Ship Recycling Leadership Group Launched in Alberni Valley
Port Alberni, British Columbia, September 5, 2025 — NDP MP Gord Johns (Courtenay–Alberni) and the Honourable Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island–Pacific Rim, are announcing the creation of a new Leadership Group to coordinate efforts to secure major new investment in ship recycling opportunities in the Alberni Valley.
In British Columbia alone, there are more than 900 vessels at the end of their service life waiting to be recycled. Of these, 90 ships are over 500 tons—including 14 obsolete ferries. The growing backlog of out-of-service vessels in coastal waters that require recycling poses significant environmental risks—ranging from fuel leaks and toxic paint exposure to habitat damage for fish and marine ecosystems. At the same time, it represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Canada and British Columbia to lead in safe, sustainable ship recycling.
“The Alberni Valley is uniquely positioned to attract the infrastructure and business investment needed for ship recycling and dry dock facilities,” said MP Johns. “With federal nation-building investments on the horizon, increased defence spending, and growing demand for world-class vessel recycling, the timing could not be more critical.”
Johns also noted that he has tabled a motion in Parliament calling for the adoption of ship recycling regulations and guidelines equivalent to the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation. “Clear and enforceable standards will be crucial in building social licence for ship recycling on a significant scale,” Johns said. “Communities must know this work will meet the highest environmental and safety standards.”
The Leadership Group will be facilitated by Brodie Guy, CEO of the Island Coastal Economic Trust, a provincial development organization dedicated to driving prosperity and diversifying the coastal economy. The group will bring together First Nations, local governments, community leaders, businesses, and environmental organizations to chart a unified path forward.
“We’re at a pivotal moment,” said Brodie Guy. “Ship recycling represents an opportunity to create lasting economic benefits for coastal communities while ensuring the highest standards of environmental protection and Indigenous stewardship. By working together across governments, industry, and communities, we can build a globally respected centre of excellence here in the Alberni Valley.”
Importantly, the initiative will be guided by principles of:
- Indigenous leadership and decision-making authority;
- World-class environmental standards, meeting or exceeding the EU Ship Recycling Regulation;
- Federal and private sector investment; and,
- Community support and social licence.
“The Alberni Inlet and our surrounding communities deserve solutions that create high-value jobs, protect air, land, and water, and honour First Nations stewardship,” said MLA Osborne. “By working together, we can build a model of sustainable ship recycling that benefits the whole coast.”
The inaugural meeting of the Leadership Group will bring together a wide range of partners, including First Nations Chiefs, Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions, industry leaders such as Seaspan and Canadian Maritime Engineering, B.C. Ferries, universities, unions and regional economic and environmental organizations.
This initiative represents the first step in building a business case and engagement strategy that can secure the federal and private investment needed to make Port Alberni a West Coast hub for responsible ship recycling.
Media Contact
Leanne Rathje
Constituency Office – MP Gord Johns
leanne.rathje.809@parl.gc.ca
