The Ontario Government will invest over CA$90 million (US$60 million) through a shipbuilding grant program (SGP) to increase capacity in the Canadian province’s shipbuilding industry.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation said the investment will help meet the growing demand for Ontario-made vessels, help Ontario shipbuilders support Canada’s national shipbuilding strategy, and boost the economic competitiveness of Ontario’s shipbuilding and its supply chain.
The investment is part of the Ontario Government’s ongoing work to support national security and defence, as outlined in the framework for the Ontario defence industrial strategy.
Through the SGP, the province is investing CA$11 million (US$7.8 million) into Ontario Shipyards, with operations across the Great Lakes; over CA$8 million (US$6 million) into Allied Marine and Industrial in Port Colborne; more than CA$6 million (US$4 million) into MetalCraft Marine in Kingstonl and CA$1.1 million (US$780,000) into Connor Industries in Parry Sound.
The funding will be used for skills training, infrastructure improvements and new machinery and equipment. The province will also expand the SGP to provide up to CA$64 million (US$45 million) in future funding.
The SGP will help Ontario-based shipbuilders increase Canada’s capacity under the national shipbuilding strategy, a long-term project to renew the country’s fleet of combat and non-combat vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard, and Transport Canada. As part of the broader federal defence industrial strategy, the national shipbuilding strategy focuses: construction of large vessels; construction of small vessels; and vessel repair, refit and maintenance.