DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN
Irving seems to be upset about Davie's ongoing efforts to win work under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
In a new deal with the federal government, Davie will refit existing icebreakers that are to be owned by the federal government. This is part of federal efforts to shore up Canada's icebreaking capability.
At an event last week to announce the contract, Steven MacKinnon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Service and Procurement Canada and Member of Parliament (Gatineau, Quebec) also stated that Davie Shipyard in Levis, Quebec will have opportunities to bid and win work under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
That has sparked concern from Irving which issued on Monday a statement that it is worried MacKinnon's remarks “signal the possible redirection of shipbuilding work out of Atlantic Canada.”
During the new conference MacKinnon said Davie could be in line for work under the shipbuilding strategy. “Davie had, has had, and will continue to have opportunities under the national shipbuilding strategy to bid, to win work, and the quality of the work that's done in this shipyard speaks for itself,” he said.
Full Article: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/irving-misreads-the-national-shipbuilding-strategy-analysis
31 août 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
Associations representing defence and aerospace sectors are urging the government to develop a defence industrial strategy to foster long-term growth.
24 août 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen Maintenance on the Canadian military aircraft used by the Snowbirds will be increased and flying operations involving those planes will be restricted, the Canadian Forces announced Monday. Brig.-Gen. Denis O'Reilly, commander of 2 Canadian Air Division, said that the operational pause on the CT-114 Tutor fleet had been lifted but that new measures were being implemented in the wake of two crashes of Snowbirds aircraft in the last year. The operational pause was brought in following a Snowbirds CT-114 Tutor accidentin Kamloops, B.C. on May 17, which resulted in the death of Capt. Jennifer Casey, the Snowbirds public affairs officer. Casey was a passenger in the aircraft. The pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall, survived with serious injuries. Last year the aerobatic team was temporarily grounded by the Royal Canadian Air Force after a crash of one of its aircraft near Atlanta, Georgia. The crash happened on Oct. 13. Snowbird pilot Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier was forced to eject from his Tutor aircraft shortly before the team's performance in Atlanta, the team stated at the time. Domon-Grenier suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution following the ejection. The Tutor jet crashed into a farmer's field and there were no injuries on the ground. The return to flying operations follows a technical and operational risk analysis that has outlined a series of risk mitigation measures, according to the Canadian Forces. Due to the fact that there were two CT-114 Tutor accidents within eight months, the scope of the analysis was designed to be deliberate, detailed and broad to enhance the general safety of the CT-114 Tutor operations, it added. The measures being implemented place some restrictions on flying operations and focus on increased maintenance requirements. A Directorate of Flight Safety investigation into the accident that killed Casey continues. Once that investigation is complete, the Royal Canadian Air Force will determine if further mitigation measures are required, according to the Canadian Forces. The investigation into the Kamloops accident is focusing on a bird strike as well as the performance of the aircraft's escape system. The investigation into the Georgia crash determined that the most probable cause of the accident was a fuel delivery system failure within the engine. The remainder of the Snowbirds 2020 air demonstration season has been cancelled, and the team will now focus on gradually returning to flying operations, according to the Canadian Forces. The RCAF has a total of 23 CT-114 Tutor aircraft, including 18 at 431 Squadron. There are also five at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., which are on the verge of retirement and storage. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/maintenance-on-snowbirds-aircraft-will-be-increased-some-flight-restrictions-put-in-place-after-two-crashes/wcm/93e929f3-d3f1-4d23-8677-412e9d6d941d/
13 août 2018 | Local, Naval
Jean-Yves Duclos, who represents the Quebec City region made announcement Friday The federal government has signed a $610-million contract to acquire and convert three icebreakers to renew the Canadian Coast Guard's aging fleet. Federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, who represents the Quebec City region made the announcement at the Davie shipyard in Lévis, which will be doing the work. The coast guard fleet lacks the capacity to perform its icebreaking duties. The Canadian Coast Guard ship Terry Fox, launched in 1993, is the newest icebreaker in the fleet. The contract is expected to result in the creation of 200 new jobs over the next two years, according to Davie spokesperson Frédérik Boisvert. Last year, when Davie was working on conversion of the Asterix and finishing two ferries, Davie employed 1,500 workers, Boisvert said. Many of them were laid off once the projects were completed. In June, the Liberal government concluded a deal with Davie to purchase three icebreakers, but there was no price tag attached to the project at the time. Negotiations to acquire the vessels were launched in January after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abruptly announced the plan in a Radio-Canada interview in Quebec City. That marked the beginning of a seven-month negotiating process between the government and Davie. Fraser noted that the usual time it takes to negotiate a shipbuilding contract with the government is eight years, praising the work of negotiators for the government and Davie. MacKinnon confirmed that Ottawa sped up the process for the icebreaker deal. Full Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ottawa-will-allow-quebec-s-davie-shipyard-to-bid-on-national-shipbuilding-plan-contracts-1.4780836