BC's Transportation & Infrastructure Minister Rob Fleming says he pleased to see upgrades finally underway on the nearly century old Belleville Ferry Terminal.
"We were at risk of losing it if we didn't act. So there's no time like the present to get going on this project."
Fleming says four years of upgrades to the international ferry transportation hub comes with a nearly $304-million price tag.
But he says it's worth the positive first impression it will bring once completed.
"My interest in this redevelopment goes back to 1999 when I was a city councillor." Fleming says. "We had a deal on the table, and then it went away for 16 years. Then we had a government that wasn't interested at all. After 9-11 and increased border requirements, the pressure was put on Victoria, and it's only accumulated over the years to go to a higher level of clearance for both leaving and coming in from the United States."
Willow Spring Construction is in charge of Phase 1, the creation of the temporary terminal, with a completion date of this fall.
The shortlist of candidates for Phase 2 work continues to gel.
Officials say daily Coho and Clipper sailings will continue as usual.
The Province says construction should be complete and the project operational by 2028.