Eric McNeely of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union says federal funding disparities between Atlantic ferry services and B.C. Ferries amount to a major gap that he wants Ottawa to address.
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Over the next eight years, ferry services in Eastern Canada are set to receive $1.3 billion in federal funding, according to a 532-page federal budget released Thursday, but the BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union says B.C. Ferries was not mentioned in the document.
Eric McNeely, with the union, said the difference is stark when comparing passenger volumes and support levels across the coasts. “Marine Atlantic carries about 360,000 people and B.C. Ferries, 23 million. You compare that and the funding disparity is pretty obvious,” McNeely said.
The union’s release says Ottawa covers about 43 per cent of operating costs for Atlantic ferry services, while B.C. Ferries receives about three per cent under an agreement dating back to 1977.
The union also pointed to federal fare support for Atlantic ferries, saying last year the federal government cut fares on those routes in half to encourage commerce and travel, while British Columbians, McNeely said, could face price hikes. “Through public releases and annual general meetings, we might be facing a 30 per cent increase in ticket prices.”
McNeely said he does not accept Ottawa’s rationale for the differences, which he described as partly tied to B.C. Ferries being a privately owned corporation and to the fact that Atlantic ferry routes cross to other provinces while B.C. routes do not. “Does that mean Vancouver Island should become its own province and that would adjust federal funding?” he said.
While McNeely said the 2026 budget was a missed opportunity, he supports an “accountability lever in exchange for more funding,” and said, “At the end of the day, all the ferry systems are moving Canadians and helping the Canadian economy.”
Transport Canada was contacted for comment but did not respond in time for deadline.
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