MLA REPORT: Budget amplifies shipbuilding investment in Esquimalt-Colwood
Published 2:30 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Our community has deep ties to the defence and shipbuilding industries, which stretch from the early days of settlement to today. While these industries have evolved significantly over the years, our connection to shipbuilding remains strong. Defence and shipbuilding continue to employ our family members, friends, and neighbours, providing good jobs that help support life in our region.
This is why I was so thrilled that our government’s 2026 Budget made new commitments to investments in British Columbia’s ever-growing private sector, including the defence and shipbuilding industries.
Over the past year, with the implementation of unjust tariffs on Canada and British Columbia, alongside broader threats of economic instability, it has become increasingly clear to governments and people across the province that we must reconsider our reliance on a single trade partner, such as the United States, to supply our critical needs. In response, we have been focusing on strengthening made-in-Canada industries, while building new and stronger relationships with more resilient trade partners we can rely on into the future.
This is a new step for our province, and British Columbia is more motivated than ever before to find new ways to strengthen our industries and support our businesses.
We need an economy that works for everyday, hard-working people. That’s why we’re announcing and implementing supports such as the new $400-million B.C. Strategic Investment Fund.
Historically, it has been difficult for the government to support private-sector companies through direct investments. By introducing this fund, once passed and implemented, our government will be better equipped with resources and authority to invest in the private sector and support projects that deliver significant benefits to the communities and economies they impact. Similar funds have already been implemented in provinces such as Ontario and Quebec with proven success. The implementation of this fund will anchor major investments here in our communities.
In Esquimalt and Colwood, this means greater opportunities for investments into defence and shipbuilding – investments that generate additional jobs and greater revenue within our community. British Columbian companies can offer world-class abilities that support Canada’s military commitments while also building new opportunities to create more high-quality, skilled jobs here at home. Additionally, this fund will help us work alongside our federal counterparts to advance the goal of spending 5% of our GDP on defence, one of the most important investments in our nation today.
As a mother of young children, it is also incredibly important to me that we are working every day to create a sustainable long-term economy for the next generation. I want my children and their friends to grow up in a world where there are opportunities for them in their community. Legislation like this is working to support that goal – investing for our communities today, and in our future.
I look forward to seeing the positive effects of this new fund and a government that is putting in the work, every day, to support British Columbians, their families, and their businesses.
Darlene Rotchford is the MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood.
