Province should consider real ferry-build costs

R: “Build ferries for best price,” editorial, July 30.

When shipyard workers go to work, they earn a good family-raising, mortgage-paying income; they take their families to the local restaurants, movie theatres and grocery stores; they spend their hard-earned income, supporting every small and medium business in our Island communities.

So, by all means, consider the costs of building the ferries elsewhere comparative to B.C. However, don’t forget to consider the lost revenue to federal and provincial governments, the employment-insurance program and other social safety nets. Don’t forget lost revenues from local business and the taxes their employees would pay from the three or four spinoff jobs that come with every shipyard job, the lost business taxes from local shops, material wholesalers and retailers, and every small business in the south Island. This is likely in the $50-million range for the three vessels.

Don’t forget the apprenticeships for B.C.’s kids, building on B.C.’s intelligent capital, who will go on to support the development of liquefied natural gas, mining, forestry and other resourceeconomy jobs for decades to come. Then consider the B.C. Jobs Plan, because imported ferries mean exported jobs.

And to set one thing straight, shipyard workers and companies were angry with the three German-built ferries because we were struck off the bidders’ list and denied the ability to even bid on the work. It was not that we couldn’t compete; it was the B.C. government that would not allow us to even try. Phil Venoit, business manager International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 230 Vancouver Island