Eby promises new shipyard and permanent $60M manufacturing fund
David Eby announced on October 14 that a re-elected NDP government would work with Ottawa to build a new major shipyard in B.C., and would make the Manufacturing Jobs Fund permanent at $60 million per year.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on dailyhive.com.
David Eby, the BC NDP leader, announced at a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade forum on October 14 that a re-elected NDP government would work with the federal government to build a new major shipyard in British Columbia, Daily Hive reported.
The party says such a facility would support Canada's defence needs and increase the capacity to build future BC Ferries vessels. It describes the proposal as Canada's first new major shipyard in a generation. The announcement did not include a proposed location or completion timeline.
How the province would pay for it
According to the BC NDP, as reported by Daily Hive, up to $250 million is available through the provincial Strategic Investment Fund to help attract private investment and federal funding. The fund operates under the Canada-B.C. Shared Prosperity Agreement with the federal government. The $250 million is the party's own figure from the announcement.
Eby also pledged to make the B.C. Manufacturing Jobs Fund permanent at $60 million per year. Part of that annual funding would be dedicated to forestry mills facing tariffs, to help them update their facilities, maintain employment and find additional markets.
A third commitment would allow more food processing on select Agricultural Land Reserve properties that the party describes as poorly suited to primary food production. The party says protections for prime farmland would remain in place.
The context of BC Ferries and shipbuilding
In 2025, BC Ferries chose a shipyard in China to build the first four new Summit-class vessels. No Canadian shipyard submitted a bid, according to Daily Hive, partly because existing Canadian yards were already committed to federal contracts under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. BC Ferries has previously warned that building ships locally would require significant government funding to close the gap between local and international costs.
In September 2026, just before the election call, Eby announced that a future order of two additional Summit-class vessels, expected in the second half of the 2030s, would be built at B.C. shipyards. The October 14 announcement would create new capacity to support that.
"The last thing we need is deep cuts that undermine our ability to grow, halt critical infrastructure, and weaken the public services businesses rely on to attract talent," the party quoted Eby as saying. The party also cited a 16 per cent increase in B.C. exports to destinations outside the United States over the past year; that figure is from the party's own announcement.
Advance voting in the BC provincial election runs from October 16 to October 21, 2026. Voting day is October 24. Elections BC has voting locations for every district. The full list of BC provincial candidates is on this site.
Questions this story answers
What did Eby announce about a new shipyard?
David Eby announced at a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade forum on October 14, as reported by Daily Hive, that a re-elected BC NDP government would work with Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government to build a new major shipyard in British Columbia. The party says such a facility would support Canada's defence needs and increase the capacity to build future BC Ferries vessels. The party describes it as Canada's first new major shipyard in a generation. No location or completion date was included in the announcement.
How much money would the NDP put toward the shipyard?
According to the BC NDP, as reported by Daily Hive, the provincial government has up to $250 million available through its Strategic Investment Fund to help attract private investment and federal funding. The $250 million figure is from the party's own announcement. Daily Hive notes the fund operates under the Canada-B.C. Shared Prosperity Agreement reached with Prime Minister Carney.
What is the Manufacturing Jobs Fund commitment?
Eby pledged to make the B.C. Manufacturing Jobs Fund permanent, with an annual budget of $60 million, according to Daily Hive's report on the October 14 announcement. The party says part of that funding would be dedicated to forestry mills affected by tariffs, to help them update their facilities and maintain employment. The $60 million annual figure is from the party's own announcement.
What is the Agricultural Land Reserve announcement?
Eby also committed to allowing more food processing on select Agricultural Land Reserve properties that are described as poorly suited to primary food production. The BC NDP says they would maintain protections for prime farmland. The announcement did not specify which properties would be eligible.
What is the connection to BC Ferries and Chinese shipyards?
In 2025, BC Ferries selected a shipyard in China to build the first four new Summit-class vessels after no Canadian shipyard submitted a bid. The Chinese shipyard was chosen for its competitive price and delivery timeline, as reported by Daily Hive. In September 2026, before the election call, Eby announced that a future additional order of two more Summit-class vessels in the second half of the 2030s would be built at B.C. shipyards. The new shipyard announcement builds on that commitment.
Why did Canadian shipyards not bid for the BC Ferries contract?
Daily Hive reports that Canadian shipyards did not submit bids for the BC Ferries contract partly because they were already occupied with contracts under the federal government's National Shipbuilding Strategy. BC Ferries has also warned that building future ships locally would require capital funding from senior governments to cover higher local costs compared to shipyards in China and Europe.
Where did Eby make this announcement?
Eby made the announcement at the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade's forum with the top three provincial party leaders on October 14, 2026, as reported by Daily Hive. The forum took place in Vancouver ahead of the October 24 provincial voting day.
How do I vote in the BC provincial election?
Voting day is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 16 to October 21, 2026. Elections BC lists voting locations for every district. You can check your voter registration at elections.bc.ca. The full list of BC provincial candidates is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
Eby, Doerkson and Lowan meet in the only leaders' debate of the 2026 BC election
Eby pledges perinatal mental health unit at B.C. Women's Hospital
