At Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyard, it was all hands on deck for a much needed two-week refit of the massive Carnival Radiance. “About 50,000 hours of work in two weeks,” said Martin Drews, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards’ vice-president. “It’s full time, 24/7.” There are roughly 1,000 tradespeople working around the clock to replace the main propeller shaft seals, and the majority of its thrusters are being replaced. That is just a fraction of the projects being completed from a very long list. “These types of projects are really important for growing the maritime sector,” said Drews. Roughly 30 per cent of Seaspan’s Esquimalt business is commercial work involving cruise ships, cargo vessels and B.C. Ferries. The remainder is made up of maintaining the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific Fleet. “We have a very unique skill set,” said Drews. “Our workforce is able to work on these types of vessels and at the same time work on submarines and major surface combatants of the navy fleet.” Seaspan Victoria estimates that it contributes $300 million per year to B.C.’s GDP, with tens of millions of dollars going directly into the local economy. Drews says he would like to see his workforce grow by at least 500 tradespeople in the coming years. That is due to all the potential work that could be coming the company’s way over the next 20 years as a result of the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Included in that are new warships, Arctic patrol vessels and long-range patrol submarines. “This is the time to be in the navy but also in the maritime industry because this is going to take time to build the infrastructure, to build those ships and then maintain those ships well into the future,” said Drews. The Esquimalt Graving Dock is owned by the federal government and was built in 1927. Seaspan is its tenant. It is one of six graving docks that were built in the early 1900s around the world to support the growing maritime industry at the time. Five years ago, it underwent an expansion of 350 metres in length and can now accommodate two ships at a time. Fulvio Persico is the captain of the Carnival Radiance. He says the reason the cruise ship came to Esquimalt is because it was close to its home port in Long Beach, Calif. The Radiance is here with its crew of more than 1,000. “The crew is working, of course, but in their free time they have the chance to go out and explore the surroundings, so at the moment we have no complaints,” said Persico. At the same time, those crew members are spending money in and around the Capital Region. The main reason Seaspan Victoria Shipyard is so busy is because it is located along the cruise route to Alaska. It allows ships to make a quick two- to three-week pit stop in Esquimalt before returning to service. “It is absolutely a gem both from a commercial aspect but also what it means to the defence industry,” said Drews. Over the coming years, it is only going to become busier, employing hundreds more people while helping to feed the local economy on southern Vancouver Island.
