C-Span

Two Canadian shipyards pre-qualified, but neither submitted a final proposal, a BC Ferries spokesperson told the Free Press.

C-SPAN chief executive John McCarthy welcomed the NDP plan, but said competitors pay for one-eighth of our wages, and we don't subsidize shipbuilding in Canada today," the North Shore News reported.

None of the three parties has priced a B.C.-built ferry.

The price of the four ships ordered from China is confidential.

Bryant has been denied bail and is set to be arraigned on October 22.

The head of C-SPAN Shipyards says BC will need to subsidize shipbuilding if it wants future BC Ferries vessels built at home.

C-SPAN's CEO John McCarthy welcomed NDP leader David Ebbe's campaign pledge to put $250 million toward a new shipyard or more shipbuilding capacity in the province.

McCarthy says that money alone won't be enough.

He says overseas competitors pay workers about one-eighth of Canadian wages, and some other countries subsidize their shipyards, while Canada does not.

Last year, BC Ferries picked a Chinese shipyard to build four new Summit-class vessels, and no Canadian yard put in a final bid.

A report commissioned by shipyard unions estimates that decision cost Canada more than 10,000 person-years of work and $1.5 billion in economic activity.

C-SPAN's Vancouver yard is already at capacity building federal ships, including a polar icebreaker.