NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A $200-million investment into the Vancouver shipyards will hopefully bring a much-needed boost to the BC economy.

The re-development at the shipyard, which is located in North Vancouver, will also include about $20-million in new tools and equipment. The goal is create at least 1,000 long-lasting jobs by 2016.

Seaspan CEO Jonathan Whitworth says they’re in talks with BC Ferries to see if vessels in the future will be built here at home instead of abroad.

“They have not made decisions on how many vessels [or] what type of vessels that they want to get built. But obviously, once they narrow down what they want to build, then they’ll come talking to shipyards,” he explains.

He adds positions like engineers, project managers, and naval architects need to be filled because BC has not built large, complex vessels in 30 years.

“We’ve been reaching out all over North America and the world to get those skill sets. We’ve heard from enough folks both from northern Alberta, for example, that are extremely eager to come home,” says Whitworth.

There will also be four new fabrication buildings, a gantry crane, and a new load-out pier. The project is expected to be completed by February, 2015.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of an $8-billion dollar federal shipbuilding contract awarded in part to BC.