Located near the BC Parliament Buildings, Royal BC Museum, and some of the largest hotels in the area, Belleville Street is a major hub in downtown Victoria’s neighbourhood of James Bay. It’s also one of the connecting streets that ushers cruise ship and ferry visitors into downtown Victoria. Belleville Street is one of the busiest in the city, packed with foot traffic, horses and carriages, bikes, and cars.
A major piece of Belleville Street and Victoria’s tourism industry is the ferry terminal. Complete with a Canada Border Services Agency office, ferry ramp and a dock, the Belleville Terminal has been shipping passengers to and from the USA for decades.
The FRS Clipper has been running since the 80s, transporting visitors between downtown Seattle and downtown Victoria in less than three hours. The Black Ball Ferry Line operates the M.V. Coho ferry, which has been taking people to and from Port Angeles, Washington since the 50s.
Significant changes are underway at the Belleville Terminal. In this article, we’ll share everything we know right now about the $303 million Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project.
Project Goals
The Belleville Terminal is a central piece of the Victoria tourism industry and a major economic contributor. Over half a million visitors flow through the terminal each year, which generates many millions in economic output, supporting local companies like hotels, restaurants, tour companies, and more.
The goal of the new terminal is to maximize the capacity of the area, allowing the terminal to remain flexible to changing demands in security and user requirements. Operations for both the Clipper and Coho will be housed in a new terminal building, which will also include space for the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs. The additional capacity is expected to support $257 million in visitor spending, along with 3,200 jobs a year in 20 years.
Another aspect of the project is focused on sustainability. By redeveloping the Belleville Terminal, there’s an opportunity to incorporate the highest energy efficiency standards, integrate renewable materials, reduce emissions, and mitigate site contamination.
Finally, the new Belleville Terminal will be barrier-free. That means every part of the project will meet accessibility requirements in order to provide safe, equitable, and accessible transportation.
Current Project Status
The Provincial Government of BC officially announced the Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project on June 30th of 2023. As a part of Phase 1, the Temporary Terminal was awarded to Willow Spring Construction Ltd., which got started in March 2024 and is ongoing. The Wharf Modifications part of Phase 1 was completed by Pacific Industrial & Marine Ltd. Learn more about Phase 1 and 2 below:
Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Phase 1
Rendering of temporary terminal from Phase 1. Photo credit to gov.bc.ca.
Phase 1 of the Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project involves modifications to the wharf and the construction of a temporary terminal. All wharf modifications for Phase 1 are now complete, with the temporary terminal expected to finish near the end of 2024.
The Steamship Wharf was modified and expanded to temporarily accommodate the Clipper ferry. Modifications to the Steamship building were made to provide a temporary administration area for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Further modifications were made to the current Black Ball building to accommodate the Canadian Border Services Agency.
The other aspect of Phase 1 includes the construction of a temporary covered walkway between the Black Ball and Steamship buildings. This walkway will be for Clipper passengers to walk through. There’s also a temporary addition to the Steamship building underway, which will act as a temporary terminal for the Clipper ferry.
Sailings for both the Clipper and Coho ferry have been interrupted throughout Phase 1 and expect to continue that way through the completion of Phase 1 in late 2024.
Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Phase 2
Once the wharf modifications, building additions and temporary terminal have been completed, the Belleville Redevelopment Project will turn towards Phase 2 in 2025.
Phase 2 will begin with the demolition of the existing Clipper terminal facilities. From there, the construction of the new Belleville Terminal will begin and is expected to be operational in 2028. As part of the new construction, the Clipper and Coho will move their operations into a new terminal building, which will be shared by the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs. This new terminal building will be all-electric, achieving LEED® Gold certification and meeting the Province’s Environmental Stewardship Policy standards.
Aside from the new terminal building, there will be a new pre-clearance facility where passengers on their way to the U.S. will be able to complete customs procedures and exit the terminal much faster on the other side. There will also be a new commercial goods processing facility.
Contracts for Phase 2 have not yet been awarded, but a shortlist of qualified teams invited to submit an RFP include EllisDon Corporation, Kiewit Bird Belleville Partnership, and Pomerleau Inc. The total budget is $303 million, with the federal government expected to contribute $41 million for the project.
James Bay is a hub for tourism and economic activity and also one of the most desirable residential neighbourhoods in Victoria, thanks to its quiet streets, major attractions, and proximity to both the ocean and the downtown core. Learn more about the neighbourhood of James Bay and browse the homes for sale in Victoria.
