OTTAWA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says concerns over a federal loan being used to buy ferries from a Chinese company are "bizarre" given the amount of money Ottawa spends on ferries in Eastern Canada.

The premier is in Ottawa for a series of meetings including with newly appointed Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, where he says the topic of ferries was discussed.

Eby was asked about a report in The Globe and Mail that Transport Canada had weeks of warning before BC Ferries announced in June that it was buying four ships from the state owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards.

Then-transport minister Chrystia Freeland criticized the deal after it became public, saying she was "dismayed" by the BC Ferries' decision.

Canada Infrastructure Bank loaned BC Ferries $1 bill

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