Vanguard Magazine

W hen Canada launched the National Shipbuild- ing Strategy in 2011, the goals were ambitious: end the boom-and-bust cycle in federal ship procurement, rebuild domestic capacity, and give the Navy and Coast Guard the ships they needed for the future. Fourteen years later, Halifax is living proof the strategy worked. The waterfront is busier than it has been in generations. The Halifax Shipyard now turns out Arc- tic and Offshore Patrol Ships at a steady pace, one a year, and has begun work on the most advanced warships ever built in Canada. Too often we only hear from self-appointed critics or unqualified ex- perts, who seem more interested in tearing things down than in building something up. In an era when good news about ma- jor public programs is rare, this stands out as one of the country's genuine industrial success stories. The change has been dramatic. The ship- yard went from wondering about its sur- vival to becoming the heart of a decades long production run. Six Arctic patrol ships for the Navy, two more for the Coast Guard, and 15 River-class destroyers are underway. This is not piecemeal work. It is a sustained program that keeps people employed year-round, trains new trades- people, and justifies continuous invest- ment in modern facilities. The economic benefits are obvious: thousands of direct jobs and many more in the supply chain. Machine shops, raw material suppliers, transport firms, and service companies are growing alongside the shipyard. The reach of this work ex- tends into classrooms and training cen- tres, where apprentices learn the skills that will carry them through their careers. High school students tour the yard and see a future for themselves in the trades. Local businesses invest with confidence knowing there will be customers for years to come. Families plan for the future with more certainty, and local governments see stronger tax bases that allow for better services and community improvements. Raymond "Sugar Ray" Downey is part of Nova Scotia's proud shipbuilding tra- dition. Before joining the yard, he was one of Canada's most decorated amateur boxers, a two-time Olympian and 1988 bronze medalist. After nearly six years on the job, he is training as a spray painter, helping build the fleet. His roots run 200 years deep in Nova Scotia. He is a descen- dant of William Hall, one of Nova Scotia's most celebrated veterans and shipbuilders and the namesake of the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship. Kelsey Howard, a Red Seal welder at Woodside Industries in Dartmouth, joined more than a decade ago. Her work on the ships has allowed her to build a T H E LA S T W O R D B Y G R E G M ac N E I L FROM DOUBT TO DELIVERY HMCS Robert Hampton Gray Photo: Irving Shipbuilding Inc. www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 29 When the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray was named on August 9, the event marked another milestone in Halifax's renewed role at the heart of Canada's naval capability. The ship reflects years of process improvements, and a workforce committed to higher standards.

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