British Columbia's decision to award a multi-billion dollar shipbuilding contract to a Chinese firm has caused quite the controversy, and got people wondering why the BC Ferries vessels couldn't have been built in Canada.Among those working to ensure jobs stay in Canada going forward is Coastal Gateway Port CEO Mike Butler. He and his team have laid out a plan to usher in a "new era for BC shipbuilding and repair" that centres around an all-Canadian business model..BC Conservatives call on Eby to cancel BC Ferries contract with Chinese company."If we're going to be supporting their shipyards and we're not going to create our own capacity, that's very, very dangerous," he told the Western Standard. "You know, we had 9,000 ships that Canada built in World War II ... and then now we're building like two ships here."Butler said it was "horrendous" that Canada has essentially "given up that whole industry.""Everyone's saying, 'oh yeah, we don't have the technology, we don't have the might or power to do it' — what are you talking about?" he added. "We won the war by doing that. So we've got to get it together and start acting like the world power that we are and actually get our products to market.".To achieve their goal, Coastal Gateway Port has reached out to a number of firms in both BC and Alberta to try and create a trans-Rockies supply chain that would see parts built in the east, then brought to the west to be assembled.In a press release, the company announced that it had reached a handshake agreement with Ledcor to "fabricate standardized ship modules in Alberta using Alberta’s skilled workforce."Butler argued that "this approach strengthens Canada's domestic supply chain, supports clean shipbuilding, and connects economic activity between Alberta and British Columbia.".BC ferry union says it's 'not too late' to build ships at home .Their next target: Canadian technology giant Blackberry."We are now inviting BlackBerry to partner with us to integrate world-class cybersecurity and smart technology into our port, vessels, and clean-shipbuilding operations," Butler said, noting such a partnership was key to "building a fully Canadian, secure, and future-ready maritime corridor."Coastal Gateway Port President Robert Bohn echoed his enthusiasm, saying that "combining Ledcor's manufacturing expertise with BlackBerry's potential digital solutions, we can create a fully Canadian maritime supply chain that is secure, sustainable, and globally competitive.""With government support from Alberta and the strategic inclusion of Union Bay," he added, "this initiative strengthens national infrastructure, clean shipbuilding, and Indigenous partnership opportunities along the corridor.".The heart of Coastal Gateway Port's operations is Union Bay, a small town nestled along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island halfway between Nanaimo and Campbell River. It is here that the company has set up shop..He noted that the previous tenants of that land, another shipbuilding firm, had been mired in controversy and drawn the ire of local residents, and vowed to "get rid of the controversy and just continue building forward with the right partners.""I'm looking to bring in more First Nation partners or business partners from across Canada and the states," he said, adding that members of the former have already expressed support. "We're looking to grow."Butler pointed out that even if he partners with American firms, the jobs would stay right here at home, and that he'd simply rely on them for technology or other such services.Coastal Gateway Port has received support from a number of officials in the Alberta and BC governments, including Salmon Arm-Shuswap MLA David Williams."Union Bay is included within the broader Coastal Gateway Economic Corridor as a complementary Vancouver Island asset, supporting vessel maintenance, tug and marine services, industrial land utilization, and additional marine-operational capacity that strengthens the overall corridor ecosystem," he said. "This initiative is appropriately timed, strategically aligned with federal policy, and structured to serve as Canada's next major export and capacity-expansion corridor."Williams' sentiments were shared by Alberta Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Northern Development Tany Yao."The opportunity to integrate Alberta manufacturers into this corridor — producing ship modules, structural components, military-grade assemblies, and supporting infrastructure — not only expands economic diversification at home, but strengthens interprovincial collaboration on major transportation, defence-related, and maritime initiatives," he said. "Utilizing the Coastal Gateway corridor to move northern Alberta products to global markets fits directly within our province's goals for improving export pathways."Butler urged both provincial governments — and Ottawa — to see the value in ensuring local industry thrives, and called on officials to join him in his all-Canadian endeavour.
