The new graving dock slated for the Point Hope Maritime shipyard will be a welcome addition to VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 industrial base and, according to Mayor Lisa Helps, represents exactly the sort of jobs the city needs.
B次元官网网址淭hese are good jobs B次元官网网址� clean jobs B次元官网网址� and exactly the sort of jobs we want to be attracting to Victoria,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淸They] start at a salary of $90,000 and go up from there, and itB次元官网网址檚 in an industry that will provide those jobs in an environmentally friendly manner.B次元官网网址�
The $50-million graving dock is a project of Point Hope Maritime, a company with a history of servicing vessels on VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 harbour since 1893. The new facility, to be built on the existing footprint of land on Harbour Road, will have the capacity to service most Coast Guard and some Canadian Navy ships, as well as many vessels operated by B.C. Ferries.
Ships entering the graving dock for service are generally in place from one to three months to complete work.
According to Point Hope Marine general manager, Riccardo Regosa, the graving dock will be able to service any vessel up to 170 metres (570 feet) in length with a draft of up to six metres.
The project was given the green light at last weekB次元官网网址檚 City of Victoria committee of the whole, but still requires approval from Transport Canada, the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans and Environment Canada.
Regosa is confident the companyB次元官网网址檚 plans are solid and will have no trouble in getting the additional approvals needed for construction to start.
Helps reiterated that ship repair today is significantly different from how the industry on Victoria Harbour was once operated.
No water has been discharged from the existing facility since 2014 and the new plans include plans to change the slope of the facility so that any water used flows back into catchment facilities where it will be treated and reused.
Once operational, the new facilityB次元官网网址檚 dry dock will employ more than 200 workers.
B次元官网网址淭his project goes far beyond the $50-million investment. We see a lot of real estate investments that invest at least that amount of money in the City,B次元官网网址� Helps said. B次元官网网址淭his is a project where the initial investment is great, but the project will keep contributing to the economic health of the City for decades to come.B次元官网网址�
The graving dock will see most work being done near the shoreline. No new buildings are included in the plan and no changes are called for on the Harbour Road frontage of the property.
No disruption of is anticipated for any harbour traffic as a result of the construction or operation of the facility.
editor@vicnews.com
