Latest news with #Tsawwassen
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is ‘informed decision'
The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island leaves Tsawwassen, B.C., bound for Swartz Bay, on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck A business leader on ferry-dependent Vancouver Island says BC Ferries made a 'strongly informed decision' in hiring a Chinese shipyard to build four new major vessels. Both the NDP government and B.C. Conservative Opposition have criticized the choice of Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards. But Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, says it's in the best interests of all who rely on BC Ferries. He says few companies around the world have the capacity to build vessels of such size, and BC Ferries did 'due diligence' for years in a global procurement process that did not receive any Canadian bids. The B.C. Conservatives have called on Premier David Eby's government to cancel the contract that was announced on Tuesday, while accusing Eby of abandoning Canadian workers. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth says he raised concern with BC Ferries about the contract, but notes that the operator is an independent company that makes its own operational decisions. The provincial government is the sole preferred shareholder in BC Ferries and it receives public funding, but Williams says the purchase decision is not a government decision. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
BC Ferries picks Chinese shipyard to build four new boats coming in 2029
The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island passes between Mayne Island and Galiano Island while travelling from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, B.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck BC Ferries has chosen a Chinese shipyard to build four new ferries for its passenger fleet, with its CEO saying he's not worried about geopolitical tensions between Canada and China. CEO Nicolas Jimenez says BC Ferries won't release the cost of the contract with China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards, adding his primary focus was getting the province a good deal. BC Ferries' head of fleet renewal Ed Hooper says no Canadian companies bid on the ships that will carry about 52 per cent more passengers and 24 per cent more vehicles than the ferries they are replacing. Jimenez says 60 per cent of the world's ships are built in China, and BC Ferries did due diligence to make sure it understood the 'technical and delivery and country risks associated with making this decision.' He says there currently no tariffs associated with the import of vessels of this type into Canada and tariff disputes didn't factor into the decision. BC Ferries says it will have its own team of experts on-site at the shipyard throughout construction to provide oversight and quality assurance. The first vessel is expected to come into service in 2029 with the others following in six-month intervals. This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published June 10, 2025.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- CTV News
B.C. man sentenced on drug, firearm charges triggered by silencers found at airport
A patch is seen on the shoulder of a Canada Border Services Agency officer's uniform in Tsawwassen, B.C., Dec. 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER — A Nanaimo, B.C., man has been sentenced to five years in prison and a lifetime firearm ban after an investigation triggered by the discovery of illegal silencers at Vancouver International Airport. The Canada Border Services Agency says officers intercepted three firearm suppressors at the airport in 2022, then in May 2023, CBSA and RCMP members executed search warrants at a residence and two vehicles in Nanaimo. The CBSA says officers seized illicit drugs and multiple firearms including two untraceable ghost guns, a prohibited shotgun, a rifle with a suppressor and two non-restricted rifles. It says they also found drugs including 335 grams of cocaine and 119 grams of methamphetamine. The agency says it charged Cody Edward Ranger with multiple firearm and drug possession charges last May. It says Ranger pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of unauthorized possession of a loaded firearm in Nanaimo Provincial Court last Wednesday.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- CTV News
May long weekend travel: Most reservations on major BC Ferries routes sold out
The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island passes between Mayne Island and Galiano Island while travelling from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, B.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
CBC
08-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Carved in Memory
How a family heirloom uncovered the life of a man imprisoned in a First World War internment camp. By Leah Hendry May 8, 2025 For years, it was tucked in the corner of a bedroom in an apartment in British Columbia — its dark wood worn, its presence mostly overlooked. But its surface tells another story. Delicately carved grapevines twist across the backrest and oak leaves and acorns trail along the curved arms. On the back, a stippled background frames an inscription in French: a message left by the man who made it. Dated 1915, the engraving reveals the chair's unlikely origin. It was crafted by a detainee at the Spirit Lake internment camp in Quebec's Abitibi region, where immigrants from eastern Europe were held during the First World War. All signs suggest the man's life was not an easy one, as he struggled to find work and stability for his family after he was released from the camp. How Margalo Whyte's family came to own the chair is a mystery, but she's always suspected it had a story. Whyte lives 4,000 kilometres away in Tsawwassen, a seaside community within the Metro Vancouver suburb of Delta, B.C. Her family had no connection to the camp, which was established by the Canadian government during the First World War to detain so-called enemy aliens. Whyte's grandfather, Albert Horton, owned the chair. He was a reporter and later chief editor for Hansard, the official record of the House of Commons. He lived in Ottawa. Whyte's mother inherited it after his death. As a child, she remembers it being kept on a screened-in porch at their summer cottage in Ontario's Thousand Islands. 'We used to pile towels on it,' said Whyte. 'But nobody paid much attention to it because none of us were of that age where we cared about antiques.' When her mother died in 1993, the chair came home with her to B.C. But who made the chair? Whyte wanted to find out. A few months ago, the 86-year-old came across a CBC News article about a fight to save a forgotten cemetery connected to Spirit Lake. On a whim, she reached out to CBC for help. 'I've always been curious,' said Whyte. 'I just had a sense that I wanted to honour and acknowledge who carved the chair rather than seeing it go to a landfill or something.' 'I'd really love to find this guy." Detained in Quebec At the beginning of the First World War, the Canadian government passed the War Measures Act. It gave authorities broad powers to suspend civil liberties and arrest and detain people it considered potential security risks. Spirit Lake was one of 24 internment camps set up to detain Ukrainians and other eastern European immigrants. Their property and money was confiscated and they were forced to leave their homes. Located near the town of Amos, about 600 kilometres northwest of Montreal, Spirit Lake was one of the largest camps and operated between January 1915 and January 1917. Nearly 1,200 men, women and children were rounded up and transported to Abitibi by train. The men were forced to do hard labour, clearing the land of trees and brush to make way for an experimental farm. But how — and when — would a detainee have time to make such a chair? Detainees were given time to make and sell crafts such as walking sticks, picture frames and ships in a bottle, according to a major-general's report on internment operations. The items were sold to guards, officers and nearby townfolk, said Lubomyr Luciuk, a retired professor of political geography at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont. 'Then the guard gives you some money and you can go to the canteen and buy cigarettes, tobacco, chocolate, whatever,' said Luciuk, who has researched and written about internment camps. Although Luciuk has seen Canadian artifacts from other internment camps, he was astonished by the chair's quality and uniqueness. 'It's the finest I've ever seen,' said Luciuk. In his opinion, the only item comparable to the chair is a sideboard that was made for the commandant of the Morrissey internment camp outside of Fernie, B.C. That piece is in a museum in British Columbia and there is an inscription inside the drawer. 'To have a piece like that that actually says from the Spirit Lake internment camp and his name and the year is really unique and it belongs in the Canadian Museum of History,' said Luciuk. 'Alternatively, the Canadian War Museum.' ADVERTISEMENT The front of the chair is delicately carved with grapevines, a popular motif at the time. The chair's mix of styles is also typical of the late 1800s or early 1900s, said John Sewell, who has appraised antiques and fine art for more than 40 years. He looked at photos of the chair and agreed, it's a special piece made by someone with experience. 'What the market really craves are things that are one-offs or very rare,' said Sewell, who is based in Stratford, Ont. 'And this obviously is a one-off, I would say. I doubt very much that the person did two of these.' Sewell suspects it's made of yellow birch, which is common in Abitibi, but there are also sections that look like oak, including the head piece and arms, which are carved with oak leaves and acorns. 'What's not typical is the curve in the seat and the slats across is a nice touch and the curved arms that match the seat,' said Sewell. Sofian's decision to include his own name, as well as the date and location of where it was made, could have been a way for Sofian, while imprisoned, to leave behind a 'personal touch,' he said. Searching for Sofian To uncover the man behind the chair, all CBC had to go on was the name carved into the back — Sofian. To confirm a man by that name was indeed a prisoner at Spirit Lake, CBC consulted a register that lists the names of detainees interned in Canada during the First World War. A Sergye Sofian was listed. With Luciuk's help, CBC also looked at Spirit Lake's handwritten log book, which lists a man by the name of Sergiew Sofian as well as his wife and three children, who ranged in age from six months to 13 years old. Luciuk believes Sergye and Sergiew are the same person. A certificate of release shows a man named Sergye Sofian was discharged from Spirit Lake in August 1916. Using genealogical records, CBC found a Sofian who was born in Romania around 1877. Described as five foot four inches tall with a ruddy complexion, he came to Quebec with his family around 1912 with $30 in his pocket, documents show. Many Romanians immigrated to Canada before the First World War to purchase farmland. Most settled in the Prairies. Gary Schroder, a genealogist and the president of the Quebec Family History Society, a charity with access to millions of records in Canada and the United States, reviewed the records with CBC. Documents indicate Sofian had three daughters in 1912, but shortly after the family arrived in Quebec, a burial certificate shows their youngest child at the time, Marguerita, died when she was 18 months old. The ages of Sofian's surviving daughters correspond to those at Spirit Lake. Although Sofian's first name was sometimes spelled differently, Schroder said that's not unusual, particularly for names from eastern Europe. 'They did change their names a lot because when they went through customs they didn't understand it properly or it sounded different,' said Schroder. 'And don't forget, this was their second language. So if this gentleman was from Romania, his first language might have been Romanian. He might have been speaking Russian.' Sofian's age varies, plus or minus a few years, which Schroder said again, is not unusual. 'Many families, they have no idea how old people are,' said Schroder. 'People lied about their ages too.' There are also slight spelling variations on the first names of Sofian's wife and children, but the ages and number of children are consistent with those found on the Spirit Lake roll call as well as obituaries. Publicly accessible family trees list a Sirghe Sofian as Marguerita's father. A son, Artemy, was born in Nova Scotia in 1915. His age and name match with both the Spirit Lake roll call and log book. Another son, Alexander, was born in Montreal in 1917, after the Sofian family was released from Spirit lake. Census records show the family moved to the Windsor, Ont., area. A Sirghe Sofian is listed as the head of the household and his wife and children's names match those at Spirit Lake. Around 1923, they settled south of the border in Michigan. A number of documents —- including census records, U.S. department of labour immigration documents and a U.S. declaration of intention — list Sofian's profession or trade as a cabinet maker or carpenter. He also worked in factories or as a farm manager. In the U.S. declaration of intention, Sofian's physical characteristics, including height, are listed, which match what was found on the discharge document from Spirit Lake. He remained in Michigan until his death from heart problems in 1936, according to his death certificate. Schroder said all signs point to this being the same man who made the chair at Spirit Lake. Letters to a president The chair Sofian made at Spirit Lake may not be the only piece of furniture he hand carved. In 1933, a small excerpt in the Ludington Daily News said a Romanian farmer named Sirghi Sofian had made a table for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the time, Sofian was living in a small farming community called Capac in Michigan state. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library was unable to find the table itself, but the museum collections manager found letters between Sofian and the White House in its presidential papers. In those letters, Sofian tells the president he hand carved the table as a Christmas present. Following the White House's letter of appreciation thanking Sofian for the table, Sofian writes to Roosevelt again and appeals for financial assistance, explaining that he has other furniture, including a writing desk, writing chair and picture frame he could also send. 'I am very poor,' Sofian writes in the letter, dated Dec. 1, 1933. 'I had a 40 acres [sic] farm on rent. I lost my two horses this spring and the owner of the farm put me out because I couldn't make my rent.' In response, the president's private secretary said the president was sorry to hear Sofian was having a hard time, but could not help him financially. Under the circumstances, they thought it best to return the table, but after another letter from Sofian, chose to retain it. It's not clear where the table is now. Other historical sites devoted to FDR, including various retreats in both the U.S. and Canada, including Campobello International Park in New Brunswick, were unable to locate it. 'The chair has had a journey' An obituary for Sofian's youngest son, Alexander, helped zero in on potential descendants. Alexander Sofian was born in Montreal in 1917. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest, bloodiest single battle fought by the United States in the Second World War. In the obituary, a godson, Alexander Cojocar, is listed. Cojocar is a retired veterinarian in New Jersey and his older brother John, still lives east of Detroit in the same region his great grandfather settled in more than a 100 years ago. Their grandmother, Anna Davis, was Sofian's daughter. She was seven when she was detained at Spirit Lake. John Cojocar remembers his grandmother talking about her father, Sirghi, but he had already died by the time they were born. She did not speak about her time at the internment camp often. 'She told us it was pretty desolate, pretty barren and she remembered that they ate a lot of rabbit,' said John Cojocar, who lives in a suburb of Detroit. Whenever he went hunting and caught a rabbit, he'd offer it to her, but she always refused. 'She didn't want anything to do with rabbits,' said Cojocar with a chuckle. He also recalls his mother had a letter about the table Sofian made for President Roosevelt. It said the table had been sent to a warehouse for items taken from the White House. 'All I know is it's probably in D.C. in a warehouse somewhere,' said Cojocar. When Whyte found out the presumed identity of the man who made her chair, she was overwhelmed and thanked CBC for pursuing it. 'History is so important,' said Whyte, who appreciates having a story to tell her grandchildren. She is going to take some time to decide if she'd like to donate the chair to a museum, give it to Sofian's apparent descendants or keep it within her family. 'The chair has had a journey so we shall have to figure out where its next journey is going to be.' Editing and layout by Benjamin Shingler Lead image by Steven Silcox About the Author Related Stories Footer Links My Account Profile CBC Gem Newsletters Connect with CBC Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Mobile RSS Podcasts Contact CBC Submit Feedback Help Centre Audience Relations, CBC P.O. 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