Government

Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, and Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, have announced an investment of $244,620 in Océan Remorquage Québec Inc, a subsidiary of Ocean Group.

The funds will be used to set up a pilot project aimed at acquiring data on the energy management of tugs. The aim is to develop a management method based on artificial intelligence and the use of an alternative fuel.

The project will generate oil savings through improved management of fuel consumption. All in all, it aims to reduce GHG emissions by 1,321 tonnes/year, the equivalent of taking nearly 300 cars off the road each year.

View Full Article Here

Davie Shipbuilding (Davie)  is proud to announce that it is now an official partner in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Historic agreement with the federal government includes an initial minimum of $8.5 billion in shipbuilding programs. Québec government is to support Davie to become one of North America’s most technologically advanced and flexible shipbuilders

View Press Release

The federal government is asking defence contractors in allied nations about the sorts of submarines and maintenance capabilities they could offer Canada.

A request for information (RFI) — the first step in the formal process to replace the navy's four-decade-old Victoria-class submarines — was issued Sunday on the federal tendering website.

At the recent NATO summit in Washington, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced it would proceed with the project but did not offer any concrete timelines.

The idea of acquiring new submarines was mentioned in last spring's defence policy update only as a possibility. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Bill Blair insisted in the aftermath of the policy's release that the project was more a question of when and how much, rather than if.

View Full Article Here

OTTAWA — The Liberals’ new defence policy is promising to at least consider expanding and renewing Canada’s submarine fleet, and the prime minister is not ruling out that nuclear submarines could be part of that upgrade.

The long-awaited defence policy review was released at Canadian Forces Base Trenton on Monday. It includes billions in new proposed spending that the government said would bring the country’s military budget closer to NATO target of two per cent of GDP, but it will still fall short.

The policy review was launched just after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was proposed as a response to the changing global situation. The document said Canada would consider investing in new submarines.

“We commit to vastly improving the Canadian Armed Forces’ ability to surveil and control our underwater and maritime approaches,” the document reads. “We will explore options for renewing and expanding our submarine fleet to enable the Royal Canadian Navy to project a persistent deterrent on all three coasts, with under-ice capable, conventionally powered submarines.”

Canada has four diesel submarines purchased second hand from Britain in the late 1990s. The submarines have a dismal performance record and have spent much of their time in dry dock undergoing lengthy repairs. During a recent four-year span, all four submarines spent a combined total of just 214 days in the water, with two of the subs spending no time at sea at all.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government will start a process to determine what would be the best fit as a replacement. While the defence review suggested the subs would be “conventionally powered,” Trudeau didn’t rule out considering a nuclear-powered fleet.

View Full Article Here

The Ontario government today released The Future of the Great Lakes Economy: Ontario’s Marine Transportation Strategy, outlining actions the province will take to strengthen Ontario’s position as a leader in marine transportation. Part of the government’s plan to build Ontario, the strategy will create more jobs, trade and economic opportunities for the future.

View Full Article Online

LÉVIS, QC – Kateri Champagne Jourdain, Minister of Employment and Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord Region, and Martine Biron, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women and Member of Parliament for Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, announced an investment of $3,514,870 for training in the marine sector.

This financial support will enable the Comité sectoriel de main-d’oeuvre de l’industrie maritime to conduct, in collaboration with the Institut maritime du Québec, Collège de Rimouski, a vast skills enhancement project. To that end, nearly 2,800 hours of training for workers in the Quebec marine industry will be updated to better meet the needs of the industry. The announcement was made on February 16 at the Centre de formation aux mesures d’urgence (CFMU), one of the training sites of the Institut maritime du Québec...

View Online