ESQUIMALT, British Columbia – The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced that through Economic Action Plan 2012, the Government of Canada will make a major investment over the next five years in rehabilitating and modernizing the Esquimalt Graving Dock.
“Our Government’s priority remains the economy and job creation,” said Minister Ambrose. “By supporting the ship repair and shipbuilding industry on Canada’s Pacific coast, we are creating local jobs and generating long term economic benefits for British Columbia.”
The Esquimalt Graving Dock is an active ship repair facility and this $101-million investment will ensure that the dock fulfills its obligations to the various fleets using the facility over the long term. It is the largest deep sea shipbuilding and repair facility on Canada’s Pacific coast and is the only “open access” multi-user facility on the west coast of the Americas that provides common services (on a fee-for-service basis) and multi-user access to dry dock infrastructure for a variety of private sector companies.
The Esquimalt Graving Dock, which was originally constructed in 1927, generates economic benefits totaling $183 million annually for British Columbia and it supports an estimated 1,300 jobs in the Greater Victoria Area.
Economic Action Plan 2011 provided $148 million, on a cash basis, over five years to carry out capital expenditures to maintain and improve a number of engineering assets, such as bridges, dams and other specialized assets, across Canada. Building on this commitment, Economic Action Plan 2012 proposes an additional $101 million, on a cash basis, over the next five years for Public Works and Government Services Canada to restore and modernize the Esquimalt Graving Dock. This investment will help maintain jobs and support economic activity in southern British Columbia.
