Big economic impact on a small marine community
About 265 km north of Victoria, British Columbia, the 35,000-resident community of Campbell River lives by the rhythm of the ocean.
In 1985, Bruce Kempling and his wife, Linda, started a family business that supports the marine industry. More than 3 decades later, Ocean Pacific Marine Store and Boatyard is still one of the community’s most important employers.
Ocean Pacific Marine was awarded 1 of 4 contracts under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) to perform vessel life extension work on the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) fleet of 36 motorized lifeboats. The NSS is the federal government’s multi-decade initiative to build and maintain vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy and CCG. This contract, valued at more than $23 million, will have an important economic impact on the Campbell River community and ensures the CCG can continue providing critical services to Canadians.
Ocean Pacific Marine has dedicated a team for the NSS project. “We hired 5 employees for this specific project,” mentioned Laura Kempling, Human Resources Manager. “In total, 15 full-time and part-time employees will work on these Coast Guard vessels.”
To augment these resources, the company will need to hire subcontractors for specialized machine work, sandblasting, fire protection certification, painting inspections and non-destructive testing. The main objective will be to hire subcontractors locally from the community. “We appreciate the business and the work, so does the town,” said Mr. Kempling.
The contract has begun with a total of 13 vessels that need repairs and updates. The company estimates 6 years of work depending on the conditions of the vessels and the work required.
National Shipbuilding Strategy enables a sustainable industry future
The contract awarded under the NSS has enabled Ocean Pacific Marine to integrate state-of-the-art technologies into its operations to meet new regulations to control emissions and noise, and to improve its infrastructure.
To address challenges associated with finding and keeping skilled workers, Ocean Pacific Marine acts as an advisor to educational programs from organizations like British Columbia’s Industry Training Authority (ITA). “We guide what kind of training needs to be developed through the ITA, as well as some other small organizations that do similar work,” explained Mrs. Kempling. The company currently employs two apprentices from the community who are completing their training.
For more information, visit the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
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