British ColumbiaWith hundreds of ships that will soon need to be recycled, two B.C. politicians are advocating for a ship recycling facility in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island.MP Gord Johns says Port Alberni could be the right place for ‘nation-building’ projectLauren Vanderdeen · CBC News · Posted: Oct 20, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoThere are hundreds of ships in B.C. that will soon need to be recycled, but without an adequate facility, Courtenay—Alberni MP Gord Johns warns the costs could be ‘ridiculous.’ He’s now advocating for a ship recycling hub to Port Alberni. (Megan Thomas/CBC)With 900 vessels in B.C. nearing the end of their service life, and limited ways to responsibly dispose of them on the West Coast, a team of experts is coming together to advocate for a ship recycling facility in Port Alberni, B.C.MP Gord Johns for Courtenay-Alberni and MLA Josie Osborne for Mid Island-Pacific Rim are assembling the leadership group with First Nations chiefs, local politicians, industry leaders and environmental organizations, among others.Johns says a ship recycling facility in Port Alberni just makes sense.Recycling a vessel, such as B.C. Ferries’ Queen of Burnaby, currently involves towing it to the East Coast, according to Johns.He estimated the total cost to recycle the ferry at $10 million — and towing the ferry through the Panama Canal to Halifax, N.S., would make up half that cost.“Everybody agrees that that’s ridiculous, that we shouldn’t be spending that much money just towing vessels to get them recycled, that we need to do it here on the West Coast.”WATCH | What should be done with B.C.’s aging ships and vessels?:Vancouver Island politicians push to bring ship recycling hub to Port AlberniPoliticians in Vancouver Island’s Alberni Valley are working with local stakeholders to bring a ship recycling and dismantling hub to the area. As Claire Palmer reports, it comes as B.C’s marine industry faces up to 900 aging vessels that will need to be disposed of soon.From ferries to fishing vessels, Coast Guard ships, tugs and more, more than 90 of the aging ships are more than 500 tons, according to Island Coastal Trust, a provincial development organization which facilitates the group.Without proper recycling, they pose a risk to the environment, including by fuel leaks and toxic paint exposure, according to Island Coastal Trust.Port Alberni could be the spot: JohnsJohns said the solution could be found in Port Alberni, a community of about 26,000 people on Vancouver Island, 140 kilometres northwest of Victoria.Johns said Port Alberni has an underutilized deep sea port in an affordable city.“It has highly skilled workers, tradespeople that are ready to go, and [it’s] also in close proximity to the big shipyards in Victoria and Vancouver.”Johns wants the federal government to invest in increasing capacity for dry-dock facilities in the upcoming budget.“This is an opportunity for nation building, but also to protect our coast and create good jobs and be responsible leaders.”While the Esquimalt Graving Dock in Esquimalt, a municipality neighbouring Victoria, recently was used to recycle two vessels, Johns said the graving dock is a premium facility designed for ship maintenance dealing with cruise ships and the Royal Canadian Navy.“Tying up the graving dock for recycling is not the best use of [it],” he said.The working group is now advocating for clearer, more streamlined standards in the ship recycling industry, as well as developing the business case for the project.Johns stressed the project would have to be done “in the right way.”He pointed to the “untenable” facility at Union Bay, south of Comox, B.C., where a controversial shipbreaking company was shut down for allowing toxic effluent runoff into the surrounding marine environment in 2024.“If we’re going to recycle ships, we need to do it in a responsible, safe way — and communities have to be on board, and it has to be done with the highest standards,” Johns said.First Nations support crucialTseshaht First Nation elected chief councillor Wahmeesh (Ken Watts) said his nation’s involvement in the project from the outset is paramount.“We need to ensure that all the regulations for these, you know, hundreds of boats and hundreds of ships that need to be recycled are done not just in an economically friendly way but, also, of course, environmentally,” Watts said.He said the project would be a huge opportunity for the Alberni Valley, but noted ship recycling has been “done wrong” in other places.Watts said the water needs to be protected first and foremost.“This water is the lifeblood of our community,” he said.Interest from other groupsCreating a ship recycling industry on the Island has a number of other supporters.B.C. Ferries spokesperson Ceilidh Marlow said a sustainable ship recycling facility in Port Alberni would benefit the broader marine industry in the province.She noted the organization is already planning more vessel retirements in the future.“Choosing a made-in-B.C. solution also helps build long-term recycling capacity that supports local jobs, protects the environment, and strengthens the resilience of our coastal economy.”Tony Winter, vice-president and general manager at Victoria Shipyards said Seaspan supported the idea as he said it would be a great economic opportunity.“There is both demand and business interest for the establishment of such facilities,” Winters said in a statement.The City of Port Alberni is also interested. Chief administrative officer Mike Fox said the city was “cautiously optimistic.”Pat Deacon, the city’s economic development manager, warned the need for the facility could outweigh its potential revenues, noting that ship recycling revenues might not equal what cruise or navy vessel repairs generate.“While we’re excited and grateful that so many people are giving up their time to the initiative, we also recognize that we’re kind of a long ways out at the moment,” Deacon said.ABOUT THE AUTHORLauren Vanderdeen is a web writer for CBC British Columbia. She formerly worked for community newspapers, including the Burnaby Now and New West Record. You can reach her at lauren.vanderdeen@cbc.ca.With files from Claire Palmer and Cory Correia
B.C. politicians push for ship recycling hub on Vancouver Island
