Chantier Davie must be part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy

Ottawa, July 18, 2019 – Senators Rosa Galvez, Éric Forest and André Pratte, Quebec members of the Independent Senators Group, applaud Ottawa’s decision to award a contract worth half a billion dollars to Chantier Davie for maintenance work on three Halifax-class frigates. This contract will support 400 jobs at the Lévis shipyard. “This is excellent news for Davie and for Quebec’s shipbuilding industry. We know that the federal government has the operational needs and the means to ensure the survival of this shipyard, which is renowned for its expertise,” stated Senator Forest.

The three senators are urging the federal government to do more for Chantier Davie and to announce as soon as possible that Davie will be the third shipyard in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. When the strategy was established by the previous government, Ottawa had retained Irving Shipyards in Halifax and Seaspan Shipyards in Victoria as partners for the construction of large vessels but had excluded Davie.

“Recognizing Chantier Davie as an official partner of the government in the National Shipbuilding Strategy would ensure the prosperity of the shipyard for many years. Lévis shipyard was treated unfairly compared to Irving and Seaspan shipyards, and the government can now remedy the situation. Davie represents 50% of Canada’s shipbuilding capacity and being part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy would ensure the rightful survival of a sustainable industry,” stated Senator Galvez.

At a scrum and in an interview with some Quebec media, the Minister of Families, Jean-Yves Duclos, called the exclusion of Chantier Davie from the National Shipbuilding Strategy a “mistake”. He said that “when you admit that a mistake was made, it is easier to fix it.”

“These are very encouraging words, but it is important for the government to recognize Chantier Davie as an official partner of the Strategy as soon as possible. Chantier Davie and Quebec’s shipbuilding industry need this assurance and have waited long enough,” concluded Senator Pratte.

Contact:

André Pratte
613-995-0300
andre.pratte@sen.parl.gc.ca

Éric Forest
613-996-2171
eric.forest@sen.parl.gc.ca

Rosa Galvez
613-996-2208
rosa.galvez@sen.parl.gc.ca

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Stéphane Laviolette
Office of Senator Rosa Galvez
613-996-2210 Stephane.Laviolette@sen.parl.gc.ca

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