Депутат Киббл призвал федеральное правительство оценить бывшую мельницу в Крофтоне для нужд флота и промышленности

MP calls for federal assessment of former Crofton mill property Published 10:04 am Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP and Shadow Minister for Defence Procurement Jeff Kibble is calling on the federal government to immediately assess the former pulp mill property in Crofton for potential future industrial and naval use. Kibble said the property’s deep, sheltered water, existing berthing, industrial infrastructure and large upland area make it a rare asset on the B.C. coast. “A building can be put anywhere. A depth cannot be built to order and there are very few places on this coast that have one,” he said in a statement. He pointed to the federal government’s plans for up to 12 submarines and 15 river-class destroyers, arguing that additional pacific naval and industrial capacity may be needed. Kibble noted that much of Canada’s pacific naval infrastructure is concentrated in Esquimalt, where $1.1 billion is being spent to replace aging jetties. “That is replacement, not additional capacity,” he said. “When a serviced deep-water industrial property comes available a short distance up the same coast, the responsible thing to do is to look at it.” Kibble is calling for a feasibility assessment involving the Royal Canadian Navy, industry and the Crofton community before the property changes hands. “If the answer is no, we will have an answer. What we should not do is find out after the fact,” he said. He also emphasized that any future use of the property must protect Crofton’s drinking water and support the continuation of industrial employment in the community. “About 350 jobs went when the Crofton mill closed. Those families are still in that community, and what happens next on the shoreline matters to them first,” Kibble said. North Cowichan is already working with the province on options for the future of the site. Kibble said a federal assessment should complement, rather than interfere with, that work. “This is not a partisan ask,” Kibble said. “Whoever holds government, this coast will need the capacity.”