Minister Duclos announces new investments in the National Shipbuilding Strategy at the Naval Quebec Annual Conference Français

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Public Services and Procurement Canada

Sep 16, 2024, 13:00 ET

QUEBEC, Sept. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the Government of Canada is driving economic growth, creating good jobs and protecting our national security by ensuring that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) have the ships they need to carry out their important work.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, attended Naval Quebec's Annual Conference, an annual meeting of the Québec Shipbuilding Supply Chain.

Minister Duclos announced that Canada has awarded a second NSS contract, valued at $16.47 million (including taxes), to Chantier Davie of Lévis, Québec, to advance work on a Polar-class icebreaker for the CCG.

As part of its fleet renewal plan, the CCG is acquiring two polar icebreakers, one to be built by Chantier Davie, with the other icebreaker being built by Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. These ships will enable the CCG to operate in the Canadian Arctic throughout the year to complete missions in support of Indigenous peoples, northern communities, arctic sovereignty, high arctic science research, and to help respond to emergency situations.

Minister Duclos also provided an update on the procurement of up to 12 submarines for the RCN. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND), posted a Request for Information (RFI) to gain further information on the procurement, construction, delivery timelines, and operational capabilities of potential suppliers of submarines to Canada.

In addition to the RFI, as part of this procurement process, Canada continues to meet with officials from allied countries, companies and navies in Europe and Asia that currently have or are in the process of building submarines that may meet Canada's requirements.

As part of his speech, Minister Duclos provided an update on the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact, an enhanced trilateral partnership with Finland and the United States on polar icebreakers and other Arctic and polar capabilities to support the collective economic, climate and national security in the Arctic. Canada, Finland and the United States continue to meet regularly to progress the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a goal of signing before the end of 2024. This partnership will ensure Canadian expertise and capacity can benefit our allies as we all make efforts to protect international rules, norms, and standards to sustain peace and stability in the Arctic and Antarctic regions for generations to come.

Canada remains committed to working with international partners and Canadian shipyards to revitalize our marine industry, create good middle-class jobs, maximize economic benefits, and strengthen collective security across the Arctic.

Quotes

"Our domestic shipbuilding industry is thriving and the partnership between Naval Québec and the Canadian government is essential to our security and operational capacity. By working together, we are creating and maintaining good middle-class jobs while helping the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard protect and support our communities, and helping export the product of our workers' talents and efforts."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos 
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Member of Parliament for Quebec 

"Today's announcements underscore our government's steadfast commitment to ensure the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard can continue to protect Canada's sovereignty and interests, while also fostering innovation and creating new opportunities for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. These strategic actions are not only bolstering our maritime capabilities but will also generate high-value jobs across our marine sector and supply chain.''

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada

"By continuing to build our fleet of the future, we're upholding the Canadian Coast Guard's commitment to Canadians to safeguard our waterways, which remain vital for trade, fishing, and import and export activities. I'm encouraged to see that planning is moving forward on the second Polar Icebreaker."

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"As an Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific nation with the world's longest coastline, Canada needs a new fleet of submarines. The procurement of up to 12 conventionally-powered, under-ice capable submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy will enhance Canada's ability to detect and deter maritime threats, control our maritime approaches, and project power and striking capabilities further from our shores. We look forward to working with industry partners to implement this crucial project, in support of the priorities outlined in Our North, Strong and Free."

The Honourable Bill Blair
Minister of National Defence

Quick facts

  • The Government of Canada's NSS is a long-term, multi-billion-dollar program focused on renewing the CCG and RCN fleets to ensure Canada's marine agencies have the modern ships they need to fulfill their missions, while revitalizing Canada's marine industry, creating good middle-class jobs, and maximizing economic benefits across the country.
  • The CCG currently has over a dozen icebreakers of varying sizes and capabilities, making it the second-largest icebreaking fleet in the world.
  • In May 2021, Canada announced the construction of two new Polar icebreakers under the NSS. Both icebreakers will have capacity and ability beyond that of Canada's current largest icebreaker, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.
  • In April 2023, as a result of a sophisticated, multi-step qualification process, the Government of Canada welcomed Chantier Davie as the third strategic partner under the NSS.
  • In March 2024, Canada awarded an ancillary contract for initial work related to the CCG's new Program Icebreakers.
  • Chantier Davie already plays a critical role in supporting Canada's fleets, having received over $2.887 billion in contracts from 2012 to 2023 for various types of work on ships for the CCG, the RCN and Transport Canada.
  • The first three Victoria-class submarines were accepted into RCN service between 2000 and 2003. The fourth submarine suffered a fire in transit to Canada in 2004, which delayed its acceptance into RCN service until 2015.
  • The current submarine fleet will remain operational into the mid-to late 2030s via the Victoria-class Modernization (VCM) project.
  • The RCN requires its first new submarine to be delivered by the mid-2030s to ensure transition between classes without capability gaps.
  • The RFI will engage on in-service support and infrastructure for the new fleet, including how partnerships with Canadian industry could be leveraged to include Canadian technology and industrial capabilities in submarine sustainment and create economic benefits for Canada.
  • On July 11, 2024, Canada announced the ICE Pact alongside the United States and Finland.
  • This strategic partnership will deepen existing co-operation among these three key Arctic countries by strengthening the marine industries in each country and allowing new equipment and capabilities to be produced more quickly. Canada, Finland, and the United States will enhance technical collaboration and information exchange, but also work more closely together to engage our Allies and partners to help meet future global demand for polar vessels.
  • This partnership builds on Canada's commitment to asserting its sovereignty in its Arctic and Northern regions, and building on the strategic priorities outlined in Canada's defense policy update, Our North, Strong and Free.

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

Contacts: Guillaume Bertrand, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, 418-564-9571, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]

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