Three Ships in 15 Months Demonstrates World-Class Capacity and Capability, and Accelerating NSS Momentum
October 9, 2020 – Victoria, BC – Today, Seaspan Shipyards officially delivered the third state-of-the-art Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV) to the Canadian Coast Guard. The CCGS John Cabot is the third OFSV delivered by Seaspan Shipyards in the last 15 months and completes the first full class of large vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). CCGS John Cabot will now join her sister ships already in service, CCGS Capt Jacques Cartier and CCGS Sir John Franklin.
The ultimate milestone in the shipbuilding process, delivery of this third OFSV caps a string of achievements with this vessel. The Seaspan Shipyards team together with suppliers and our customer logged dozens of first-ever accomplishments as they developed innovative approaches to successfully launch and complete the ship during the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 3, the CCGS John Cabot was launched in Vancouver by Dr. Bonnie Henry at 97% complete, a rare accomplishment that exceeded international benchmarks. Sea trials began six weeks later, a time span between launch and sea trials that is also considered best-in-class in the shipbuilding industry.
Traditionally a large public celebration, today’s official handover of CCGS John Cabot took place at Seaspan’s Victoria shipyard in compliance with strict COVID-19 protocols and attended by a small official party of Coast Guard and Seaspan Shipyards officials. Following a transition period for her new Coast Guard commanding Officer and crew, the CCGS John Cabot will set sail to her home port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she will support scientific research, search and rescue operations and environmental response.
The completion of the new OFSV class is a proud moment for all 2,700 Seaspan Shipyards employees, including the 1,200 employees who worked on the OFSV class. More than a dozen major partners and more than 450 suppliers and their thousands of employees across the country contributed to these world-class OFSV vessels, and continue to play a key role in shaping a thriving domestic marine industry in Canada.
Consistent with the social and economic objectives of the NSS, Seaspan Shipyards has become a growing economic engine for the domestic marine industry. With more than $1.5 billion contributed to date to Canada’s GDP (Source: Deloitte Socio-economic Impact Study, February 2020), Seaspan Shipyards is rebuilding a marine industrial sector on Canada’s West Coast and generating economic impact across Canada through job creation and contracts with hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses. As a result of the NSS, Seaspan Shipyards has become one of the most modern shipyards in North America, with a skilled 2,700-person shipbuilding team and the shipyard capacity and purpose-built infrastructure to deliver Canada’s non-combat fleet.
QUOTES
“Today the Government of Canada marks a significant milestone in its commitment to reinvest in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. With the delivery of the CCGS John Cabot, we are ensuring that Fisheries and Oceans scientists and the Coast Guard have a modern platform including the equipment and technology they need to conduct vital scientific research, as well as support Coast Guard programs and services. I would like to congratulate Seaspan Shipyards for their outstanding work and dedication to the completion of the three new Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels.”
– The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard
“On behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, I am very proud to welcome the third Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel, CCGS John Cabot, to our fleet. This vessel and her two sister ships will provide important platforms for scientific research while also supporting search and rescue and environmental response. Congratulations to the skilled workers at Seaspan Shipyards and everyone who contributed to the design and the construction of these ships.”
– Mario Pelletier, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard
“Thanks to the dedicated team at Seaspan Shipyards, we are celebrating the delivery of the future CCGS John Cabot, the third and final Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV). This is an important milestone in the renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet and represents the first large vessel construction project completed under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The Government of Canada will continue to work with Seaspan on other important fleet renewal projects, which are generating economic benefits and contributing to a sustainable marine sector in Canada.”
– The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement
“We are incredibly proud today to deliver CCGS John Cabot, the third Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel and the first full class of ships delivered under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. This delivery is a powerful reminder that shipyards don’t build ships – people do. CCGS John Cabot was completed, launched and delivered during a time like no other and this success is a tribute to the tremendous ingenuity, innovation and teamwork by our employees, suppliers, and Coast Guard partners. It’s also a sign of how the NSS is accelerating industry momentum, enabling us to build not only ships but also a world-class pan-Canadian marine industry supply chain supporting thousands of jobs from coast to coast.”
– Mark Lamarre, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards
QUICK FACTS
- Seaspan Shipyards, the first to deliver a ship under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, has now delivered three large vessels in just 15 months and completed the first full class of large ships.
- Measuring 63.4 metres, the CCGS John Cabot is one of the most advanced and capable ships of its size and type in the world.
- CCGS John Cabot is the third Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV) built by Seaspan Shipyards under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. She will join her sister ships already in service — the CCGS Sir John Franklin, delivered in June 2019 and now stationed in Victoria, British Columbia, and the CCGS Capt Jacques Cartier, delivered in November 2019 and currently stationed in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
- The OFSV is fully equipped to support Fisheries and Oceans scientists in the collection and analysis of data on Canada’s marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate change. This floating laboratory features a full suite of state-of-the-art systems, including a deployable sensor-laden drop keel, high-tech fishing trawls and four science labs — a wet lab, a dry lab, an ocean lab and a control lab.
- The OFSVs support scientific research through work such as:
- performing fishing and acoustic surveys of fish and invertebrates;
- collecting information on the abundance and distribution of marine species; and
- collecting data on marine ecosystems and the impacts of human activity on fisheries resources and ecosystem health.
- The OFSVs, although primarily focused on science and research, also have the capability to support search and rescue, and environmental response and operations as required.
ASSOCIATED LINKS
Teamwork Builds Ships: Thank you to our partners
Dr. Bonnie Henry officially launches the future CCGS John Cabot
CCGS John Cabot starts sea trials just six weeks after launch
Seaspan Shipyards: Delivering the OFSV fleet
National Shipbuilding Strategy
Seaspan Shipyards
Seaspan NSS
Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @MoreThanShips
LinkedIn: Seaspan ULC
Instagram: @SeaspanULC
ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS
Seaspan Shipyards, a division of Seaspan ULC, is a leader in Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of 2,700 in North Vancouver and Victoria, the company has proven itself to be a trusted partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector.
Seaspan Shipyards is proud to be Canada’s chosen non-combat shipbuilder under the NSS. In this capacity, the company is building state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Through its NSS-related work, Seaspan Shipyards is creating jobs, generating economic benefits and rebuilding Canada’s shipbuilding and marine industries.
MEDIA CONTACT
Keelan Green
green@prospectus.ca
613-220-2016