Canada to Boost Ship Recycling Capacity on the West Coast

 

Canada is working to increase its ship recycling capacity on the West Coast in order to accommodate an influx of end-of-life vessels in the near future. The Royal Canadian Navy is expected to retire several of its warships starting this fall. B.C. Ferries has also announced a major fleet renewal effort, which will see the company retire some of its older vessels. In July, B.C. Ferries said that it is looking to have its vessels recycled in British Columbia.

Owing to this rising demand, Gord Johns, the MP (member of parliament) for the Courtenay-Alberni area in British Columbia, is eyeing the deep-sea port of Alberni as a suitable location to establish a green ship recycling facility.

“The Alberni Valley is uniquely positioned to attract the infrastructure and business investment needed for ship recycling and dry dock facilities,” said Johns. “With federal nation-building investments on the horizon, increased defense spending, and growing demand for world-class vessel recycling, the timing could not be more critical.”

To spearhead the ship recycling operation in Port Alberni, politicians in central Vancouver Island have formed a leadership group to collect inputs from local people. Some of the targeted stakeholders include First Nations, Transport Canada, local businesses and unions as well as environmental organizations. In addition, the leadership group will look into the financing aspects of the project. The group met for the first time on Friday.

“We need a strong regulatory environment to keep this type of industry on our coast,” said Josie Osborne, member of legislative assembly for Mid Island-Pacific Rim.