A new Leger poll shows strong public backing for a long-term plan to rebuild British Columbia’s shipbuilding industry and keep marine construction jobs in the province. The survey, commissioned by the Build Them Here Shipbuilding Coalition, found 84 per cent of British Columbians want the provincial government to take action to retain shipbuilding work and maintain the skilled expertise that supports it.
The results indicate that support for local construction remains high even when cost is a factor. Sixty-one per cent of respondents said future BC Ferries vessels should be built in B.C. even if that means higher expenses, compared with only 23 per cent who favour choosing the cheapest offshore bid. In addition, 81 per cent want more details about the process that led BC Ferries to award four new shipbuilding contracts to a shipyard in China.
The coalition — which includes shipyard workers, marine trades, and ferry unions — says the findings align with longstanding calls to keep work local, arguing that domestic shipbuilding provides stable jobs and lasting economic benefits for coastal communities.
The poll was conducted online from November 7 to 9 and surveyed 1,035 adults across the province. While online surveys do not carry a traditional margin of error, a probability sample of the same size would have a margin of approximately ±3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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