Shipbuilding in Canada
S.O.S.
The bulk of this hub is from an article I had published in Downhomelife Magazine in August, 2006. The topic is the terrible state that shipbuilding in Canada has fallen into. I'm sad to relay that the situation is considerably worse now in 2010 [2014...still no change] and there's really no signs of it getting better. I fear that Canada is bound to suffer the fate of relying on outside interests to maintain our coastal waters. This to me is like letting the fox watch the henhouse.
I am a Canadian, a Newfoundlander and a shipbuilder. I have worked for more than a quarter century in the North American marine design industry in shipyards, field operations and design offices with offshore, military and other commercial ventures. I’ve been part of many teams working to improve designs until our “lady” is christened and launched. I know the business and I'm deeply saddened by the complete lack of vision I see from those in positions of influence.
In this industry we always refer to a ship as a lady, but these past few years I have come to fear that she is in trouble. It is amazing to consider how Canada, which at the end of WWII had the largest merchant marine on the planet (that's right! the largest in the world!), has let its shipbuilding industry fall so far behind. Evidence of this is obvious, from the boatyards of our coastal communities to Quebec’s shipyards and Ontario’s industrial heartland. They lie dormant, bankrupt, dismantled or worse. The once great shipbuilding company owned by the Irving family of New Brunswick actually made a deal with the Federal Government of Canada a while back to promise 'not to build ships at their facility in Saint John'. Insane to even imagine that the people of this country are that short sighted!
Under the guise of cost savings, our government buys garbage vessels from third-world countries and then spends millions of dollars to have them brought up to our minimum standards. I for one question the expertise of those we send overseas to judge a vessel's suitability for our needs. I suspect there's more 'vacation' involved than there is 'vocation'. The argument in support of this practice is that it’s cheaper to do this than to build the ships ourselves. On the surface perhaps this may appear to be the case, but I would ask us to look a little deeper.
Hogwash! In the long term if we design and construct our own vessels we keep our naval architects and designers at home. Our shipyards, tradespeople and service industries are kept busy, and monies spent on maintenance costs stay in the country, which not only lowers initial price, but also brings additional benefits to the service sector.
We have everything we need: minerals to provide the materials; energy to power the undertaking; skills to engineer solutions to every situation that arises; infrastructure; and a national workforce. We've got a skilled population that wants only to be able to provide for their families in comfort.
On the world stage we are part of the elite G8 club.
http://g8/home/
We meet annually with other members and develop policies affecting everything on Earth. We are amongst the most advanced technological societies in the world. We have brilliant academics, ooze natural resources, lead in the world of medicine and we have talent to spare. In fact a large portion of Canadian talent ends up leaving for more rewarding opportunities elsewhere.
We also occupy one of the most diverse and richest geographical regions in the world with coastlines on no less than three oceans. However, one of those oceans we can barely venture into. Our claim to sovereignty over our waters, in particular the Arctic, will remain the joke it is today if we cannot even provide ourselves with ships to ply them. Our neighbours in the Arctic see us as fools whether we want to believe it or not! You can be sure that the United States of America and Russia are not encouraging our parliament to fund shipbuilding! Why would they? We're going to kill our arctic participation all by ourselves! It is clearly time we take control of our shipbuilding and lose our reliance on countries whose interests are not Canadian. Now, I know that some readers may feel that this is anti-america or anti Russia or anti whomever. No. That's not my intent. My intent is to say we have a country with its own resources. It is only patriotic to want to secure what we are claiming to be rightfully ours, which is exactly what every other country would do. I'm not anti-anyone until I'm given reason to be.
And what better place to build ships than either B.C. or Newfoundland and Labrador? We are the western and eastern edges of this continent. The southern tip of NL juts into year-round ice-free waters, while the northern tip of Labrador tickles the underbelly of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. We have always been associated with the water. Since Europeans “discovered” this place, seafaring nations have walked our shores, fought on our waves and reaped our bounty. Neighbours to the west, the Maritime provinces, the New England states and those up the St. Lawrence have been part of our history – a history that is a direct result of shipbuilding.
We do our ancestors, ourselves and all our descendants a disservice if we let it falter. Opportunity is within our grasp to revive shipbuilding in this province and in Canada. Every avenue should be considered. The offshore search for fish and oil, the mining interest on land, as well as the world’s appetite for adventure are all reasons for a resurgence in the design and construction of ships.
Our tough environment offers us opportunities to develop vessels capable of venturing anywhere and undertaking any activity. We should embrace the opportunity. Reviving our shipbuilding industry will breathe new life into our society and culture. Our grandchildren should be able to look upon us as the ones who mapped the future, not the clowns who allowed the resources of this country to be taken away without even an argument! Our politicians are like a flock of insulted birds for God's sake; flapping their feathers and squawking while doing absolutely nothing to actually help this industry.
I am urging everyone to do what they can to help shipbuilding in the province and in this country. We have all that we need. What remains is simply to do it. If you think Canada should invest more in its shipbuilding and want to help make that happen, write a letter of support (or send a copy of this article) to your MP
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
your local MHA or provincial member in politics. Make them work for the right to represent you! They may be selling us down the river...or worse, giving us away through complacency
S.O.S.
The bulk of this hub is from an article I had published in Downhomelife Magazine in August, 2006. The topic is the terrible state that shipbuilding in Canada has fallen into. I'm sad to relay that the situation is considerably worse now in 2010 [2014...still no change] and there's really no signs of it getting better. I fear that Canada is bound to suffer the fate of relying on outside interests to maintain our coastal waters. This to me is like letting the fox watch the henhouse.
I am a Canadian, a Newfoundlander and a shipbuilder. I have worked for more than a quarter century in the North American marine design industry in shipyards, field operations and design offices with offshore, military and other commercial ventures. I’ve been part of many teams working to improve designs until our “lady” is christened and launched. I know the business and I'm deeply saddened by the complete lack of vision I see from those in positions of influence.
In this industry we always refer to a ship as a lady, but these past few years I have come to fear that she is in trouble. It is amazing to consider how Canada, which at the end of WWII had the largest merchant marine on the planet (that's right! the largest in the world!), has let its shipbuilding industry fall so far behind. Evidence of this is obvious, from the boatyards of our coastal communities to Quebec’s shipyards and Ontario’s industrial heartland. They lie dormant, bankrupt, dismantled or worse. The once great shipbuilding company owned by the Irving family of New Brunswick actually made a deal with the Federal Government of Canada a while back to promise 'not to build ships at their facility in Saint John'. Insane to even imagine that the people of this country are that short sighted!
Under the guise of cost savings, our government buys garbage vessels from third-world countries and then spends millions of dollars to have them brought up to our minimum standards. I for one question the expertise of those we send overseas to judge a vessel's suitability for our needs. I suspect there's more 'vacation' involved than there is 'vocation'. The argument in support of this practice is that it’s cheaper to do this than to build the ships ourselves. On the surface perhaps this may appear to be the case, but I would ask us to look a little deeper.
Hogwash! In the long term if we design and construct our own vessels we keep our naval architects and designers at home. Our shipyards, tradespeople and service industries are kept busy, and monies spent on maintenance costs stay in the country, which not only lowers initial price, but also brings additional benefits to the service sector.
We have everything we need: minerals to provide the materials; energy to power the undertaking; skills to engineer solutions to every situation that arises; infrastructure; and a national workforce. We've got a skilled population that wants only to be able to provide for their families in comfort.
On the world stage we are part of the elite G8 club.
http://g8/home/
We meet annually with other members and develop policies affecting everything on Earth. We are amongst the most advanced technological societies in the world. We have brilliant academics, ooze natural resources, lead in the world of medicine and we have talent to spare. In fact a large portion of Canadian talent ends up leaving for more rewarding opportunities elsewhere.
We also occupy one of the most diverse and richest geographical regions in the world with coastlines on no less than three oceans. However, one of those oceans we can barely venture into. Our claim to sovereignty over our waters, in particular the Arctic, will remain the joke it is today if we cannot even provide ourselves with ships to ply them. Our neighbours in the Arctic see us as fools whether we want to believe it or not! You can be sure that the United States of America and Russia are not encouraging our parliament to fund shipbuilding! Why would they? We're going to kill our arctic participation all by ourselves! It is clearly time we take control of our shipbuilding and lose our reliance on countries whose interests are not Canadian. Now, I know that some readers may feel that this is anti-america or anti Russia or anti whomever. No. That's not my intent. My intent is to say we have a country with its own resources. It is only patriotic to want to secure what we are claiming to be rightfully ours, which is exactly what every other country would do. I'm not anti-anyone until I'm given reason to be.
And what better place to build ships than either B.C. or Newfoundland and Labrador? We are the western and eastern edges of this continent. The southern tip of NL juts into year-round ice-free waters, while the northern tip of Labrador tickles the underbelly of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. We have always been associated with the water. Since Europeans “discovered” this place, seafaring nations have walked our shores, fought on our waves and reaped our bounty. Neighbours to the west, the Maritime provinces, the New England states and those up the St. Lawrence have been part of our history – a history that is a direct result of shipbuilding.
We do our ancestors, ourselves and all our descendants a disservice if we let it falter. Opportunity is within our grasp to revive shipbuilding in this province and in Canada. Every avenue should be considered. The offshore search for fish and oil, the mining interest on land, as well as the world’s appetite for adventure are all reasons for a resurgence in the design and construction of ships.
Our tough environment offers us opportunities to develop vessels capable of venturing anywhere and undertaking any activity. We should embrace the opportunity. Reviving our shipbuilding industry will breathe new life into our society and culture. Our grandchildren should be able to look upon us as the ones who mapped the future, not the clowns who allowed the resources of this country to be taken away without even an argument! Our politicians are like a flock of insulted birds for God's sake; flapping their feathers and squawking while doing absolutely nothing to actually help this industry.
I am urging everyone to do what they can to help shipbuilding in the province and in this country. We have all that we need. What remains is simply to do it. If you think Canada should invest more in its shipbuilding and want to help make that happen, write a letter of support (or send a copy of this article) to your MP
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
your local MHA or provincial member in politics. Make them work for the right to represent you! They may be selling us down the river...or worse, giving us away through complacency