The Belleville Terminal is a piece of Victoria’s history.
It has been the gate to mariners entering the city since 1924.
The terminal has the Clipper, Black Ball and Washington State Ferries operating out of Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
According to the province, the terminal generates over $57M in government revenues, $174 in direct spending within BC and $155 in value-added GDP in BC.
After years of tourism and imports being deterred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the terminal’s redevelopment is being proposed by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Members of the public are being invited to have their voices heard in the project.
An online survey is now available and will be until September 27th. There will also be an in-person open house the same day from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Victoria Conference Centre for people to learn more about the project.
The Province is building the case for the Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project: a state-of-the-art international gateway in the Victoria Inner Harbour.
We want to hear from you!
Join the open house on September 27 or provide feedback online. ➡️https://t.co/UNfnXAHzTE pic.twitter.com/l6TnQbIFmS
— govTogetherBC (@govTogetherBC) September 20, 2022
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the redevelopment of the terminal is projected to create 3,200 regional jobs within 20 years and will generate approximately $257M in visitor spending.
The scope of the work includes a new pre-clearance terminal to comply with safety and border control measures, replacing old and aging infrastructure such as the wharf facilities, a new commercial goods processing facility and maximizing capacity while being adaptable to changes in capacity and security measures.
Without the modernization of the terminal the government claims the result would be the removal of US customs services form Vancouver Island, financial losses to small businesses and large-industry alike, significant job losses and even existing operations being shut down.
Prior to the pandemic, the Belleville Terminal processed international goods, services and passengers while supporting over 2,200 jobs.
The proposed new Belleville Terminal could include a three storey building with commercial space available at street level, vehicle pick up/drop off services, food and entertainment for terminal users, dedicated space for Indigenous artwork and storytelling and accessibility for all terminal users.
The proposed budget is $220M to $290M with BC seeking a 50% contribution from the federal government.
Feedback gathered by the survey and open house will be put toward informed decision making during the design phase on behalf of the province.
