Maintaining specialized jobs in shipbuilding and ship repair

Along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in the magnificent Quebec City area, you will see the name Ocean Group. Headquartered in Quebec City, the company has more than 40 related companies. Some 1,000 employees work there, 200 of whom work in the shipbuilding and repair sector.

In this period of a shortage of specialized labour, employee retention is essential. While the order book remains full, each new contract helps maintain jobs and has a direct impact on the local, regional and provincial economies.

Ocean Group is regularly involved in the maintenance of three icebreakers of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. The awarding of the contract for the refit of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Des Groseillers, allowed the retention of 10 employees who performed the mechanical, welding and fan maintenance work for the refit.

The trades of welders, fitters, mechanics and naval architecture technicians are the sectors suffering the most from a lack of specialized workers. Contracts from Public Services and Procurement Canada under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) are helping to maintain the jobs of these workers in the Quebec City area.

The company also won a contract worth more than $17 million to extend the useful life of Canadian Coast Guard motorized rescue boats. The company estimates that the work related to each of the boats will take about six months. This contract will ensure full employment for employees for the next three years.

These contracts will also ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard continues to have the vessels it needs to provide Canadians with essential services and ensure their safety.

A company present throughout Canada

Ocean Group is present in a number of major ports along the St. Lawrence and six ports in Ontario. It has also operated towing operations in Fort McMurray, Alberta, and in Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2020.

Ocean Group operates in four complementary sectors: shipbuilding, ship repair, port towing and navigation. The company also specializes in marine and dredging work, as well as in the rental of specialized equipment.

It was in 2019, again through the NSS, that Ocean Group was awarded the largest shipbuilding contract in its history by the Government of Canada with the construction of four large tugs for National Defence, a contract worth $102 million.

“This has changed the way we do things. We have refined our operational processes and our review of accounts,” explains Philippe Fillion, Director of Public and Corporate Affairs at Ocean Group.

This contract created 25 to 30 additional jobs in various trades, in addition to providing work for approximately 100 employees.

The four tugs for Royal Canadian Navy bases in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Esquimalt, British Columbia, will supply towing, firefighting and other essential support services to the Maritime Forces Atlantic and Pacific.

For more information, visit the National Shipbuilding Strategy.