The plans, first approved by the City of Victoria in 2018, were never put into action, but the company says the time is right amid a thriving maritime industry.
Citing improved economic conditions and a thriving West Coast maritime industry, the Ralmax Group is preparing to resurrect its plans for a graving dock on Victoria’s Upper Harbour.
The plans, first approved by the City of Victoria in 2018, were never put into action due to increased economic risk amid uncertain labour costs.
But Ralmax founder Ian Maxwell said conditions have now lined up to make it worthwhile to spend more than $100 million in a project that eight years ago was estimated to cost $50 million.
“I have lots of faith there is going to be more than enough work to go around,” said Maxwell. The new dock will be a separate entity and wholly owned subsidiary of Ralmax.
Maxwell said the new graving or dry dock would be able to service vessels up to 560 feet in length, which would add needed capacity for the West Coast.
It would be able to accommodate most of the vessels in the B.C. Ferries fleet as well as those from the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard.
Maxwell said the facility would be a standalone entity so it could be booked by other shipyards that require extra capacity, and would be available for use by Ralmax’s Point Hope Shipyard, which would sit beside it.
The federal government’s vow to live up to its NATO commitments is bringing heavy investment in maritime defence and coast guard vessels, and the growing maritime commercial fleet also needs to have certainty that it can access service and maintenance when needed, he said.
“If your boat is working, you’re going to need to service it at some point.”
He said there is more than enough work to keep all docks busy on the coast.
The federally owned Esquimalt Graving Dock, the largest non-military dry dock on the West Coast, has been booked solid due to the increase in maritime commercial activity.
Ottawa spent just over $250 million seven years ago to upgrade the facility to ensure it could handle increased use by the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, B.C. Ferries and the private sector, including cruise ships.
That graving dock has an estimated economic impact of about $200 million annually and supports about 1,300 jobs.
The Port of Vancouver, meanwhile, saw a record 170 million tonnes of cargo moved through the city in 2025, a jump from 158 million tonnes in 2024.
The port noted that about 3,300 foreign cargo vessels passed through, and the number is projected to hit 5,000 by 2050. The federal government has said there are now about 1,100 tugboats working on B.C.’s coast.
Maxwell said thousands of derelict boats are littering coastal waters and a graving dock is an ideal place to deconstruct them to control the environmental impact.
It’s a different set of circumstances from 2018, when the City of Victoria first approved a development permit for the facility. That permit was renewed twice, but Ralmax wasn’t in a position to build.
Maxwell said it came down to not having the security of fixed labour costs through a long-term agreement with the shipyard unions. Without a long-term deal, it was too risky to spend $50 million, he said.
He said even though the price to build the graving dock has likely more than doubled, the project still makes sense given the available work, economic conditions and a different business model for the dry dock.
As a standalone facility that can be booked for work, the dry dock will not have a workforce attached to it.
“This is a good project for the community, the province and Canada,” said Maxwell. The company plans to take a development permit application to Victoria council before the end of this year.
Maxwell estimates it will take about 18 months to build.
Ralmax intends to pay for the facility without government help. Maxwell said he has been told that makes it the only graving dock ever built in Canada with private money.
“The levels of government, whether it’s the city, the province or the feds, can do so much to help industry, but it doesn’t have to be with their chequebooks,” he said. “If a business is going to survive and thrive, they shouldn’t have to be subsidized.”
It’s unclear who will be in charge of building the facility, but Ralmax companies will be involved in the build — Chew Excavating is expected to do the heavy lifting, Trio Ready Mix will pour concrete, Salish Sea will do dredging work and Ralmax Marine will provide barges.
Maxwell said fleet owners are already getting in touch wanting to be involved, and asking when they can book time.
More detail on the graving dock will be on display this weekend at Point Hope shipyard’s annual Father’s Day open house and job fair, intended to help attract more skilled trades.
The open house will run 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, and will feature shipyard tours, tours of the Trio Ready Mix site, a model boat society exhibit, live entertainment and local artists.