December 1, 2017 | Local, Naval
By Kevin Dougherty. Published on Dec 1, 2017 10:46am
QUEBEC – Chantier Davie in Lévis, across the St. Lawrence from Quebec City, will be forced to lay off 800 shipyard workers before Christmas without a new contract to build a second supply vessel for the Canadian navy.
“We're not taking no for an answer on that,” Davie CEO Alex Vicefield said in a telephone interview on Thursday, after Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan told Le Journal de Québec last week through his press attaché that the government does not plan to buy a second supply ship.
In an email response Thursday, Sajjan's press attaché Bryne Furlong reiterated that, “Navy and Coast Guard supply requirements have been extensively studied and are subject to long-term planning, which does not include a second supply vessel.”
The layoffs have begun, now that the Davie workforce has completed — on time and on budget — conversion of the German-built container ship Asterix into a supply ship to deliver fuel, water, food and supplies to the ships of the Royal Canadian Navy.
Davie's plan now is the $600 million conversion of the Obelix, a sister ship to the Asterix, into the navy's second supply ship. Vicefield said Ottawa's plan calls for paying $2 billion each for two new supply vessels, the first of which will only be available 10 years from now.
“Why do we need to build these ships for $2 billion each?” Vicefield asked, noting the Asterix and Obelix cost $600 million each and are superior vessels.
“I'm not a political activist but we believe in the project and we delivered,” Vicefield said.
In 2011, the Harper government unveiled its National Shipbuilding Procurement Program, awarding $38-billion in contracts to build ships for the Navy and Coast Guard to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. of Halifax and Seaspan Shipbuilding of Vancouver.
Davie, emerging from bankruptcy at the time, is Canada's largest shipyard and was excluded.
Cost estimates have risen since then, Vicefield noted, with the cost ballooning to over $100 billion. And in the six years since the plan was announced, the two winning shipyards have delivered no ships.
Officially, Seaspan is to launch its first replacement supply ship in 2021.
But Vicefield noted that Andy Smith, the official responsible for shipbuilding in the federal department of fisheries and oceans, told a Commons committee Nov. 7 that Seaspan has a backlog of three ships to build before work on the first supply ship can begin in 2023, for delivery in 2027.
Vicefield said that in spite of granting the lion's share of shipbuilding contracts to Halifax, the Conservatives where shut out in Atlantic Canada in the 2015 election, and Steven Blaney, the Conservative MP representing Lévis, was re-elected even though Davie was excluded from the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.
“The key point here is that shipbuilding contracts do not win votes,” Vicefield said. “But major procurement scandals bring down governments.
“If I was in government, I would be worried about a major procurement scandal, where you are spending five, six times the cost to buy a ship than any other country in the world pays and nothing is being delivered.”
The Asterix is also a hospital ship and can deliver humanitarian aid in the event of major natural disasters, such as a tsunami or a devastating hurricane.
Davie stepped into the breach in 2014, when the navy's two existing supply ships were scrapped and plans by Seaspan to build two replacement supply ships were a distant prospect.
The Harper government granted Davie a contract to convert the Asterix into a supply ship for about $600 million as a private-public partnership, with Davie managing the project from stem to stern, its financing, as well as providing its civilian crew and leasing the ship to the federal government for five years.
When Justin Trudeau led his Liberals to power in 2015, Irving Shipbuilding leaned on Liberal ministers from the Maritimes to have the contract cancelled.
But the work was underway and Ottawa did not block the Asterix project.
The Halifax-based and crewed Asterix will supply Canadian navy ships off the east coast, while off the west coast Canadian naval vessels will be supplied by Chilean and Spanish navy supply ships.
“Why would you do that when you can put the money back into Canada and ensure the jobs of 800 people here for another two years?” Vicefield said. “It makes no sense.”
Vicefield regards the Harper government's plans, renamed by the Liberal government as the National Shipbuilding Strategy, as “mind-boggling” and “a bit of a joke.”
And he believes Canada can have three shipyards, including Davie, to build and maintain naval and Coast Guard vessels.
“There are about 50 large ships that need replacing,” he said, noting the average age of the Coast Guard fleet is 40 years. “So there is enough work for sure for three shipyards for the next 30 years.”
“We haven't been pushing against the National Shipbuilding Strategy,” Vicefield said. “I think it is going to fall on its own.”
Irving, which is now building ships in Romania, and Seaspan, which has ordered two ferries to be built in Turkey, are defending the plan, and so far have political support.
“They see the writing on the wall,” Vicefield said. “They want to destroy the competition. They see that now they have the upper hand.
“But we're not going to let that happen,” he insists.
“We're convinced the new government, the Liberals, will actually see sense.
“But it is taking time for them to get their feet under the desk.”
https://ipolitics.ca/article/chantier-davie-wont-take-no-answer/
October 1, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
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August 27, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
Brendan Mccarthy A St. John's-based tech start-up whose aim is to “fundamentally disrupt” a global industry worth $150 billion says it is well on its way to that goal with the release of its first-generation light-field display. Avalon Holographics says the 29-inch development system represents a significant milestone in realizing a fully immersive, natural 3D experience. “Despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented, it's an exciting time for our company,” said president and co-founder Wally Haas in a news release. “Our prototype serves as proof of concept and we're excited to show the world how natural 3D light-field displays will change the way we produce, view and understand visual content. “Our goal is to fundamentally disrupt the $150-B global display industry, and our prototype launch signals that we're well on the way.” The advanced holographic display system is designed to present 3D content without the need for accessories such as glasses or headsets. https://www.journalpioneer.com/business/regional-business/st-johns-tech-start-up-ready-to-disrupt-the-global-display-industry-489168/
October 12, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Security
Investment helps create up to 15 new high-value, local jobs and global opportunities PORT ALBERNI, BC, Oct. 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Canadians will benefit from a stronger aerospace industry and better aerial firefighting technology thanks in part to a new investment in a British Columbian firm specializing in firefighting aircraft. Today the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Minister of Accessibility and Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Federal Recovery Efforts for the 2017 and 2018 British Columbia Wildfires, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced a repayable investment of nearly $3.4 million in Coulson Aircrane Ltd., a small aviation company based in Port Alberni, British Columbia. This investment helps create good middle-class jobs and strengthens Coulson's position in the aerospace supply chain. The project will facilitate collaboration with post-secondary institutions, ensure workers have the skills they need and generate new Canadian intellectual property. This funding supports Coulson's first-of-its-kind research and development (R&D) initiative to convert a Boeing 737 plane into a dual-purpose aerial firefighting tanker / passenger aircraft that can be used to fight fires in Canada and elsewhere. This investment is being made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a program designed to attract and support high-quality business investments across all sectors of the economy by encouraging R&D that will accelerate the transfer of technology and the commercialization of innovative products, processes and services and will facilitate the growth of innovative firms. Quotes "Our government's support for Coulson Aircrane demonstrates our commitment to Canada's aerospace industry—a major engine of innovation and a key contributor of well-paying jobs to the national economy. By investing in innovative projects like this one at Coulson, we're creating new opportunities for Canadians from coast to coast. That's how, through the Strategic Innovation Fund, we're investing in innovation today to create the jobs of tomorrow." – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development "Innovative companies such as Coulson Aircrane are a key part of our government's plan to grow the economy and create well-paying middle-class jobs for British Columbians. As a world leader in aerial firefighting, Coulson is a testament to the kind of quality work that this region is capable of—and the quality talent that is right here in British Columbia. The development of this innovative technology will better protect our forests from wildfire damage and increase efficiency by providing the ability to deliver both fire retardant and fire-fighting personnel at the same time. This is a great demonstration of how Canada can lead in the technology economy.." – The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement "Coulson Aviation is appreciative of Minister Qualtrough's announcement of Government of Canada support for innovation in Canada. This investment has been instrumental in our company's conversion of airliners into tankers for fighting fires as well as carrying passengers. Extensive aircraft modifications took place here at the Port Alberni airport, involving 140,000 hours of work in the community. We are proud that the newly completed air tankers will begin fighting forest fires globally this fall and that we are currently converting another airliner." – Wayne Coulson, CEO, Coulson Group Quick facts Coulson Aircrane is a family-owned company and a key player in the aerial firefighting business. The company works with firefighting agencies in Canada, the United States and Australia. Canada's aerospace industry includes 700 firms, directly contributes close to $12.6 billion in GDP to Canada'seconomy and employs more than 85,000 Canadians. The Strategic Innovation Fund is a flexible program that reflects the diversity of innovation in all sectors of the economy. In addition to the Strategic Innovation Fund, there are hundreds of programs and services to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada's economy. With a simple, story-based user interface, the Innovation Canadaplatform can match businesses with the most fitting programs and services in about two minutes. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada For further information: Nilani Logeswaran, A/Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 613-668-1794; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/vancouver-island-company-to-advance-aerospace-innovation-and-firefighting-technology-696990951.html