– On August 15, 2023, David Pugliese, of Postmedia, a constant critic who relies on an irrelevant subject matter expert, published another inaccurate and misleading article about the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and the Halifax Shipyard.
– Our employees, and all those in government and industry who are working diligently to deliver the results of the NSS deserve better.
– In full compliance with its 2011 contract, Irving Shipbuilding invested more than $400 million to build the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC). This investment was made at no cost to the Federal Government.
– The scope and schedule of the CSC program has changed considerably due to an increasingly complex global threat environment and advancements in technology.
– Canada is investing in CSC infrastructure to enhance and accelerate construction to support the Royal Canadian Navy.
– Minister Sean Fraser summed this up best in his announcement of the CSC investment during a ceremony at the Halifax Shipyard on August 8, “We asked you to build bigger boats and we’re going to make sure you have the tools necessary to build those vessels.”
– While Mr. Pugliese did not contact Irving Shipbuilding prior to publishing his piece, he quoted a former government official Alan Williams, who has been retired for nearly two decades and who has never been involved in the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
– The 2,300 shipbuilders working at the Halifax Shipyard are extremely proud of the work they do for Canada. Out of respect for these hardworking men and women, their unions, families, and communities, we trust that future articles will be handled with far more care and attention to the facts.
