Feature stories: Heddle—Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy in 2021
In September 2021, a vessel life extension contract for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreaker, Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen, was awarded to Heddle Shipyards. The work will be completed at their Port Weller Dry Docks, in St. Catharines, Ontario.
The project will help support over 100 jobs, in addition to supporting businesses in the surrounding Niagara, Ontario region.
We spoke to Ted Kirkpatrick, Director of Business Development and Government Relations at Heddle Shipyards, about the work being done on CCGS Amundsen.
For the life extension of the vessel, some of the work includes a full new paint job, work on the retractable thrusters, replacement of the propeller shafts, and a substantive refit of the vessel’s galley, the kitchen facility onboard the ship. Work continues to progress well at the shipyard, and the project is currently on schedule.
What makes this project different from other refits is the amount of work being done over a longer period of time. Typically, some of the work would be done in intervals when a ship comes into a yard every few years. For CCGS Amundsen, a significant amount of work is being done all at once over the course of 8 months, with work expected to wrap up in summer 2022.
As the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) aims to revitalize the shipbuilding industry in Canada, 1 of the goals is to work to eliminate the cyclical nature of the industry. Vessel life extension (VLE) projects help reduce this because of the consistent employment they bring to shipyards, while also allowing companies like Heddle to invest in their people and in their facilities.
Challenges with this reality are still present across Canada, but contracts like the VLE for CCGS Amundsen are an important element in eliminating the boom-and-bust cycle of the ship repair and construction industry in Canada.
“Projects like this are one of the keys to being able to sustain our operations and our workforce,” said Ted. “Being able to get these contracts is what keeps the yard not just going, but able to grow, and able to grow our workforce and become a more efficient service provider for the [Canadian] Coast Guard and our commercial clients.”
The economic benefits of a project like the work being done on CCGS Amundsen also extends into the local community. Workers in the region have steady employment throughout the work period. In addition, Heddle subcontracts some of the work being done for the vessel.
“There’s lots of surrounding businesses that will benefit from this contract,” Ted said. “Vessel life extension projects are a critical part of sustaining and growing the maritime supply chain in Ontario.”
Heddle has been able to bring workers in from other areas in the province to work at the shipyard, which is beneficial for the city of St. Catharines.
Work will continue on CCGS Amundsen in 2022. Both main propeller shafts have been removed and will soon be replaced, and the retractable thruster has also been removed to be rebuilt.
“These vessel life extension projects will be hugely important for the growth of not just us,” Ted added, “but for the shipbuilding and repair capacity in Ontario and in Canada.”
CCGS Amundsen in dry dock.