Canada pledges billions in new defence spending, but doesn't reach NATO's 2% commitment | CBC News

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  March 15, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  DRAKKAR and Avianor partner to fuel growth of Quebec aerospace cluster

  DRAKKAR, a world-class company specialized in operational outsourcing within sectors including aerospace, and Avianor, a complete commercial aviation cabin integration specialist and MRO organization, have finalized a partnership agreement which will enable Avianor to accelerate its growth strategy. With the help of Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance, Avianor strongly believes the strategic and Canadian-based company DRAKKAR is the best partner to secure the future of Avianor. Following this transaction, effective as of Feb. 28, 2019, the Avianor board of directors now consists of Earl Diamond, CEO of Avianor; Sylvain Savard, president and founder of Avianor; along with two new members from DRAKKAR, Denis Deschamps, president and CEO of Drakkar & Partners; and Benoit Hudon, president and CEO of the company's manufacturing business unit. Over the past 24 years, Avianor has become a leader in the aviation industry by distinguishing itself through innovative problem solving, maintaining a skilled workforce and a flexible corporate culture. Although Avianor will remain an independent operation, DRAKKAR will now provide Avianor with strategic, tactical, financial, operational, business development and training support to help the company accelerate and achieve its consolidation and growth plan while meeting customers' satisfaction. Part of this plan also includes the renovation of a new and additional facility with over 100,000 square feet of hangars and offices with airside access at Montreal-Mirabel International Airport (YMX). “This new partnership reinforces the global positioning of our business as a high-caliber outsourcing team with the ability to optimize operations while keeping in mind productivity, efficiency and quality,” said Deschamps and Hudon. “With over 25 years of experience and expertise in outsourcing, this is a major turning point for our manufacturing business unit as it opens the door to the convergence and deployment of its global service offer. “DRAKKAR Manufacturing fits perfectly with our vision of creating our own innovative manufacturing ecosystem in one of our leading sectors, working collaboratively with our employees, partners, customers and suppliers as well as our own infrastructure,” added Deschamps and Hudon. “For us, this association with DRAKKAR reflects our determination and willingness to meet the needs of our existing and future clients and shows our concrete commitment to perpetuate Avianor activities over the long term and secure hundreds of jobs here in Quebec at the Mirabel Airport,” said Savard and Diamond. “With a current workforce of over 2,500 people and a solid experience in operations management, DRAKKAR will help us achieve the operational efficiency required of a large enterprise while ensuring personalized service is provided to all our clients.” “It is a proud moment for Aéro Montreal to see these companies conclude a partnership agreement with the objective of uniting their forces and combining their complementary expertise to create a strong added value within the industry,” said Suzanne M. Benoit, president of Aéro Montreal. “In addition to fostering economic growth and job creation across Canada, this type of partnership contributes to an even stronger, more competitive and prosperous Quebec aerospace industry. “It is a common and shared priority to ensure the visibility and influence of the companies that make up our industrial cluster, and in order to do so, we must effectively offer the OEMs more integrated solutions.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/drakkar-and-avianor-partner-to-fuel-growth-of-quebec-aerospace-cluster

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  December 18, 2017 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Government uses procurement to help small businesses grow and create jobs

  Innovative Solutions Canada is a $100-million program to fuel innovation and create middle-class jobs December 14, 2017 – Ottawa As the single-largest purchaser of Canadian goods and services, the Government of Canada will use procurement to help Canadian small businesses innovate and create employment opportunities for Canadians. The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, together with the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism, today announced the $100-million Innovative Solutions Canada program that invites Canadian small businesses to develop novel solutions to challenges proposed by federal departments and agencies. Whether the challenge is developing a way to make armour more resistant to chemicals or improving wireless connectivity in connected vehicles, the federal department or agency will ask small businesses to innovate and propose a solution. The government will work with the winning business and act as its first customer, helping the companies take their idea to market and advance the next generation of solutions that can become viable commercial products. Twenty federal departments and agencies will participate in the new program and identify problems spanning the military, economic and environmental sectors. Innovative Solutions Canada is a key component of the Government of Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to create well-paying jobs for the middle class. Quotes “Our government's new Innovative Solutions Canada program is a big winner on several fronts. We're being proactive and transforming our challenges into opportunities—opportunities for innovation, economic growth and small business success that will result in a vibrant innovation economy and more middle-class jobs for Canadians.” – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development “We believe innovative Canadian small businesses are well positioned to help the government solve some of its more persistent challenges. Through Innovative Solutions Canada, we are asking entrepreneurs to develop new products and services that will help to solve these challenges, while also enabling these entrepreneurs as they work to expand to new markets and sell to new customers around the world. The benefits from this program are clear: the Government of Canada will be able to acquire new products and services that will improve our work, while hard-working small business owners will be able to grow their businesses and create more well-paying middle-class jobs.” – The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism “Our community of early-stage investors, incubators and accelerators provides much-needed coaching, connections and capital to Canada's early-stage companies seeking to grow and scale up. Many times, their ‘first customer' serves as critical validation that allows these companies to penetrate their markets locally and globally. The Innovative Solutions Canada program announced today will help Canadian companies gain early customer traction while also allowing Canadians to benefit from the adoption of homegrown innovative solutions.” ‑ Sandi Gilbert, Chair of the Board, National Angel Capital Organization (NACO Canada) Quick Facts Program funding will come from the 20 departments and agencies participating in Innovative Solutions Canada. Each department will set aside 1 percent of its research and development expenditures for this initiative. Innovative Solutions Canada is modelled on the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research program and is an essential component of the Government of Canada's efforts to help small businesses. Innovative Solutions Canada will encourage submissions from businesses owned and led by women, Indigenous peoples, youth and other traditionally under-represented groups. https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2017/12/government_uses_procurementtohelpsmallbusinessesgrowandcreatejob.html

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  November 19, 2018 | Local, Naval

  Liberals reject committee recommendation to replace Victoria-class subs – no desire for subs with under-ice capability

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN New submarines won't be part of the future mix for the Royal Canadian Navy, at least in the foreseeable future. Several years ago there were some suggestions that a possible replacement for the Victoria-class submarines might be in the works. In 2017 a Senate defence committee recommended the subs be replaced. The Commons defence committee also recently recommended that the Victoria-class subs, bought used in 1998 from the United Kingdom, be replaced with submarines capable of under-ice capabilities. But the Liberal government has rejected that recommendation. The recommendation was the only one of the 27 made by the Commons defence committee that was rejected outright in a response delivered to the committee last month. The committee had recommended that the federal government respond to NATO calls to improve the quality of their naval fleets and underwater surveillance capabilities by starting the process of replacing Victoria-class submarines with new boats that have under-ice capabilities. It also recommended increasing the size of that fleet to enhance Canada's Arctic and North Atlantic defence preparedness. But the Liberal government pointed out in its response that it is in the midst of the most intensive and comprehensive fleet modernization and renewal in the peacetime history of the Royal Canadian Navy. Canada is recapitalizing and increasing the size of its surface fleet through investments in 15 Canadian Surface Combatants, two Joint Support Ships, and five to six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, it added. “The government has also committed to modernizing the four Victoria-class submarines to include weapons and sensor upgrades that will enhance the ability of the submarines to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and deliver necessary improvements of platform and combat systems to extend operational capability to the mid-2030's,” the government response noted. Canada is also engaged in the re-building of the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of the fleet through the introduction of technologies, sensors and weapons while preparing to transition to the fleet of the future, it added. “As part of the NATO S&T Organization, Canada is participating in the Maritime Unmanned Systems S&T Pre-Feasibility Studies that focus on ASW and naval mine warfare capabilities with Allied nations that have the same capability targets,” the government stated. “In addition to increasing existing platform capabilities, the RCN is also in the process of re-vitalising individual and collective ASW training and advancing distributed mission training and synthetic training environments.” Last year Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan praised the capability submarines provide Canada. “No other platform in the Canadian Armed Forces can do what a submarine can do,” Sajjan said. “No other platform has the stealth, the intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and the deterrence to potential adversaries that a sub does.” Upgrading the Victoria-class subs is more “prudent” than buying new subs, Sajjan said at the time. Without upgrades, the first of the submarines will reach the end of its life in 2022, according to documents obtained last year through Access to Information by the Canadian Press. The last of the boats would be retired in 2027. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/liberals-reject-committee-recommendation-to-replace-victoria-class-subs-no-desire-for-subs-with-under-ice-capability