News

Seaspan awarded $3.3 billion contract to build Coast Guard ships

Source: Business in Vancouver
Author: Jen St. Denis
Published: October 7, 2013

North Vancouver-based Seaspan Shipyards has won a $3.3 billion contract to build vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard, the federal government announced today.

Seaspan will build up to 10 of the non-combat ships, Minister of Public Works Diane Finley announced at Seaspan Shipyards this morning.

The ships are in addition to fisheries science vessels, an oceanographic science vessel and Canada's first polar icebreaker, which Seaspan will also build.

In October 2011, Seaspan won the right to negotiate for $8 billion worth of federal shipbuilding work, part of a $33 billion, 20-year shipbuilding program the federal government has put into place. Halifax's Irving Shipyards was awarded a $25 billion contract.

One year ago this month, Seaspan began $200 million worth of infrastructure upgrades to its North Vancouver facility. Local construction, engineering and manufacturing companies have also benefited from the project.