Government of Canada awards contract for reconfiguration work on Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfred Grenfell

VICTORIA, BC, Feb. 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the Government of Canada is ensuring the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has the vessels it needs to keep Canadian waterways safe and accessible, while generating significant economic benefits to communities across Canada. 

Following an open and competitive process, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the CCG, has awarded a $17.3-million contract to Allied Shipbuilders Limited, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, for vessel life extension (VLE) work on the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Sir Wilfred Grenfell. 

The vessel will undergo VLE work, enabling it to take on a broader range of tasks, notably buoy tending and search and rescue. Work will include painting the hull and deck, updating navigation equipment and networks, installing a new cargo hold and hatch, replacing propulsion thrusters, modifying the ballast system and installing new machinery.

This contract was awarded under the repair, refit and maintenance component of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which provides ongoing opportunities for shipyards and suppliers across Canada. The contract will help create or sustain up to 140 jobs.

Quotes

"The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to help stimulate the Canadian economy, creating and sustaining marine sector jobs, while maintaining federal fleets. This contract will deliver necessary upgrades to the CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell, so the Canadian Coast Guard can continue to carry out its important work on the west coast."

The Honourable Anita Anand
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"The Canadian Coast Guard operates coast to coast to coast performing critical duties from icebreaking to search and rescue missions. It is crucial Coast Guard members have the most effective, modern equipment to meet the intense demands of their job. Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, we are proud to announce that the life of the CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell will be extended, thanks to the skilled work of the Allied Shipbuilders. This contract will create up to 140 good jobs for Canadians and help restore a vital part of our Coast Guard's fleet."

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick facts 

• The project will commence in February 2021, when the vessel will be towed to the supplier's facility in North Vancouver, British Columbia, for dry-docking. Work will continue until mid-July 2021. The vessel will also be inspected by marine regulatory bodies. 
• The CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell is based in Victoria, British Columbia, serving the Western Region.
• The vessel was constructed in 1985 by Marystown Shipyard in Newfoundland. Originally built as an offshore support vessel, it was converted into a search and rescue vessel by the CCG, and entered the Coast Guard service in December 1987.
• In 1994, the vessel played an important role in the fishing conflict known as the Turbot War in the Atlantic Ocean.
• As of December 2020, the Government of Canada has awarded more than $17.34 billion of National Shipbuilding Strategy-related contracts across the country; approximately $7.95 billion in contracts has been awarded under the repair, refit and maintenance pillar of the strategy.
• The CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell is named after Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (1865-1940), a medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador, whose legacy includes the creation of hospitals, orphanages, social welfare centres, hospital ships and schools.

Associated links

Link to Buy and Sell 
National Shipbuilding Strategy 
CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell 
Allied Shipbuilders Limited 

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

Cecely Roy, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Anita Anand, 343-549-7293, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]