Oceans & Marinespace

As a port city with a long maritime history, Victoria is a natural choice for businesses related to marine technology and ocean sciences. This industry includes a diverse range of operations, from shipbuilding and repairs to cutting-edge marine technology and ocean sciences research with worldwide impact.

Victoria's shipyards alone employ more than 700 people and generate annual economic activity approaching $1 billion. Employment in the ship and boat building sector, which includes ship and boat repair in shipyards, remained stable in Greater Victoria from 2001 to 2006, while 16 per cent and 29 per cent of jobs were lost provincially and in Metro Vancouver respectively.

Greater Victoria's ship and boat building sector improved its already strong position relative to the province from 2001 to 2006. The location quotient of 3.23 in 2006 means that ship and boat building jobs were more than three times as prevalent in Greater Victoria relative to the rest of British Columbia.

In addition to a strong ship and boat building sector, Greater Victoria is the home base for the Canadian Navy's Maritime Forces Pacific command. Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt is a major employer and is estimated to contribute $650 million annually to the local community.

When it comes to ocean research, the University of Victoria is a world leader. UVic's Venus and Neptune projects will be the world's first regional-scale, unblinking eye on the secrets of the deep sea.

Further evidence of the importance of Greater Victoria's ocean and marine industry is the future development of UVic's Ocean Innovation Park, which is currently in the feasibility stage. Another project in the planning stages is the creation of the Pacific Ocean Technology Cluster for the development of the provincial maritime economy and a worldwide business opportunity sponsored by the Innovation and Science Council of British Columbia, the province of British Columbia, and the Vancouver Island Technology Park.

Greater Victoria is also the location of the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean's Federal Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS), one of Canada's largest marine institutes. IOS is the primary source of ocean science information for the coastal waters of British Columbia, the North Pacific Ocean, the western Canadian Arctic, and navigable fresh waters west of the Manitoba-Ontario border.

Future plans include the creation of Ocean Industries British Columbia, which will work to ensure people and businesses of the province derive the maximum benefit from the development of B.C.'s ocean industries.

See more information in our latest newsletter.