New Canadian Shipbuilding Strategy

[Stoker]

What happened with that supposed 'refresh'?

What do you hope to see thrown to Davie? Would be counter to the purpose of rebuilding an industry if you let 1 shipyard suffer for the sake of 2 busier ones.

I hope that at minimum they get an MCDV refit job pushed through, or perhaps more CCG work. Unlikely, but another Asterix but more modified towards HADR, with capability for sub-tender/rescue ship.

I doubt if MCDV refits will be going through Davie anytime soon unless they bid on them like every other yard.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver - Clear-cuts.  Surrounded by trees.  It is hard to see any further.

Actually, Chris -having lived there for a long time - Quebec city knows it is a maritime city and the River is essential to it.

Personally, I still think the solution for, I'll say "Ocean Services Canada" instead of just the Coast Guard to be clearer, is a two yards solution: You need one yard that specializes in ice breakers and another one to then get on with building the other non-icebreakers vessels. And don't get me wrong, the "multi-task" vessels that can do some ice breaking ( such as the Martha L. Black, for instance) are NOT ice breakers in my book. BTW, my book also includes three, not just one, Arctic icebreaker in the Diefenbaker class.

 

[NavyShooter]

I doubt if MCDV refits will be going through Davie anytime soon unless they bid on them like every other yard.

We can only hope that Davie might do so...maybe they'll come back in nearly serviceable condition instead of needing tens of thousands of hours of additional maintenance time to reactivate them.


I wonder if we could leave the brass fittings and fire-hoses on a ship that would go to Davie, or if they'd get stolen and have the hose ends cut off to sell for the scrap value there as well?

 

[Stoker]

We can only hope that Davie might do so...maybe they'll come back in nearly serviceable condition instead of needing tens of thousands of hours of additional maintenance time to reactivate them.


I wonder if we could leave the brass fittings and fire-hoses on a ship that would go to Davie, or if they'd get stolen and have the hose ends cut off to sell for the scrap value there as well?

Actually we have no problems with the MCDV's coming back from Shelbourne or St.John's. I don't know where you're getting tens of thousands of additional maintenance time. Refits for MCDV's are handled quite differently than the CPF's.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

What happened with that supposed 'refresh'?

What do you hope to see thrown to Davie? Would be counter to the purpose of rebuilding an industry if you let 1 shipyard suffer for the sake of 2 busier ones.

I hope that at minimum they get an MCDV refit job pushed through, or perhaps more CCG work. Unlikely, but another Asterix but more modified towards HADR, with capability for sub-tender/rescue ship.

They will make a whole bunch of noise and promises up to the election and then "forget"

 

[Uzlu]

Pierre Drapeau, president of the association of suppliers to the shipyard, told Trudeau that work is urgently needed at Davie. He said less than 3 per cent of the contracts from Ottawa’s national shipbuilding strategy have gone to the Levis shipyard, which is across the river from Quebec City, and workers are losing their jobs.

Trudeau blamed the previous Conservative government of Stephen Harper for awarding ship-building contracts to Vancouver and Halifax while leaving out Quebec’s capital.

He said he understands the frustration, but Canada can’t be seen as a country that tears up previously signed contracts when a new government is elected.

https://ottawacitizen.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/trudeau-pressed-in-quebec-city-to-give-more-contracts-to-david-shipyard/wcm/5f4e088e-ebb7-4bc5-b667-8297a6b1dd3c

 

[FSTO]

https://ottawacitizen.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/trudeau-pressed-in-quebec-city-to-give-more-contracts-to-david-shipyard/wcm/5f4e088e-ebb7-4bc5-b667-8297a6b1dd3c

He said he understands the frustration, but Canada can't be seen as a country that tears up previously signed contracts when a new government is elected.

That's pretty rich coming from a Liberal. Anyone remember Chretien and "Zero Helicopters!"? What a load of codswallop!

 

[Rifleman62]

Blaming Harper is getting old.

 

[CBH99]

I agree.  Any political party that has been in power for a few years needs to stop blaming the previous government, especially when it comes to issues that have arisen out of DECADES of "kicking the can down the road".  Just own it, and deal with it.


I know we've beaten this horse to death, so I won't go into it...but if we had some sort of committee on defense issues that wasn't affiliated with a single political party, who had members from all relevant parties in it's ranks, who could push projects through & retain support from the major political parties throughout elections, it would go a long way to ending the "the government before us is at fault" nonsense...

Oh wait...Standing Committee on National Defense...

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

He said he understands the frustration, but Canada can't be seen as a country that tears up previously signed contracts when a new government is elected.

That's pretty rich coming from a Liberal. Anyone remember Chretien and "Zero Helicopters!"? What a load of codswallop!

Except, and that is a little understood aspect of the strategy, that the "strategy" does not oblige Canada to build ships at those yards, only to negotiate in good faith with them for certain ships - already specifically identified in the strategy - so as to provide these yards with steady work for about 20 years and thus guarantee them a basis from which to develop expertise they can monetize with other non-government work. If those "good-faith negotiations fail or don't produce a fair price, the Government is already free to shop somewhere else for a better price.

The non combat ships identified include more than the Dief, three OFSV currently building , science vessel and two AOR's. They include the 10 Coast Guard Offshore patrol vessels.

However, the replacement of the medium/river icebreakers (type 1200) of the Coast Guard and the multi-task type 1100, not to mention by then the type 1050 and the Tully - so basically 26 more vessels, need to start being replaced NOW!

That is more than enough work for three yards for the next 20 years and it can be done by quickly planning apportionment between Seaspan and Davie (even by assigning more vessels to Seaspan on that occasion) and bringing Davie in the Strategy under the same terms as the others for the other Coast Guard ships.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Oldgateboatdriver:

medium/river icebreakers (type 1200) of the Coast Guard and the multi-task type 1100, not to mention by then the type 1050 and the Tully - so basically 26 more vessels, need to start being replaced NOW!

Indeed but government does not want to spend the money (either did Conservatives), plus no one dares buy abroad to get vessels quickly.

Plus:

monetize with other non-government work

:rofl:

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

:rofl:

Mark
Ottawa

My sentiments exactly ... but it was, allegedly, the point of the strategy.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

We only buy used vessels from overseas.

 

[Kirkhill]

We only buy used vessels from overseas.

Interesting observation.

So.

Third party purchases vessel overseas and delivers it to Halifax or Esquimalt under its own power.

RCN takes delivery dockside and pays third party for delivery of a "used" vessel.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

That would have been the case had the Mistral deal gone through. Likely sailed over here and then refitted with Canadian requirements.

 

[Kirkhill]

It could equally apply to a vessel commissioned by the third party to meet Canadian requirements.  Somebody like Washington Marine Group.  Or Davie. Or FedNav. Or Irving.

 

[Dale Denton]

Anyone else check out the new Seaspan NSS site? Interesting picture of the Diefenbaker:

 

[PuckChaser]

Blackhawks would sure be a nice addition to them...

 

[Kirkhill]

Moonpool eh?

Just the thing for launching UAVs .... and torpedoes.... and mines.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Looks to me as if this gov't wants to give a fourth conversion contract to Davie pretty smartly in hope of offsetting SNC-Lavalin fallout in Oct. election (our governments for years have been pathetic in planning for and funding key federal responsibilities such as CAF, CCG and RCMP--problem with last is feds not willing to make provinces pay their full freight for contract policing, not a federal role):

Canadian Coast Guard seeks input on options for procuring existing light icebreaker

News release

February 18, 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec – Public Services and Procurement Canada

Through a Request for Information issued today, the Government of Canada is seeking input from the marine industry regarding the procurement of an existing light icebreaking vessel to provide options for filling interim requirements in the Canadian Coast Guard’s delivery of icebreaking services for the St. Lawrence Seaway while others ships in the fleet undergo maintenance.

This vessel will complete the Canadian Coast Guard’s plan to add four interim icebreakers to its fleet. This past summer, the Government of Canada purchased three interim medium icebreakers, which are being converted at Chantier Davie in Levis, Quebec. The first of the three medium icebreakers, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Captain Molly Kool, was welcomed into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet on December 14, 2018.

Industry has until April 16, 2019, to respond to the Request for Information regarding the procurement of an existing light icebreaker [emphasis added]...
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/news/2019/02/canadian-coast-guard-seeks-input-on-options-for-procuring-existing-light-icebreaker.html

Mark
Ottawa