Province: $40 Million For Shipbuilding

VANCOUVER - You wouldn't know it, but the Seaspan Marine Corporation is 337 kilograms lighter this week and missing 22,000 pieces of paper after submitting a massive bid for two of the richest shipbuilding contacts in Canadian history.

A 30-year contract could generate more than 500 jobs in Victoria alone, and hundreds at smaller yards on the mid-island. The federal government is picking between Seaspan, Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax, and a yard in Quebec in creditor protection which is still hoping to bid. Part of the federal government's decision will be based on what kind of support is available to shipbuilding in each region, which the province rolled out today. "The province of British Columbia has come up with $40 million for this bid."

The province will provide Seaspan with $35 million in training and labour tax credits, and another $5 million for the broader marine sector. BC Ferries is pledging $20 million to improve the industry's capacity.

And, Camosun College, which will be operating a new Marine Training Centre has now launched a Sheet Metal and Metal Fabrication Program to graduate more students into shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing.

We will find out what out what BC's shipbuilding future holds in the fall when the federan government makes its decision.

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