21 octobre 2022 | Local, Naval
Canada's multibillion-dollar combat ship plan nears key decision
Officials in Ottawa have taken their time in reviewing the Canadian Surface Combatant design because the one ship class must do it all.
5 décembre 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
The CF Snowbirds begin their schedule May 18 in Comox, B.C., and zig-zag across the country and down to the U.S. before ending the season Oct. 6.
21 octobre 2022 | Local, Naval
Officials in Ottawa have taken their time in reviewing the Canadian Surface Combatant design because the one ship class must do it all.
1 mai 2019 | Local, Naval, Sécurité
LÉVIS, QC, April 30, 2019 /CNW/ - Icebreaking is a key factor in ensuring the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on Canadian waterways, and helps contribute to year-round shipping and economic growth. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to providing the Canadian Coast Guard with the equipment it needs to ensure these waterways are kept safe and open for business. The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, announced today that Chantier Davie of Lévis, Quebec, was awarded a contract of $7,198,164.30 for the dry-dock refit of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, Canada's largest icebreaker. The scheduled refit of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent will ensure the Canadian Coast Guard continues to provide critical icebreaking and other marine services effectively. This contract was awarded on April 15, 2019following an Advanced Contract Award Notice issued on November 16, 2018. Minister Wilkinson also announced the names of the two interim icebreakers currently undergoing conversion work at Chantier Davie; CCGS Jean Goodwill and CCGS Vincent Massey. These ships will be available to support Coast Guard programs by late 2019 and summer 2020, respectively. In December 2018, the Canadian Coast Guard accepted the first of three interim icebreakers which were acquired to supplement its existing fleet during vessel life extension and repair periods. CCGS Jean Goodwill takes its name from one of the founding members of the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada and contemporary champion of public health services for Indigenous people. CCGS Vincent Massey, is named after the first Canadian appointed to the post of Governor General, which until then was occupied by British born individuals. The Right Honourable Vincent Massey was appointed Governor General on the recommendation of then Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. CCGS Jean Goodwill and CCGS Vincent Massey will be part of the national Coast Guard fleet which carries out icebreaking duties in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and Arctic regions. CCGS Jean Goodwill's homeport will be in Halifax, NS, and CCGS Vincent Massey in Quebec City, QC. Quotes "The refit of CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is an important part of the planned maintenance of the Coast Guard's icebreaking fleet. Regular maintenance helps ensure our largest vessel is ready to provide essential icebreaking services to Canadians, especially in the Arctic where shipping escorts are essential to resupplying northern communities. Furthermore, we look forward to welcoming CCGS Jean Goodwill and CCGS Vincent Massey to the fleet to help support the Coast Guard with the essential work they do in Canadian waters." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard "Canadians from coast to coast to coast rely on the Canadian Coast Guard to protect their coastlines and their livelihoods. This contract will ensure the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard are properly equipped to do their important work, while also helping sustain good middle-class jobs at the Davie Shipyard." The Honourable Carla Qualtrough Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility "Our government's contract award to Davie Shipyard is a testament to the exceptional expertise of the shipbuilding workers in our region. Their internationally recognized expertise and professionalism will continue to be put to work for the benefit of the Canadian Coast Guard, the safety of our waterways and our economy." The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Member of Parliament for Québec Quick Facts The CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is Canada's largest icebreaker, homeported in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Icebreakers are crucial to Coast Guard services, vital to the safety of mariners, the protection of coastal waters, resupply of northern communities and the orderly flow of commerce through Canadian waters. The award of this contract follows an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN), which was issued on November 16, 2018 and closed on December 4, 2018. The ACAN process helps to ensure a fair, open, and transparent procurement process, by allowing any interested supplier to demonstrate how it could meet the requirements of the ACAN. As of December 2018, the value of the work awarded under the repair, refit and maintenance portion of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) is now over $4.5B.This includes $1.56B in contracts awarded to Quebec shipyards under the NSS. On December 14, 2018, the Canadian Coast Guard accepted the first of three interim icebreakers being converted by Chantier Davie as part of a $610-million contract awarded in August 2018. The three icebreakers were acquired to supplement the Coast Guard's existing fleet during vessel life extension and repair periods, providing continuous on-water capability during scheduled maintenance periods. In accordance with the Canadian Coast Guard ship naming policy, CCGS Jean Goodwill and CCGS Vincent Massey were named to honour Canadian leaders who made significant contributions to Canada. Associated Links Canadian Coast Guard's new icebreakers National Shipbuilding Strategy Canadian Coast Guard Navigation Officer Program Stay Connected Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/rss-eng.htm. SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada For further information: Jocelyn Lubczuk, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-548-7863, Jocelyn.lubczuk@dfo-mpo.gc.ca; Media Relations, Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 613-990-7537, Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-awards-contract-to-chantier-davie-for-refit-of-canadian-coast-guard-icebreaker-and-unveils-names-of-interim-icebreakers-857320833.html
20 décembre 2018 | Local, Terrestre
NORMAN DE BONO Saudi Arabia has fallen behind in making payments on its $15-billion arms deal with Canada, a contract that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he's looking for ways to halt. The Saudi government was short $1.8 billion in payments to the end of September for light-armoured vehicles assembled at General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS) in London, according to financial statements from the Canadian Commercial Corp., the federal Crown corporation overseeing the controversial contract. “It is a problem. There is concern, absolutely,” a federal official with knowledge of the agreement told The London Free Press on Wednesday. The arrears on the deal can be traced to a new regime in Saudi Arabia since the agreement was signed in 2014, and there have been delays in payments since the change, said the official, who declined to be identified. “That changed the way everything worked, including payments,” he said of the desert kingdom's new leadership. However, since September the oil-rich country has been making payments and has reduced the amount owed, the official added. The deal, which the Liberals are under pressure to scuttle amid Saudi human rights abuses, including the slaying of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the country's consulate in Turkey, affects thousands of workers in the London area and in a supply chain that extends nationwide. Trudeau, whose government inherited the deal from former prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives, said publicly this week for the first time that the Liberals are trying to find a way to stop the sale involving hundreds of light-armoured military vehicles built by the Canadian division of American defence giant General Dynamics. The report by the Crown corporation handling the sale says “trade receivables” are short $1.86 billion as of quarterly statements ending Sept. 30, and that payments have been sparse over the course of about one year. “The significant increase in past due trade receivables, is mostly attributable to the ABP contract,” the report says, referring to the armoured brigades program. “Trade receivables are considered past due when the payor has failed to make the payment by the contractual due date.” The payment issue hasn't been helped by recent public musings by Trudeau, who on Sunday told CTV's Question Period the government is looking for a way to halt the sale. “We are engaged with the export permits to try and see if there is a way of no longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia,” he said, without being specific. Such a move would devastate GDLS Canada's 1,800-member workforce in London, as well as thousands of jobs with supplier companies, said David Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute think-tank. The Saudis may now feel even less inclined to write a cheque, he added. “It does not give the Saudis a reason to catch up on payments. The government of Canada is responsible for making sure GDLS gets paid for the work it has done,” said Perry. It also makes even less sense that Ottawa should want out of the deal now, he added. Not only would the federal government incur billions of dollars in penalties, according to GDLS Canada, but the Saudis aren't likely to pay the balance owed. “It does not make sense. It would leave the government out of pocket,” said Perry. A review of the quarterly reports suggest payments began slowing about a year ago, he added. “We are right back to dealing with an unreliable client, and that is a problem,” said London-Fanshawe NDP MP Irene Mathyssen. “Work has been done and they have not seen fit to pay their obligation.” She also slammed Trudeau for creating uncertainty around the issue. “It is a problem, it creates stress. The PM cannot make up his mind about what to do.” As for why payments aren't being made, Mathyssen cites reports of financial issues with the Saudi government. Media in May reported soaring debt in Saudi Arabia and economic woes as a result of low oil prices. “There have been reports they overspent, they do not have the cash they once did,” said Mathyssen. “Saudis are used to dictating to the world because they hold such significant oil reserves. They are used to calling the shots.” The Canadian Commercial Corp. (CCC) helps businesses sell overseas and works with foreign governments to buy here. It declined comment on the quarterly reports, saying financial matters between the Crown corporation and business are confidential. “CCC is bound by commercial confidentiality, and, as such, we are not able to disclose the details of our contracts or their management,” the company wrote in an email message. James Bezan, the Conservative critic for national defence, blamed Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland for the slowing cash flow. Her tweets in May criticizing the Saudi human rights record coincide with fewer payments made, he said. “It is concerning. It occurred after irresponsible tweets from Freeland rather than working through proper diplomatic channels,” he said. “The Liberals are prepared to trade away good jobs in London and southern Ontario rather than deal with this at a diplomatic level.” Bezan encouraged the government to find other ways to pressure the Saudis, such as targeting oil imports here, instead of cancelling a contract that would result in massive job losses. “GDLS has been on time, and on budget,” and would be the ones punished. “The government has the responsibility to work through the payments in a timely fashion,” he said. TRUDEAU WEIGHS IN ON SAUDI DEAL Speaking to reporters at a year-end news conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about whether he'll cancel the Saudi arms deal serviced by a major London defence contractor. “Our priority since Day 1 has been thinking about the Canadian jobs, the workers in London, and in the supply chains that have fed into this contract. We know that there are a lot of hard-working families in London who rely on these jobs, and we're going to keep those jobs in mind.” Says the contract, signed by the previous Conservative government, includes a confidentiality clause that prevents him from discussing what's in it, or the nature of the penalties for breaking the contract. Says Canadians are increasingly questioning whether the country should do business with Saudi Arabia. Called it a “complex situation.” Says he's been answering questions about the deal since taking office Says he'll continue to reflect on the “best path forward for Canada and for Canadians.” https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/saudis-fall-1-8b-behind-in-under-fire-arms-deal-with-canada