On the fifteenth anniversary of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the federal government is putting its support behind the effort to create jobs across Canada while ensuring that the needs of the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy are met.
Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, was on hand to celebrate the success of the NSS and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed between Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards (VSY), Stigterstaal Canada, and Algoma Steel in July 2025.
The MOU will see the three companies work together to evaluate the requirements and assess the feasibility of Algoma Steel supplying Class and non-Class steel with the support of Stigterstaal for the polar icebreaker. This will not only support the domestic steel industry but also enhance national industrial capacity and economic growth.
“Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Canada is delivering a modern fleet for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard, while revitalizing the marine industry and creating thousands of skilled jobs. The ships built at Seaspan and other Canadian shipyards reflect a long-term investment in innovation, sovereignty and industrial growth under Canada’s commitment to safeguard our oceans. By strengthening domestic supply chains and prioritizing Canadian-made steel and materials, the strategy is taking another meaningful step forward and will play an even more central role in creating a resilient and prosperous economy,” said Lightbound.
