Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is a Canadian shipbuilder and in-service support provider.
The company operates as a subsidiary of J.D. Irving Limited. As of 2024, Irving Shipbuilding employs over 2100 shipbuilders.
Irving Shipbuilding owns two shipyards in Nova Scotia: Halifax Shipyard and Woodside Industries, both located along the Halifax Harbour. They also have a marine fabrication shop as well as two engineering and logistics firms: Fleetway Inc, and its subsidiary Oceanic Corp, all located in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.
On August 6, 2013, Kevin M. McCoy joined the company as a president of Irving Shipbuilding. McCoy retired in 2021 and was replaced briefly by Kevin Mooney before Dirk Lesko was appointed in 2022.
Origin
The company's de facto history began in 1959, when K.C. Irving purchased the St. John Dry-dock & Shipbuilding Co. in St John NB, which was then renamed Saint John Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. Eventually shortened to Saint John Shipbuilding, it was at this location that Irving constructed Flower-class corvettes, Halifax-class frigates, and two Protecteur class replenishment Oilers (AOR) (not to be confused with Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel) for the Royal Canadian Navy.
Its namesake and current headquarters at The Halifax Shipyard was acquired by Saint John Shipbuilding in 1994 from a group of Nova Scotia investors who had organized it as Halifax-Dartmouth Industries Limited Later renaming the yard to Halifax Shipyard Limited, the purchase resulted in the creation of Irving Shipbuilding.
In 1997, Irving's Saint John Naval Systems acquired and merged with Fleetway Consulting Services Inc, forming a new company— Fleetway Inc to serve as Irving Shipbuilding's engineering and logistical firm. In 2011, Fleetway acquired Oceanic Consulting Corporation (OCC), located in St. John's, NL.
20th-century developments
Canadian Patrol Frigate Project In June 1983, Saint John Shipbuilding underbid Quebec based SCAN Marine Incorporated in securing the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project (CPFP) to build the Halifax-class frigate for the RCN. Politically, this resulted in an outcry from the Quebec caucus of Pierre Trudeau's Liberal party, and to resolve the situation, the Tribal Refit and Update Modernization Program (TRUMP) for the Iroquois-class destroyers was tied to the CPFP. Saint John Shipbuilding was awarded the contract for six frigates with 12 eventually being built. The construction of three of Saint John Shipbuilding's 12 frigates would be subcontracted to Marine Industries and Davie Shipbuilding at Lauzon, Quebec.
Maritime Coastal Defence Project In 1992, Quebec-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin was the successful bidder for the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project, which would build what is today known as the Kingston class of coastal defense vessels. SNC-Lavalin sub-contracted Halifax-Dartmouth Industries Limited (HDIL) for the ship design and construction of the twelve vessels. Saint John Shipbuilding then purchased the HDIL in 1994, before construction had begun.
In 1998, the shipyard was in need of a replacement for the floating dry dock Scotiadock, and thus purchased the General Georges P. Vaniera. The dock was built by Canadian Vickers Ltd in 1964 and was renamed Scotia Dock II. The original Scotiadock was scrapped. Scotiadock 2 sank in 2010 and was also scrapped.
21st-century developments
In 2012 Irving Shipbuilding received a $300-million loan from the provincial government for modernization of the Halifax Shipyard to accommodate the building of vessels for the federal government.http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/halifax-shipyard-gets-government-financial-aide-package-for-navy-ships-145171755.html
Frigate Life Extension Program (Felex)
In 2008 Irving Shipbuilding was awarded a $549M contract to modernize seven of Canada's fleet of Halifax-class frigates. The last of these, HMCS Toronto, completed modernization at the Halifax Shipyard in 2016.
In 2019 the Canadian government granted Irving Shipbuilding a $500-million contract to do maintenance work on at least three of its Halifax class frigates as part of an overall $7 billion commitment to all 12.
Hero-class midshore patrol vessels In September 2009, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister of National Defence announced that nine midshore patrol vessels were being ordered from Irving Shipbuilding to be constructed at Halifax Shipyard for a cost of $194 million. The ships were delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard from 2012 to 2014.
In late 2015 and early 2016, various media outlets carried reports about electrical and mechanical problems dogging the 43-metre ships. Among the concerns cited were: "water could flow from compartment to compartment putting the ship at risk; rolling stabilization; the ability to lower lifeboats with crew on board; and major fire protection issues." Ice buildup was another major concern of the ships and in the summer of 2016, one of the ships had to undergo repairs because of corrosion. Five vessels of the class had to receive redesigned galleys after the initial ones were deemed unsafe.
National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy
Combat package In 2011, Irving Shipbuilding successfully bid on the combat package of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. (NSPS) Irving Shipbuilding was thus responsible for building the Royal Canadian Navy's new combat fleet in a program costing $25 billion (subsequently increased to over $80 billion as of 2021) that consists of 23 combatant vessels over a period of 30 years.
Six will be Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships projected to cost $4.98 billion. (another 2 of which were ordered in 2019 as non-combatant variants for the coast guards Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship project for an additional 2.1 billion) The remaining 15 will be Canadian Surface Combatants(CSC) which will replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Iroquois-class destroyers and Halifax-class frigates, which is projected to cost between $56 and $60 billion.
The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS)
On 9 July 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a plan to procure six to eight armed naval icebreakers. Dubbed "Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships", the vessels are modeled on the Norwegian Coast Guard ship NoCGV Svalbard.
In 2011, Irving Shipbuilding was selected to construct Canada's Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and in March 2013 the Canadian Government signed a $288M contract with Irving shipbuilding for the design of the 6 Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships. It wasn't until January, 2015 that Irving Shipbuilding and the federal government signed a contract to start construction of the six Arctic offshore patrol ships for $2.3 billion.
As of 2023, Irving Shipbuilding had delivered five of the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships.
Halifax Shipyard launched HMCS Harry DeWolf, the first of six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, on September 15, 2018. At 103 metres and 6,615 tonnes, it is the largest Royal Canadian Navy ship built in Canada in 50 years. The vessel underwent sea testing until 2020, and was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy on July 31.
The second AOPS, HMCS Margaret Brooke, was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy on July 15, 2021. The third AOPS, HMCS Max Bernays, was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy on September 2, 2022. The fourth AOPS, HMCS William Hall, was delivered on August 30, 2023.
Construction of AOPS 5, HMCS Frédérick Rolette, began on May 21, 2021, and it was launched December 9, 2023. AOPS 6, HMCS Robert Hampton Gray, began construction on August 15, 2022. On August 8, 2023, Irving Shipbuilding cut steel for the seventh AOPS, the first of two for the Canadian Coast Guard's fleet.
On 8 August 2023, the Canadian government announced it had amended its definition contract with Irving Shipbuilding, and was providing an additional $463 million "investment" to help Irving Shipbuilding build the Canadian Surface Combatants (CSCs) This amendment allowed both Ottawa and Irving to circumvent the terms of the original "Strategic Partnership" agreement which stipulated that Irving would not seek taxpayer monies to upgrade its facilities.
Surface combatants
Based on the BAE's Type 26 frigate, Irving Shipbuilding, Lockheed Martin Canada, and BAE Systems are expected to begin work on the Canadian Surface Combatant, sometime in 2024 with a delivery date slated for early 2030. The CSC project is the largest and most complex shipbuilding initiative in Canada since World War II. The Canadian Surface Combatant design contract was signed on 7 February 2019 at an estimated cost of $56–60 Billion.
Coast Guard Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships
In May 2019, the Canadian government ordered a pair of non-combatant variants of the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship for the Canadian Coast Guard. August 8, 2023 Irving Shipbuilding cut steel for the seventh AOPS, the first of two for the Canadian Coast Guard's fleet.
National Shipbuilding Strategy Value Proposition obligations As a part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, a condition for any forgivable loans or investments is commitment through the Value Proposition Strategy. The strategy requires the shipyards to invest a value equal to 0.5% of contracts to benefit the domestic marine industry in three priority areas: human resources development, technology investment & industrial development.
In October 2016, the Nunavut Research Institute (NRI) and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. awarded $2 million in funding to nine applied arctic research projects. Irving Shipbuilding created the fund as a condition of its multi-billion-dollar contract to build arctic patrol vessels for the Government of Canada.
In March 2017, Irving Shipbuilding announced it would contribute $4.52 million to the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), as part an obligation under the National Shipbuilding Strategy that requires the company to re-invest a portion of its contract revenues.
It invested another $4.4 million to COVE in 2022 under the same obligation.
Current facilities
Halifax Shipyard
The Halifax Shipyard, totaling at 425,000 square feet, with an assembly and module hall sitting at 408 meters in length and 46 meters in height, is Irving Shipbuilding's largest facility and home to its company's head office. This site was purchased in 1994.
As of 2023 there were roughly 1100 unionized workers employed between the Halifax, Woodside, and Marine Fabricator sites.
Woodside Shipyard In 2001, Irving Shipbuilding bought Banc Metals, now called the Woodside Shipyard, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. With 11,000 sq. m of covered fabrication and storage space, this site provides industrial fabrication, offshore topsides, and rig upgrades. It also provides various construction, modification, upgrade and maintenance services from its deepwater quayside facilities.
Marine Fabricators Purchased in 2013https://www.marinelink.com/news/shipbuilding-waterfront35724 and located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Marine Fabricators has 9,270m2 of production space, providing steel burning, cutting, forming and fabrication services.
Marine Fabricators carries out the initial work preparing steel for the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships currently under construction at Halifax Shipyard. Raw steel is delivered to this facility to be cut, molded and kitted. The kitted steel is delivered by truck to Halifax Shipyard.
Bluenose Building Irving Shipbuilding's newest facility, an office space located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is home to Irving's CSC team and Fleetway Inc. At nearly 600 people, the Bluenose Building is home to one of the largest engineering and design workforces in Canada. the Irving Group laid off about 100 workers in 2004 and left the site idle since.
Previous facilities
Saint John Shipbuilding