Davie Shipbuilding unveils the largest naval ship ever delivered from a Canadian shipyard

LEVIS, QC, July 20, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Canada's largest and most experienced shipbuilder unveiled the Asterix, the first large naval ship to be built in Canada in over 20 years. Davie's 1,369 staff together with over 900 Canadian suppliers spent just under 2 years delivering the Resolve-Class naval support ship which will enter into service with the Royal Canadian Navy by the end of this year as initially planned.

The Resolve-Class naval support ship will be the largest naval platform in service with the Royal Canadian Navy for the foreseeable future and will provide a wide range of functions from at-sea replenishment of fuels and cargo to aviation support, fleet medical support and humanitarian and disaster relief.

This program involves three levels of innovation for Canada allowing the delivery of a most needed ship in a timely manner and with the best value for Canadian taxpayers. Firstly, instead of building a ship from new, a modern containership has been converted into a state-of-the-art naval support ship. Secondly, the ship has been privately financed by Davie and will be leased to Canada ? that means a fixed, transparent cost to the Canadian taxpayer. Thirdly, Federal Fleet Services, Davie sister company, will operate the ship with a mixed crew of merchant seafarers and Royal Canadian Navy personnel.

Today's unveiling of the ship - which also underlines Canada's 150^th anniversary - included an employee appreciation for the Chantier Davie Canada Team as well as a Family Day, a blessing for the ship by the Huron-Wendat Nation and VIP tours onboard.

The traditional breaking of the sacrificial champagne bottle on the bow by the sponsor of the ship in order to bless the ship and her crew was performed by Her Honour Mrs. Pauline Théberge, spouse of His Honour the Honourable J. Michel Doyon, the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.

Speakers at the event included:

• The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
• Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
• Jean D'Amour, Minister of Maritime Affairs
• Gilles Lehouillier, Mayor of Lévis
• Jacques Létourneau, President, Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
• Alex Vicefield, Chairman of Davie

Quotes:

"Today is a demonstration of human endeavour and a celebration of what our team has achieved in such a short time frame. With the entry into service of this first-in-class ship, we will be half-way there to fully restoring Canada's support-ship capability. The delivery of this ship will restore Canada's ability to form a naval task group. What a great way to celebrate Canada's 150^th anniversary."

-Alex Vicefield, Chairman, Davie

"The success and affordability of this first ship is proof of what Canada's largest, longest established and highest capacity shipbuilder is capable. That is delivering affordable, superior ships in a short timeframe.  Further leveraging of Davie's capabilities will bring major cost savings to Canada's fleet renewal program and reinforce Canada's commitment to shipbuilding and the marine industry in Quebec."

-Alex Vicefield, Chairman, Davie

"It is an honor for me to be here today at the unveiling of this incredible ship. We are all very proud of the work accomplished here in Quebec by the experienced and talented team of employees and management of Davie Shipbuilding as well as its multiple suppliers. The Royal Canadian Navy will now have the chance to count on a top-quality replenishment vessel that will be the pride of our naval industry and our region."

-Jean-Yves Duclos, Quebec MP and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

 "Davie Shipbuilding is an asset of the shipbuilding industry. Its capacity to adapt to the needs of its clients is one of the strengths which the Government of Quebec wishes to develop in order to encourage Quebec's economic vitality within the framework of the Maritime Strategy. The Asterix is an excellent business card for this sector, and I am proud that it was realized here at home. This demonstrates the know-how of the Quebec workforce."

Jean D'Amour, Minister of Maritime Affairs, Government of Quebec

"The 1369 employees at Davie Shipbuilding can be proud today of delivering the largest ship ever built by a Canadian shipyard to the Royal Canadian Navy. Each job created in the shipbuilding industry creates three more jobs within our communities. There is no doubt that Davie Shipbuilding is a key driver of the economy development in the Chaudière-Appalaches and Québec regions. Thank you to the Federal Government for trusting Davie Shipbuilding and awarding this crucial contract to our workers."

-Gilles Lehouillier, Mayor of Lévis

"The workers who, thanks to their expertise, have made it possible to convert this container ship into a state-of-the-art replenishment vessel, have every reason to be proud. The success of the Asterix proves once again that the Davie shipyard in Lévis has the most qualified workforce and must be placed at the forefront in order to be awarded more large-scale projects from the Royal Canadian Navy."

-Jacques Létourneau, President of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)

The Asterix in numbers

• 182.5 meters long, i.e. two football fields
• 25.2 meters wide
• Speed: 20 to 25 knots 
• Up to 7000 tonnes of fuel and producing 450 tonnes of drinkable water per day
• Two cranes allowing the loading and unloading of containers which are accessible at sea
• A gymnasium, the first on board a Canadian vessel
• A helicopter deck
• Two hangars for helicopters
• Garages to park vehicles
• A hospital able to accommodate 60 patients
• Kitchens able to feed 1,000 people

Guests of Honour at the event

• His Honour the Honourable J. Michel Doyon, Lieutenant Governor of Québec
• Her Honour Mrs. Pauline Théberge, Sponsor of the Asterix
• Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
• The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
• Brigadier-General Peter Dawe, Deputy Commander, Canadian Special Operation Forces Command
• Senator Colin Kenny
• Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais
• Senator Dennis Dawson
• James Bezan, Member of Parliament
• Steven Blaney, Member of Parliament
• Alupa A. Clarke, Member of Parliament
• Gérard Deltell, Member of Parliament
• Erin O'Toole, Member of Parliament
• Pierre Paul-Hus, Member of Parliament
• Jean Rioux, Member of Parliament
• Dominique Vien, Minister of Employment, Quebec
• Jean D'Amour, Minister of Maritime Affairs, QuebecJocelin Dumas, Deputy Minister of the Economy, Quebec
• Gilles Lehouillier, Mayor of Lévis
• Jacques Letourneau, President, Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
• Captain Sigler, Naval Attache, US Embassy
• David Rawlings, Chief Executive Officer ? Canada, JPMorgan Chase & CO

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Chantier Davie Canada Inc. ? Voted North American Shipyard of the Year (2015) by Lloyds List.

Davie is Canada's award-winning, largest and highest capacity shipyard and industrial fabricator. Davie provides a broad range of products and services to industries from offshore oil & gas to defence. Newly certified to ISO 9001:2015 and to ISO 14001:2015, Davie leverages its high capacity fabrication facilities with its advanced project management and engineering capability to manage end-to-end construction projects and provide best-practice through life solutions to its corporate and governmental clients. Having signed a 5-year agreement with their union in the summer 2016, Davie offers its current and future clients a qualified and motivated workforce. Over the past three years Davie has had a $2.03bn economic impact on the Canadian economy.

SOURCE Davie Shipbuilding