National Shipbuilding Strategy: Committee of the Whole—July 8, 2020

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Context

The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) is a long-term commitment to renew the vessel fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), create a sustainable marine sector, and generate economic benefits for Canadians.

Suggested response

The government is delivering on its commitment to continue to renew the RCN and the CCG fleets, revitalize the shipbuilding industry across Canada, create middle-class jobs, and ensure Canada’s marine services have the modern ships that they need.

Progress on current work

• At Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, the first 2 offshore fisheries science vessels have been delivered to the CCG, with delivery of the third vessel expected this summer. Work is ongoing on the first joint support ship (JSS)
• At Irving Shipbuilding, 4 arctic and offshore patrol ships are under construction with the first to be delivered to the RCN in 2020. Design work on the Canadian surface combatant is advancing
• In June 2020, we announced the award of an in-service support contract to Fleetway Inc. of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Valued at $72.6 million for the first 6 years, with options to extend for up to 22 years, this contract will provide a full range of technical data management and systems engineering support services for the RCN’s fleet of Halifax-class ships

Third yard

• Chantier Davie has pre-qualified to become the third strategic partner under the NSS
• Chantier Davie is now going through the next steps of the process which include a third-party assessment of the shipyard’s infrastructure, submission of a formal proposal, and a due diligence process to ensure the shipyard is financially capable of performing the work and making any necessary upgrades to its infrastructure
• Subject to successful negotiations, Canada intends to enter into an umbrella agreement with the third yard in early 2021
• The third yard will build 6 program icebreakers for the CCG
• The entire invitation to qualify process was overseen by an independent fairness monitor

Opportunities for other yards / Chantier Davie

• Across the country, opportunities exist for Canadian shipyards and businesses to win contracts for small vessel construction, repair, refit and maintenance
• Since 2012, Chantier Davie has been awarded $2.1 billion in NSS contracts. They are presently converting 2 icebreakers for the CCG, and are undergoing a process to become the third shipyard under the NSS
• On July 2, 2020, the Government of Canada issued an advance contract award notice (ACAN), signaling its intention to purchase the motor vessel Villa de Teror as an interim measure to replace the motor vessel Madeleine until the new vessel being built at Davie is ready for service. Recent inspections on the motor vessel (MV) Madeleine showed substantial investments and repairs would be required to keep the vessel in service. The interim solution is required to ensure continued reliable, predictable, and safe ferry service to the residents of Îles-de-la-Madeleine

If pressed on the polar icebreaker:

• the government is exploring procurement options for construction of the polar icebreaker, no decisions have been taken
• a request for information was issued on February 28, 2020 to obtain information on domestic shipyard capability and capacity to build a polar icebreaker which closed on March 13, 2020

If pressed on interim Icebreaker capacity for CCG:

The government awarded $817 million in contracts to Chantier Davie for the acquisition of 3 medium commercial icebreakers and conversion work. The first vessel began operations in December 2018, with the second vessel CCGS Jean Goodwill and third vessel CCGS Vincent Massey to be available by fall 2020 and spring 2021 respectively.

If pressed on JSS (Questions related to the budget for the project and technical requirements (including the design requirements) should be referred to the minister of National Defence):

• the Government of Canada is committed to the NSS and providing members of the RCN with the equipment they need to ensure their future operational effectiveness
• under the strategy, we are building whole new classes of ships, in new shipyards, with new workforces. The construction of a new class of ships, such as the JSS, is a complex endeavor. Cost and schedule estimates are prone to fluctuations
• through ongoing collaboration between the Government of Canada, the NSS shipyards and the Canadian marine industry, project budgets continue to be actively managed, monitored and improved. We also continue to build on lessons learned to ensure future project projections are realistic and achievable
• construction of the first JSS that began in June 2018 is ongoing
• the impact of COVID-19 on the JSS project has thus far been minimal. Early block construction of the first vessel has continued throughout the pandemic
• Award of the JSS build contract was announced on June 15, 2020. This contract will allow the construction, testing, commissioning and delivery of 2 JSS

Background

Contracts under the National Shipbuilding Strategy

From 2012 to the end of 2019, the government signed approximately $13.78 billion in new NSS contracts throughout the country. These contracts are estimated to contribute over $17.04 billion ($1.54 billion annually) to gross domestic product (GDP), and create or maintain more than 15,521 jobs annually, through the marine industry and its Canadian suppliers between 2012 and 2022.

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Date modified:

2023-05-10