The Davie Shipyard in Lévis has won a $500 million contract from Ottawa for maintenance on at least three Royal Canadian Navy Frigates.
The move is expected to create 400 jobs for the shipyard that in recent months has had to lay off hundreds of workers.
Davie will work with British Columbia’s Seaspan and Nova Scotia’s Irving Shipyard to maintain Canada’s fleet of 12 Halifax class frigates.
“It’s a renaissance for the shipyard,” said Vice-President of Public Affairs Frederick Boisvert. He noted it’s a step in the right direction for the company that was left out of the 2011 National Shipbuilding Strategy because of its poor financial state.
“It’s been kind of rough,” said Martelin Harvey who has worked on and off at the yard for 30 years. “I have had often to get a job elsewhere when I’m laid off here.”
The announcement is months before the election but had a campaign-style feel. The two Liberal MPs on hand, Jean-Yves Duclos and Joel Lightbound, are expected to be in a battle for their seats come October. The riding where the shipyard is located is currently held by Conservative MP Steven Blaney.
The frigates are already 27-years-old but are considered the backbone of the Canadian Navy. It’s expected maintanence contracts on the vessels will top $7 billion over the next two decades, before the ships are retired in the early 2040s.
