Irving Shipbuilding Inc.

Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is the one of the most modern shipbuilder and in-service ship support provider in North America. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a skilled team and innovative facilities provide efficient building, fabrication, conversion and servicing of vessels and offshore platforms. As Canada’s chosen shipbuilder, Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is working with the Royal Canadian Navy on the next class of Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) and Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is a member of the J.D. Irving, Limited group of companies, a diverse family owned company with operations in Canada and the United States.

Irving Shipbuilding Inc.’s (ISI) head office is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the largest metropolitan area east of Montreal. It is conveniently located close to international shipping routes and are also within easy reach of the most important Eastern seaboard ports in the US. Sailing distances are less than 600 nautical miles to New York and under 380 nautical miles to Boston, 750 nautical miles to Norfolk and 2,374 nautical miles to the United Kingdom. Home to Halifax Shipyard, Marine Fabricators, and Woodside Industries, Halifax’s deep water, ice free port is a natural shipbuilding and repair site, offering 24/7 access. Located close to the Gulf Stream, it is on the same latitude as the northern Mediterranean. As the second largest natural harbor in the world, it is well-positioned to serve the Great Northern Circle Trading Route.

For over fifty years, Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) has built one of the most powerful combinations of shipbuilding, ship repair and fabrication expertise in Canada and the eastern seaboard of North America. In 1959, Mr. K.C.Irving purchased Irving Shipbuilding Inc., then known as the Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, a shipyard celebrated for building the largest dry dock in the world in the 1920s. Saint John Shipbuilding was the flagship of a collection of eastern Canadian shipyards, building oil tankers, freighters, cargo vessels and passenger ferries.

By far the largest contract placed with the Saint John shipyard, and the largest single shipbuilding order ever issued in Canadian history, was for the Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate program, which saw nine warships built at Saint John during the early 1990s. In the 1990s, the East Isle Shipyard in Prince Edward Island was purchased from the provincial government and used to construct modules for the Halifax-class frigates. In addition, Irving Shipbuilding purchased shipyards in Shelburne and Pictou, as well as Halifax Shipyards.

With a rich history, Halifax Shipyard Limited began operation in 1918 and has been described as a “great institution of enterprise and industry.” Between 1918 and 1978, no other industry in the City of Halifax contributed so greatly to the economy, both locally and provincially. Halifax Shipyard was the successor of the Halifax Graving Dock Company, which began operation in Halifax in 1889. Steel hulled shipbuilding started in Halifax during the first Great War in 1918. Since the purchase of Halifax Shipyard, Irving Shipbuilding made significant investments in upgrading the facility. Highly successful accomplishments include the construction of the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV), delivered the vessels ahead of schedule and Anchor Handling Tugs Supply vessels, considered to be among the most sophisticated vessels in the world.

In 2001, ISI bought Banc Metals, on the Atlantic Ocean side of the MacDonald Bridge in Halifax, to facilitate the largest offshore rig, the “Eirik Raude”. Now called Woodside Industries, the facility has 11,000 sq. m of covered fabrication and storage space. In 2011, the historic National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) was undertaken by the Canadian Government, seeking to identify two shipbuilding Centres of Excellence for the country for the next 30 years. Irving Shipbuilding was extremely proud to have been selected by the Canadian Government to build the Royal Canadian Navy's new combat fleet, a program that comprises 21 vessels and $25 billion over a period of 30 years.

Today, ISI consists of five shipbuilding, repair and fabrication facilities – all committed to the company values of Integrity, Customer Service and Pride. Together, it makes up Eastern Canada’s most extensive array of docks, slipways, steel fabrication shops, outfit and machine shops and blast and paint facilities.

Irving Shipbuilding Inc. has a long and successful history of government and naval construction, refit and repair projects including:

• Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) - Design, planning and supply chain development for six Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) for the Royal Canadian Navy, the first set of ships under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (Current)
• Frigate Life Extension Program (FELEX) - Major refits of seven of Royal Canadian Navy's Patrol Frigates (Current)
• Hero-class Midshore Patrol Vessels - Constructed nine high tech Midshore Patrol Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard
• Canadian Patrol Frigate Project (CPFP) – Prime Contractor & Program Manager for the Halifax Class frigates, design and the build of 12 vessels on time and budget.
• Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels (MCDVs) – Designed and built the 12 ship Maritime Coastal Defense Vessel (MCDV) project, completed on budget and ahead of schedule.

As Atlantic Canada’s premier new construction, repair and refit facility, ISI’s Halifax Shipyard has undertaken Frigate Docking Work Periods, major destroyer and supply vessel refits, and submarine repairs. Irving Shipbuilding is also proud to have been selected by the Canadian Government to build the Royal Canadian Navy's new combat fleet, a program that comprises 21 vessels and $25 billion over a period of 30 years.