purchase the ferries.
Dan Albas, Conservative transport critic and committee co-chair, requested Monday's meeting. He said he wants to know why $1 billion in public funds has been earmarked to finance overseas shipbuilding in the middle of a trade war with the U.S., and as China charges tariffs on some Canadian agricultural products.
The committee will debate next steps in its study once the testimony is complete.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
