Freeland tells MPs she was ‘dismayed’ by BC Ferries’ decision buy Chinese ships

OTTAWA — Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland told MPs Friday she was “dismayed” by BC Ferries’ decision to purchase four new electric-diesel ships from a Chinese shipbuilder using a $1 billion federal loan — but did not call for the loan’s cancellation.

The House of Commons transport committee launched a study of the Canada Infrastructure Bank loan on Friday.

At the meeting, committee members voted in favour of a motion calling on the Canada Infrastructure Bank, BC Ferries and the federal government to show the committee several documents — including the complete bond purchase agreement and records of all options for the acquisition of the new vessels — by the end of August.

Conservative transport critic and committee co-chair Dan Albas, who moved the motion, said the documents could help the committee sort out “a number of contradictory statements” on the file.

BC Ferries announced in June that it had hired China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build the new ships after a five-year procurement process that did not include a Canadian bid.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank contributed a $1 billion loan to the deal and said in June that the new ferries “wouldn’t likely be purchased” without this financing.

The bank said the low-cost loan includes up to $690 million to buy the vessels and up to $310 million for electrification infrastructure.

In her opening remarks before the committee Friday, Freeland said she was troubled by the planned purchase and she believes in supporting Canadian jobs.

She said she has sent 71 letters directing all organizations under the Transport Canada umbrella to prioritize Canadian content in their major procurements where feasible — particularly Canadian steel, aluminum, and lumber.

When Canadian options aren’t available, she said, the preferred option is to buy from countries with trade deals that include reciprocal procurement agreements.

Albas requested the committee study of the purchase and has asked why $1 billion in public funds was earmarked to finance overseas shipbuilding in the middle of a trade war with the U.S.

Freeland said Transport Canada will soon be convening a meeting with provinces and territories, ferry owners and operators, shipyards, labour representatives and the steel industry. She said she’s also assembling a second meeting with major rail operators.

Freeland did not directly respond when MPs asked her whether the government would push for the cancellation of the loan. She said she agrees that this is a moment of crisis for the steel and aluminum sectors and they need the government’s support.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank is accountable to Parliament through Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, who also testified at the meeting.

In his opening remarks, Robertson told committee members that the shipbuilder was chosen by BC Ferries, not the federal government or the Canada Infrastructure Bank. He said BC Ferries conducted its own global procurement process that didn’t yield bids from Canadian shipyards.

Robertson said he’s disappointed by BC Ferries’ decision and wants to see more Canadian-built vessels and more opportunities for domestic industry to participate in major infrastructure projects.

He also called the purchase a “critical” investment and said that “these ferries need to get built.” Robertson assured MPs that there will be Canadian jobs associated with the maintenance of the ferries and at terminals.

Robertson said the government is looking closely at how it can better align its industrial policy, procurement tools and investment incentives to “support and scale up Canadian capacity in important sectors like shipbuilding.”

He said the Canada Infrastructure Bank is independent of government and that most of the projects it has funded involve Canadian infrastructure and businesses. However, he said there is policy direction that comes from government.

“We’re in the process now of looking at maximizing Canadian materials, Canadian opportunities for Canadian workers, maximizing benefits for Canada in all of their investments going forward,” Robertson said.

BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez told the committee that it received six compliant bids to replace its four oldest ships, all from foreign countries. While two Canadian shipyards pre-qualified for the competition, he said, neither chose to formally submit a proposal.

The organization chose the proposal that offered the best combination of value, quality, delivery, speed and protections for customers, Jimenez said.

“This was a choice between a foreign bid or no new ferries,” Jimenez said, adding that BC Ferries spoke with officials from the federal transportation department in April about the fact that the procurement process was coming to a close.

Jimenez said that if the company had gone with another foreign proposal, it would have cost up to an extra $1.2 billion. Even if there had been a Canadian bid, he said, “it too would have cost more and those ships would have taken up to a decade longer.”

“British Columbians desperately need safe, affordable, reliable new ships to keep them and our economy moving. Our decisions have saved our customers and British Columbians from unaffordable, unnecessary fare increases,” he said.

Throughout the build, Jimenez said, BC Ferries will have a team of Canadian experts on site in China to ensure high standards of quality and security.

Ehren Cory, CEO of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, told MPs that the Crown corporation played no role in BC Ferries’ procurement decision. He said it’s not the bank’s role to tell project partners where they should buy their components.

Cory said that regardless of where BC Ferries gets its vessels, the benefits of the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s financing go directly to service users “by keeping fares more affordable and ensuring new, reliable, cleaner ships are in service as soon as possible.”

Jeff Groot, executive director of communications for BC Ferries, has said the company signed the loan with the bank before the contract with the Chinese shipyard was finalized.

Freeland sent her B.C. counterpart, Mike Farnworth, a letter in June saying she was disappointed that BC Ferries would choose a Chinese state-owned shipyard “in the current geopolitical context,” and asking him to confirm that no federal funding would be diverted to purchase the ferries.

Before Friday’s meeting began, Bloc MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval said he’d like to see an apology from the government and from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

He said it’s “unacceptable” and “problematic” that the government plans to invest in foreign infrastructure when Canada’s steel industry is facing tariffs from the United States.

The new vessels are expected to join the BC Ferries fleet between 2029 and 2031.

— With files from David Baxter

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press