Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards officially celebrated the completion of its two-year, $170-million Shipyard Modernization Project ahead of schedule and under-budget. Funded entirely by Seaspan, this project has transformed Vancouver Shipyards into the most modern facility in North America that will establish a shipbuilding and ship repair centre of excellence on the West Coast, and allow for the effective and efficient delivery of Non-Combat vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy.
“Today is a celebration for Seaspan, and words cannot express how proud I am of the incredible transformation of Vancouver Shipyards,” said Jonathan Whitworth, CEO, Seaspan. “We have built a state-of-the-art shipyard right here in North Vancouver, tailor-made to support Seaspan’s role as the Non-Combat capability provider to the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS).”
“Today’s ceremony exemplifies Seaspan’s commitment to prepare its shipyard and its people to build ships for the Government of Canada,” said Brian Carter, President, Seaspan Shipyards. “With our new facilities now complete and operational, including Canada’s largest permanent gantry crane, four new fabrication buildings and a new load-out pier, we have begun our work for the Canadian Coast Guard on the initial blocks of the first Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV).
During the Shipyard Modernization Project, 25 per cent of the construction work in the shipyard was performed by First Nations Joint Venture Companies. Once full production on the new vessels commences in the Spring of 2015, Seaspan will create stable work over the next decade for suppliers throughout B.C. and across Canada. Seaspan has also invested an additional $15 million to upgrade facilities at Victoria Shipyards, including a new operational centre, to support testing, trials and commissioning of the new federal vessels, work that will be complete by the end of December, 2014.