Irving loses bid for submarine repair contract
Company says the job would have created 75 positions in Halifax
Last Updated: Friday, January 12, 2007 | 1:32 PM AT
CBC News
Maritime-based Irving wants to know why it was passed over for a lucrative contract to maintain Canada's submarines over the next 15 years.
The federal government has picked Canadian Submarine Management Group to repair the four vessels at Victoria Shipyards in B.C. under a long-term contract worth an estimated $1.5 billion.
The contract would have created jobs for at least 75 skilled workers at the Irving-owned Halifax Shipyard, Irving spokesperson Mary Keith said.
"The team that we had has over 300 years of combined experience, and that exceeds, as far as we are aware of, any other bidders," she said Friday.
Keith said federal officials have agreed to meet with Irving representatives, but a date has not been set.
The Canadian navy has four Victoria-class submarines. Three are based in Halifax and one in Esquimalt, B.C.
Keith said awarding the contract out west raises questions about maintaining submarine service when the vessels that are supposed to be on the east coast are in transit to the other side of Canada for repair.
Last November, Irving found out it was out of the competition to build three Canadian military support ships in Halifax.
