Seaspan Shipyards

Seaspan Shipyards on Tuesday cut steel to build a “prototype block” marking a critical step in the Vancouver, B.C. shipyard’s Polar Icebreaker Program.

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Seaspan Victoria Shipyards (Seaspan) officially delivered HMCS Regina back to the Royal Canadian Navy on May 19, 2023, marking the first full Docking Work Period to be completed under the shipyard’s Halifax-Class Work Period (HCWP) contract to maintain and modernize Canada’s West Coast-based Halifax-class frigates...

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Today, Seaspan Shipyards has announced it has surpassed $2 Billion in contracts to Canadian companies under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Seaspan’s cross-Canada NSS supply chain continues to grow, and now includes more than 700 Canadian businesses, with greater than half being small and medium-sized enterprises. The long-term contracts provided to these businesses by Seaspan under the NSS provide a source of stable revenue that encourages suppliers to reinvest in R&D, technology and process improvements, skills development, and new infrastructure. Attached is the full press release, which will provide more information along with a quote from Steve Christiansen, Vice-President, Supply Chain Management.

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Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan), Canada's long-term, strategic shipbuilding partner for large non-combat vessels under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) today reached an important milestone in the construction of the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV). 

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Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards (VSY) has been awarded a long-term contract with the Canadian Coast Guard to support the engineering work needed as part of maintaining the Coast Guard’s current fleet of vessels.

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Seaspan Shipyards is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of The Washington Companies has appointed John McCarthy as CEO of Seaspan Shipyards, effective immediately. He succeeds Mark Lamarre, who assumes a new role as President and CEO of The Washington Companies, following the planned retirement of the previous President and CEO. 

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Pandemic supply chain issues have pushed the delivery dates of both Navy ships back two years, but progress on the first joint support ship is unmistakable. from Vancouver Harbour.

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Seaspan Shipyards has recently provided an in-kind donation of equipment and materials to Camosun College, which will ensure hands-on learning opportunities for students as they prepare for in-demand careers in pipe trades and sheet metal. These surplus supplies, including commercial-grade pipes, fittings, sheet metal and machinery give students the opportunity to train using materials on the same scale and quality used in Seaspan’s shipyards. With increased demand for skilled tradespeople, these materials allow students to gain industry-specific skills to prepare them for careers in B.C.’s ship-repair and shipbuilding sector.

The attached press release will provide more information along with quotes from:

·       Darren Vaux, Chair of Pipe Trades, Camosun College

·       Mark Lamarre, CEO, Seaspan Shipyards 

Please let us know if you require any additional information. Thank you.

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The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is pleased to announce that Dr. Mathew Smith, PhD, PPhys, PEng has been appointed Director of the Centre for Welding Technologies and Metallurgy Research in the School of Construction and the Environment (SOCE). Mathew joined BCIT on May 24, 2022.

For the first time in the 18 years that the Canadian Defence Review’s annual survey has been published, Seaspan Shipyards has taken the #1 ranking.

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HoloShip facility will be an engine for technology innovation as Seaspan and Canadian marine sector evolve to digital ship environment throughout vessel lifecycle .

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Research to focus on emerging technologies and innovations in welding and metallurgy to enhance competitiveness of BC marine sector

November 2, 2021 – North Vancouver, BC – The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) have announced the establishment of a new research chair at BCIT. The Centre of Welding Technologies and Metallurgy Research Chair will be the first at BCIT to be exclusively based on funding and collaboration with an industry partner and will enhance BC-based industrial research capabilities in advanced welding and metallurgy – two of the most foundational and critical areas of marine manufacturing.

Seaspan has agreed to invest $1.65M over five years to fund the new research chair and a supporting centre of expertise managed by an industry professional, with instructors, analysts, and associated research equipment and materials.

In collaboration with Seaspan, the new BCIT Research Chair will focus on advancing the state of practice in welding engineering – a critical manufacturing process in the building, repairing, and maintaining of ships. Welding technologies and metallurgy are highly complex fields that are evolving rapidly to address the needs of new ship designs and materials as well as the increasingly complex structural and operational requirements of modern vessels, including those used for icebreaking in harsh ocean conditions such as those in the high Arctic.

The Chair will identify and conduct applied research into emerging areas that are expected to provide Seaspan and the broader marine sector in BC with manufacturing advantages and competitive differentiation. The new technologies and techniques developed through the work of the Chair are also expected to lay the foundation for innovations in BCIT’s training and certification programs, addressing the growing need to continuously develop and train highly skilled BC-based talent.

The new Seaspan-BCIT collaboration will also provide immediate benefits for the ships Seaspan designs and builds under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. For example, the new Polar Icebreaker and fleet of Multi-Purpose Vessels will provide the Coast Guard with advanced icebreaking capabilities for Arctic and near-Arctic missions. The thicker steel needed to meet those requirements demands advanced and specialized welding technologies, and the program is expected to help develop advanced technologies, techniques, and training to meet these requirements.

The recruiting process for the research position is underway. BCIT and Seaspan are seeking an individual who possesses an advanced degree and experience in a metallurgy or material science engineering field with a specialty in welding to oversee the program.

This investment with BCIT is part of Seaspan’s Value Proposition commitment under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Seaspan has a history of collaborating with BCIT and other academic institutions on a variety of initiatives, including training for Indigenous students, apprentice training, and specialized training for marine welders.

QUOTES

“Seaspan’s new research chair at the British Columbia Institute of Technology is a critical step for our marine manufacturing. This new centre of expertise will create an environment where innovation can thrive while creating good opportunities for Canadians from coast to coast.”

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

“This collaboration between Seaspan and BCIT to create a new hub for marine welding research will further strengthen B.C.’s industrial marine sector, which is a vital component of building our province’s long-term economic vision. This exciting investment aligns with our upcoming made-in-B.C. shipbuilding strategy, which is designed to build sector capacity, capability and competitiveness, and ensure continued job growth for years to come.”

– The Honourable Ravi Kahlon, BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

“Congratulations to both BCIT and Seaspan Shipyards. Their partnership will both strengthen the ship building industry here in B.C and further our province’s competitive advantage. And, closer to my heart, it ensures BCIT’s students of marine welding are learning the very latest technologies and skills.”

– The Honourable Anne Kang, BC Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training

 “It is very encouraging to see Seaspan Shipyards working in partnership with BCIT in the creation of the Centre of Welding Technologies and Metallurgy Research Chair at BCIT. The Centre will benefit not only Seaspan, but also the broader industrial marine sector in British Columbia as it will investigate and integrate the world’s leading welding capabilities and bring new processes and techniques, including robotics and automation, into the provincial industry. This is an outstanding collaboration that really sets a template for industry and post-secondary collaboration that is needed by our industry to grow and succeed in the future.”

– Alex Rueben, Executive Director, Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI)

“We are proud to expand on our long-time partnership with Seaspan, leading continued innovation and excellence in this rapidly changing industry. The Centre of Welding Technologies and Metallurgy Research Chair will build bridges to modern manufacturing techniques such as robotics and automation, digital transformation, and smart systems (Industry 4.0), and artificial intelligence (Industry 5.0) – and is an ideal example of how industry and higher education need to better integrate to power provincial recovery and resilience and achieve long-lasting global competitiveness. BCIT is again delivering on its mandate of strategic workforce development by providing students with the technical skills, real-world experience, and problem-solving abilities needed to excel in an ever-changing world.”

– Tom Roemer, Vice President Academic, British Columbia Institute of Technology

“Continued investment is vital to the future of BC’s marine sector. This collaboration with BCIT is another example of Seaspan’s commitment to advancing best practices, building expertise and infrastructure, and helping ensure Canada’s future as a shipbuilding nation. With industry, research, and education working together, we are innovating and developing capability – including highly skilled people – that will ensure our shipyards and BC’s marine industry remain competitive far into the future.”

– Mark Lamarre, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards

QUICK FACTS

• The objectives of the National Shipbuilding Strategy are to develop a sustainable, competitive marine industry and to renew federal fleets with ships built in Canada by Canadians.
• In 2011, Seaspan was selected to build the non-combat vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Seaspan has already delivered the first complete class of ships under the NSS – three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels for the Coast Guard. Seaspan’s NSS program of work also includes two Joint Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy, as well as an Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, one Polar Icebreaker and up to 16 Multi-Purpose Vessels for the Coast Guard.
• Before today’s announcement, Seaspan had invested more than $24 million to support education, learning, research, and skills development in the marine industry. Seaspan has also focused on reducing barriers for underrepresented groups, bringing a broad range of new talent into the industry and the trades, including more women and Indigenous people, and creating opportunities for youth through internships and apprenticeships.
• Seaspan has become a major economic and job creation engine while contributing more than $2.6 billion to Canada’s GDP and directing more than $1.8 billion in NSS-related contracts to more than 660 suppliers from coast to coast. (Source: Deloitte Socioeconomic Impact Study, October 2021).
• With five campuses and nearly 50,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT is one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes.
• BCIT offers over 300 programs – from certificates and diplomas, to bachelor’s and master’s degrees – in areas such as Applied and Natural Sciences, Business and Media, Computing, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Trades and Apprenticeships.
• BCIT degree graduates have a 96% employment rate.

ASSOCIATED LINKS

British Columbia Institute of Technology
National Shipbuilding Strategy
Seaspan NSS
Seaspan Shipyards

SOCIAL MEDIA

BCIT
Twitter: @bcit
LinkedIn: British Columbia Institute of Technology
Instagram: @lifeatbcit
Facebook: BCIT: British Columbia Institute of Technology

SEASPAN SHIPYARDS
Twitter: @MoreThanShips
LinkedIn: Seaspan ULC
Instagram: @SeaspanULC
Facebook: @Seaspan Shipyards

ABOUT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

For more than 55 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been delivering flexible, relevant, and future-proof education that prepares learners to provide applied solutions to industry challenges – across BC and around the world. With five campuses and nearly 50,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT is one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes. Through its unique applied education model, BCIT is empowering people, shaping BC, and inspiring global progress.

ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS

Seaspan Shipyards, a division of Seaspan ULC, is a leader in Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,700 in North Vancouver and Victoria, the company has proven itself to be a trusted and strategic partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector. Seaspan Shipyards is proud to deliver Canada’s non-combat program of work under the NSS. The company is building state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Through its NSS-related work, Seaspan Shipyards is creating thousands of jobs, generating significant economic benefits, and rebuilding Canada’s shipbuilding and marine industries.

MEDIA CONTACT

For BCIT:
Amy Chen
achen202@bcit.ca
778-384-7245

For Seaspan Shipyards:
Keelan Green
green@prospectus.ca
613-220-2016

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MILESTONE MARKS REBIRTH OF A SUSTAINABLE, THRIVING SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE TO CANADA THAT IS DELIVERING SHIPS, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND JOBS

October 19, 2021 – North Vancouver, BC – Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) is proudly celebrating ten years of building ships for Canada under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

On this day in 2011, Seaspan was selected as Canada’s long-term strategic shipbuilding partner to construct large, non-combat vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy.

As a result of the NSS and the certainty it provides, for ten years now, Seaspan has invested in its infrastructure and its people, helping rebuild a sustainable, competitive marine industry; built its cross-Canada supply chain; and renewed the federal fleet with ships built in Canada by Canadians.

Seaspan invested more than $185 million to transform its shipyard into one of the most modern in North America, with a purpose-built infrastructure to deliver much-needed ships for Canada’s federal fleets. Seaspan’s NSS program of work includes three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSVs), one Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV), 16 Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs), and one Polar Icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard as well as two Joint Support Ships (JSSs) for the Royal Canadian Navy. These vessels will play a vital role in ensuring Canadian sovereignty; conducting climate and ocean research; and protecting the world’s longest coastline, including our fragile Arctic waterways.

Seaspan’s team has now delivered to the Coast Guard all three world-class OFSVs—completing the first full class of large vessels delivered under the NSS. Several other vessels are under construction and in design.

Seaspan also released today a new socioeconomic impact study, conducted by Deloitte, which highlights the significant economic and job creation engine that the NSS and Seaspan have become. Over the period from 2012 to 2021, Seaspan contributed $2.6 billion to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through its NSS-related activities alone (and an additional $1.4 billion through its repair, refit and maintenance activities). Seaspan has awarded more than $1.8 billion in NSS-related contracts to more than 660 Canadian suppliers from coast to coast, many of which are small and medium-sized businesses. They, in turn, have been able to grow; develop advanced technologies; reinvest in R&D, infrastructure, and skills development; and leverage new opportunities at home and abroad.

Over the past decade, Seaspan has also grown its workforce into a team of approximately 2,700 engineers, naval architects, procurement specialists, and highly skilled tradespeople – from welders, pipefitters, shipfitters, electricians and mechanics to millwrights, machinists, riggers, joiners, and painters. In the process, Seaspan has become a major employer in British Columbia and a workplace of choice not only for its employees and new graduates but also for hundreds of apprentices and interns. Seaspan is also a significant contributor to training and skills development initiatives across the region that will help ensure a pipeline of top marine talent for generations to come.

Watch Seaspan Shipyards’ 10-year anniversary video.

QUOTES

“I want to congratulate Seaspan Shipyards as well as all those involved in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) on ten years of successful work. The efforts of companies like Seaspan and its more than 660 partners contribute greatly to the success of the NSS. From renewing our fleets for the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy with made-in-Canada vessels, to rejuvenating Canada’s shipbuilding industry and creating good jobs, the NSS is a cornerstone of our long-term plan for a stronger and more prosperous Canada.”

– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver

“Shipbuilding is in British Columbia’s DNA, and we are proud to see a new generation of workers building on its rich history in our coastal communities. Seaspan is celebrating its 10th year in the National Shipbuilding Strategy by bringing Canada’s next polar icebreaker to B.C. shipyards. Seaspan continues to rejuvenate the shipbuilding industry and play an integral role in a stronger, more resilient province, for everyone.”

– The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia

“The shipbuilding industry in Canada has benefitted significantly from the National Shipbuilding Strategy. It has eliminated boom and bust cycles in shipbuilding, provided benefits to the entire marine industry and created good-paying jobs both directly and indirectly. The NSS has helped position our domestic marine sector to become an engine of industrial development and economic growth.”

– Craig Alexander, Chief Economist, Deloitte Canada

“Our first decade of NSS partnership has been a remarkable story of vision and transformation, of strength and resilience. We now have a sustainable, competitive industry on the West Coast that is enabling us to build world-class ships and a new generation of shipbuilders and marine experts here at home in Canada. The hard work and collaboration of the talented teams at Seaspan, across our marine supply chain, and in the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy are setting the stage for success for many decades to come.”

– Mark Lamarre, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards

A DECADE OF MILESTONES

2011 — Government of Canada selects Seaspan to build Canada’s non-combat fleet

2012 — Signing of Umbrella Agreement to deliver Canada’s non-combat fleet
2014 — Completion of privately funded shipyard modernization
2015 — Steel cutting on first Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV)
2016 — Steel cutting on second OFSV
2017 — Steel cutting on third OFSV
2018 — Steel cutting and start of construction of first Joint Support Ship (JSS), the longest naval vessel ever to be built in Canada
2019 — Delivery of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Sir John Franklin, the first OFSV and first vessel delivered to Canada under the NSS, now stationed in Patricia Bay, British Columbia; and the CCGS Capt Jacques Cartier, the second OFSV, now stationed in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
2019 — Government of Canada announces Seaspan will build fleet of multi-purpose vessels (MPVs) for Canadian Coast Guard
2020 — Keel laying of the first Joint Support Ship
2020 —Delivery of the CCGS John Cabot, the third and final OFSV now stationed in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, completing delivery of the first full class of vessels under the NSS
2021 — Steel cutting and start of construction of Canada’s most modern climate and ocean research ship, the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel
2021 – Government of Canada announces Seaspan will build a Polar Icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard

QUICK FACTS

• The NSS objectives are to develop a sustainable, competitive marine industry and to renew federal fleets with ships built in Canada by Canadians.
• Seaspan has invested more than $24 million to support education, learning, research, and skills development in the marine industry, with a special focus on reducing barriers for underrepresented groups, bringing a broad range of new talent into the industry and the trades, including more women and Indigenous people, and creating opportunities for youth through internships and apprenticeships.

ASSOCIATED LINKS

National Shipbuilding Strategy
Seaspan Shipyards
Seaspan NSS

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @MoreThanShips
LinkedIn: Seaspan ULC
Instagram: @SeaspanULC
Facebook: Seaspan Shipyards

ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS

Seaspan Shipyards, a division of Seaspan ULC, is a leader in Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,700 in North Vancouver and Victoria, the company has proven itself to be a trusted and strategic partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector.

Seaspan Shipyards is proud to deliver Canada’s non-combat program of work under the NSS. The company is building state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Through its NSS-related work, Seaspan Shipyards is creating thousands of jobs, generating significant economic benefits, and rebuilding Canada’s shipbuilding and marine industries.

MEDIA CONTACT

Seaspan Shipyards
Keelan Green
green@prospectus.ca
613-220-2016

Press release: https://nss.seaspan.com/featured-news/seaspan-shipyards-celebrates-10th-anniversary-of-building-ships-in-canada-for-canada-under-the-national-shipbuilding-strategy/

Video: https://youtu.be/aHUpQSUeS5Q

Deloitte Study: http://nss.seaspan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Seaspan-Shipyards-Economic-Contribution-Study-Executive-Summary.pdf

Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced that the Government of Canada has awarded a contract of $453.8 million (taxes included) to Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards to enable the company to transition the offshore oceanographic science vessel (OOSV) project from the design phase to full construction.

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Seaspan Shipyards is issuing this call to participate with an Expression of Interest (EOI) in our HoloShip Initiative.  The HoloShip Initiative is intended to build independent and integrated solutions that accelerate the market potential from digital twins, digital threads, integrated analytics and real-time sensing for improved competitiveness in the marine industry.

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