Canada’s largest shipbuilder, Levis, Quebec, based Davie Shipbuilding has at last become an official partner in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Announcing the move yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that this marked the start of negotiations for contracts to support Canada’s future shipbuilding including the construction of six program icebreakers and one polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. According to Davie, the initial work package also includes two large hybrid-powered ferries.
“This historic agreement puts the ‘National’ in National Shipbuilding Strategy and the federal government deserves much credit. Together, we will bridge a strategic shipbuilding gap and create guaranteed capacity for future fleet renewal at Canada’s largest shipbuilder,’ said James Davies, president and CEO of Davie. “It is an acknowledgement of everything Davie has achieved over the past decade, our expertise and the quality of our Quebec-based workforce. We can now get to work delivering the icebreakers Canada urgently needs to meet its growing responsibilities as an international Arctic presence, while fulfilling its critical southern wintertime mission to keep our economy flowing,’’ said James Davies, President and CEO of Davie.
Davie has long seen opportunities in the icebreaker segment and its capabilities and knowhow in this area will get a significant boost if it succeeds in its negotiations to acquire Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard.
In its announcement of the agreement, the Government of Quebec noted that it was supporting a CAD 840 million modernization program at the shipyard with CAD 519.2 million of funding.
“We also commend the Government of Quebec for supporting our journey to become one of the most advanced shipbuilding facilities in North America,” said Davies. “The NSS will be a springboard to create an internationally competitive shipbuilding hub in Quebec. We will generate and showcase Quebec innovation and talent as we build cutting-edge ships, which are in high global demand.”
“Our employees deserve huge credit for their hard and smart work over the past 10 years. They have helped demonstrate that Canada and our facility is an innovative and internationally competitive shipbuilder. Davie has and will continue to set a new standard in North American shipbuilding. Today’s historic commitment by Canada, our industry-leading facility and global network are a winning combination that will see us create a sustainable export-driven industry,” commented Alex Vicefield, chairman and CEO of Inocea, the parent company of Davie Shipbuilding.
