Davie in the National Shipbuilding Strategy | Sorel-Tracy wants to reconnect with its past

Nostalgia for Marine Industrie comes to the surface in Sorel-Tracy when we talk about the Davie shipyard. In this town in the Montérégie region, the construction of icebreakers in Quebec represents an opportunity to reconnect with what was once its economic backbone: shipbuilding.

We will not start building ships again on the banks of the Richelieu River, concedes the mayor of the municipality, Patrick Péloquin, in an interview with The Press. But “sides”, such as parts of cabins, gangways and other parts that go into the manufacture of the many modules necessary for the design of a ship, this is possible, believes the politician.

“The ecosystem that existed around Marine Industrie still exists,” says Mr. Péloquin. The companies that were around still exist, but they have turned to something else. »

The inclusion of Davie in the National Shipbuilding Strategy (SNCN) “ringed bells” in Sorel-Tracy, says its mayor. The City quickly realized that it could benefit from the $8.5 billion in potential contracts that could come from Ottawa for the construction of seven icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.

Mr. Péloquin is also part of the European trade mission organized by the Association of Suppliers of Chantier Davie Canada, which takes place until Friday. Before taking off, he gave an overview of his ambitions in the company of David Plasse, General Manager of Economic Development Pierre-De Saurel, as well as Nancy Annie Léveillée, Director of the Société des parcs Industriels Sorel-Tracy.

“We have around six million feet available – notably in the Ludger-Simard industrial park, where Marine Industrie used to be – for industrial development,” underlines Mr. Péloquin. We are between Montreal, Trois-Rivières and Quebec/Lévis. What sets us apart is that in maritime construction, we are sometimes in oversized parts. Transport must be by water. And we have the infrastructure. »

Long story

The shipyard where Marine Industrie was located started up in the late 1930s. Located on the Richelieu River, near the St. Lawrence River, the site experienced its heyday after the Second World War, when some 10,000 people worked there.

After changing ownership in the 1970s, the shipyard stopped building ships in 1988, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 jobs. The company disappeared for good in 1991.

“It had been a great drama in the region when everything had stopped, recalls Mr. Péloquin. At some point in the town’s history, Marine Industrie employed half of the workers here. »

In recent weeks, the possibility of seeing the shipbuilding sector generate spinoffs in Sorel-Tracy has emerged.

“If it had been said a few years ago that the region’s economic boom could come from shipbuilding, no one would have believed us. »

More than a visit

In addition to the industrial land available and the port infrastructure that is still present, Sorel-Tracy also has private railways that provide access to the network of the Canadian National Railway Company (CN).

These are the assets that Mr. Péloquin wants to dangle on the Old Continent to European companies interested in being part of the Davie shipyard’s supply chain.

” Rooms [des brise-glaces] must be produced in Canada, reminds the politician. I don’t hide it: for us, there is also a recruitment mission for companies that would like to participate in the federal strategy. A French company could not produce parts in France and ship them to Canada. They must come and settle with us. »

Mr. Péloquin says he does not want to outdo Lévis and the surrounding area with regard to Chantier Davie’s supply chain. He believes that his city can play a complementary role. In interview with The Pressthe mayor of Lévis, Gilles Lehouillier, had also indicated that his municipality was cramped in terms of industrial land.

Shipbuilding is still generating spillovers in Sorel-Tracy, but these are flying under the radar. According to Développement économique Pierre-De Saurel, Acier Richelieu manufactures “small parts” for ships for companies such as Groupe CSL, Fednav and Groupe Desgagnés.