By Dean Broughton

As the son of a marine electrician, I know firsthand what the shipyards can mean to families in British Columbia.

For 30 years, they put food on our table and sneakers on our feet. My dad came home every night exhausted, grease etched in the lines on his hands, but with a quiet sense of pride.

It was hard, honest work—and it mattered.

That’s why I’m not just disappointed—I’m furious—about the NDP government’s decision to award the construction of four new BC Ferries vessels to a Chinese state-owned shipyard. This isn’t just outsourcing. It’s betrayal dressed up as budget management.

Back in 2021, the NDP government unveiled a “Made-in-B.C.” shipbuilding strategy with great fanfare. They formed a Shipbuilding Advisory Committee, posed for cameras, and........

© Georgia Straight