With a federal commitment of at least $41.6 million now in its pocket, the provincial government committed Friday to building a new Belleville International Terminal to handle ferry traffic from the U.S.
While the $303.9-million project was announced last year, the province had been waiting on a contribution from Ottawa before moving ahead.
B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming confirmed Friday the project is now a go with the expectation it will be completed in late 2027.
“The new facility we’re building is going to generate hundreds of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional visitor spending over the coming decades,” Fleming said.
“A modern pre-clearance terminal will make travel more convenient for tourists, while enhancing security and trade between Vancouver Island and Washington state, improving Vancouver Island’s tourism sector and boosting regional business investment.”
Randy Boissonnault, federal minister of tourism, said the federal investment is about helping to grow B.C.’s economy.
“This project will welcome global tourists and business travellers into the heart of Victoria’s Inner Harbour with world-class service while creating good-paying jobs and facilitating the movement of goods,” he said.
Both Fleming and Boissonnault suggested there could be further financial commitment coming from Ottawa for the project.
The commitment to a new terminal comes after decades of talk, studies, reports and wishful thinking.
It is required to ensure the terminal will be in compliance with the Canada-U.S. Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Pre-clearance Agreement.
That agreement allows travellers to complete the U.S. customs and immigration process in Victoria so they can disembark in Washington state with no delay.
The Belleville Street facility, which houses tourism and commercial links with the U.S. through Blackball’s Coho car ferry and Clipper’s passenger ferry in two locations, currently doesn’t comply because it doesn’t have space for isolation rooms for questioning and searching of passengers.
The first phase of the project will establish a temporary terminal in the CPR Steamship Building and a new wharf to accommodate FRS Clipper and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
That should be complete in 2024.
Canada Border Services Agency and Black Ball ferry operations will continue to use the existing spaces, ramps and vehicle areas.
The second phase will demolish and replace the existing FRS Clipper terminal infrastructure, and create a new commercial goods processing facility.
When completed, the new terminal will bring the Clipper and Coho operations into the same terminal building. The new facility would also accommodate both the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs, allow for processing of commercial goods and still move people in a fairly seamless fashion for both Coho and Clipper.
The province is currently in discussion with both Black Ball and FRS Clipper to determine their respective involvement in the project.
