Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Ontario Shipyard Accuses Feds Of Unfairly Stacking Deck In Davie's Favour

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Aug, 2019 06:48 PM

    OTTAWA - An Ontario shipyard is accusing the federal government of trying to unfairly award Quebec's Chantier Davie shipyard potentially billions of dollars in work without a competition.

     

    The allegation is contained in a complaint from Hamilton-based Heddle Marine to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal over the government's search for a third shipyard to add to its multibillion-dollar shipbuilding strategy.

     

    The winning yard, which will join Halifax's Irving Shipbuilding and Seaspan Marine in Vancouver in the massive naval procurement process, will be tasked with building six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.

     

    However, Heddle alleges in its complaint that many of the requirements the government says shipyards must meet to qualify for consideration are not legitimate or reasonable — and will disqualify virtually every yard but Davie.

     

    It is asking the tribunal to order the removal of the requirements or the launch of a new search process.

     

    The federal procurement department did not immediately respond to questions Friday. Davie declined to comment.

     

    One of the requirements flagged by Heddle is that qualifying shipyards must have a contract now or recent experience in building a ship weighing more than 1,000 tonnes.

     

    "No shipyard in Canada that is eligible to apply for the contract is capable of satisfying this requirement except Chantier Davie Canada," the complaint reads.

     

    Qualifying shipyards must also be able to launch vessels wider than 24 metres, which Heddle says disqualifies all Ontario-based shipyards because vessels must be 23.8 metres or less to traverse the St. Lawrence Seaway.

     

    Yet Heddle says the requirement also doesn't make sense because the icebreakers the third shipyard will be tasked with building must be able to access the Great Lakes — meaning they must be able to fit through the Seaway.

     

    Those requirements and others "appear to pre-determine and/or unduly favour Davie as a qualifying supplier and unreasonably disqualify all other shipyards, but specifically Ontario-based shipyards," the complaint reads.

     

    Heddle also takes issue with a lack of industry consultation before the search was launched on Aug. 2 and the 15-day deadline shipyards were given to respond. The deadline was later extended to Aug. 26.

     

    There are also concerns about comments made by a Davie official and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he announced the government's plan to add a third shipyard to the national shipbuilding strategy.

     

    "We recognize that it's an opportunity for Davie to apply to become that third shipbuilding facility because there will be a tremendous amount of work in the coming years," Trudeau said in May.

     

    Davie, which received several federal contracts without a competition in recent years and whose surrounding is likely to be hotly contested in the fall federal election, has expressed confidence it will become the third yard.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Retired Richmond, B.C. Fisherman Nets $60-Million Lottery Jackpot

    Retired Richmond, B.C. fisherman Joseph Katalinic holds his 60 million dollar win at the British Columbia's Lottery Corporation headquarters in Vancouver, Wednesday, August, 21, 2019. Katalinic's win is the largest of its kind in B.C. lotto history.  

    Retired Richmond, B.C. Fisherman Nets $60-Million Lottery Jackpot

    Vancouver To Assess Possible Court Action Against Campers Ordered Out Of Park

    Several dozen tents have remained in a park in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside following an eviction-notice deadline ordering as many as 200 people out of an encampment that began six months ago.

    Vancouver To Assess Possible Court Action Against Campers Ordered Out Of Park

    Independent Investigation Begins Into Langley RCMP Response To Langley Teen Carson Crimeni's Death

    The office that looks into all cases of police-involved deaths or serious injuries in British Columbia says it is examining what role two Langley RCMP officers may have played in the death of a 14-year-old boy

    Independent Investigation Begins Into Langley RCMP Response To Langley Teen Carson Crimeni's Death

    B.C. Father Takes Stand At Trial, Denies Killing Daughters And Attempting Suicide

    A Vancouver Island man testified Wednesday that he didn't kill his two daughters and denied he tried to take his own life on the day they died.

    B.C. Father Takes Stand At Trial, Denies Killing Daughters And Attempting Suicide

    Border Official Questioned Meng On Alleged Business In Iran: Court Documents

    VANCOUVER - Court documents released ahead of a Huawei executive's extradition trial suggest a Canadian border official questioned Meng Wanzhou about her business before RCMP arrested her.

    Border Official Questioned Meng On Alleged Business In Iran: Court Documents

    RCMP Originally Planned To Arrest Meng Wanzhou On Plane, Defence Lawyers Say

    RCMP Originally Planned To Arrest Meng Wanzhou On Plane, Defence Lawyers Say
    In court documents released Tuesday, the defence alleges a "co-ordinated strategy" to have the RCMP delay the arrest, so that border officials could question Meng under the pretence of a "routine immigration check."    

    RCMP Originally Planned To Arrest Meng Wanzhou On Plane, Defence Lawyers Say