- Honkin’ Big Ship (HBS) contracts awarded: “…. The combat package includes the Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic Offshore Patrol ships and the Canadian Surface Combatants ships. The non-combat package includes the Navy’s joint support ships, the Canadian Coast Guard’s off-shore science vessels and the new polar icebreaker. Small ship construction (116 vessels), an estimated value of $2 billion, will be set aside for competitive procurement amongst Canadian shipyards other than the yards selected to build large vessels. Regular maintenance and repair, valued at $500 million annually, will be open to all shipyards through normal procurement processes. Irving Shipbuilding Inc. has been selected to build the combat vessel work package (21 vessels), and Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. has been selected to build the non-combat vessel work package (7 vessels). The total value of both packages is $33 billion and will span 20 to 30 years ….” More in the government backgrounder here.
- Media coverage of HBS contracts: QMI/Sun Media, Victoria Times-Colonist, Vancouver Sun, CBC.ca, Globe & Mail, CTV.ca, Charlottetown Guardian, Toronto Star, Reuters and canadianbusines.com.
- HBS editorial from the National Post: “…. The Tories are to be congratulated for devising a tamper-proof, corruption-free, unbiased system for awarding such large contracts. We realize that they originally built this process in large part as a means to cover themselves from the political fallout of hard, unpopular contracting decisions. Nevertheless, they are to be congratulated for sticking with it to the end, despite the potentially controversial result in this case ….”
- A more “glass is half empty” HBS opinion. “The denouement of the great multi-billion-dollar shipbuilding bonanza has left almost everyone popping Champagne corks —except perhaps Quebec, and the poor, bloody taxpayer who will end up footing the bill for the inevitable cost overruns and delays that will result from the government’s made-in-Canada national strategy ….”
- More HBS commentary: “…. It’s almost a no-win situation for the government. Still, the only way to prevent this from becoming the Harper government’s CF-18 moment is for them to hew scrupulously to their technocratic bid process.”
- More HBS analysis: “…. Despite efforts taken to eliminate appearances of partisan interference, it continues to swirl around the billions of dollars in contracts. “Whatever the outcome, the decision is likely to unleash a firestorm,” said Christian Leuprecht from the Queen’s University Centre for International and Defence Policy. “There are no obvious pork-barrel political choices here,” he said, noting the ridings around the Halifax shipyard are all NDP, as are those around the Vancouver shipyard — although some of the neighbouring ridings went Conservative — and around the Davie Shipyard in Quebec City. “If you’re trying to prop up Canada’s industrial heartland, Ontario and Quebec, which has been hurting pretty bad economically and where the Conservatives would be likely to get the most political bang for their buck in terms of votes, the core bid would go to the Davie shipyard.” ….”
- What (else is) Canada Buying? “Sleds, self-propelled” for Shilo, Petawawa – more technical details in excerpt from bid document (11 page PDF) here.
- Libya Mission Canada’s Sea Kings busy over the Med (via CEFCOM Info-Machine)
- Afghanistan Canadians take part in German Unity Day parade in northern Afghanistan (via Regional Support Command-North/NTM-A Info-Machine)
- “Canadian federal officials will participate in an annual crisis management exercise organized by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from October 19 to 26, 2011. Canada’s part in the international exercise will be played from government offices in Ottawa and linked to Canada’s NATO delegation. Crisis Management Exercise 2011 (CMX 11) provides an international forum to test, evaluate and improve coordination, intelligence and information sharing amongst federal departments and agencies with NATO Allies. It will ensure that we work effectively with our international partners to respond to emergencies in Canada or abroad. …. This exercise will involve civilian and military officials from all 28 NATO member nations, NATO Headquarters and NATO Strategic Commands, as well as participants from Sweden and Finland. Lessons learned from the exercise will enhance Canada’s ability to work together with Allies to confront threats of all kinds ….”
- Stuart Landridge, R.I.P. (1) “A public hearing into the suicide of Edmonton-based soldier Cpl. Stuart Langridge will start in Ottawa on Feb. 27. Langridge hanged himself in March 2008 following several earlier suicide attempts. The young soldier suffered from severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and struggled with substance abuse after he returned from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2005. The Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) announced last month that a hearing would be held. The date was set on Wednesday. The hearing comes after Langridge’s parents filed a formal complaint with the commission. Sheila and Shaun Fynes allege the probe conducted by the Canadian Forces National Investigations Service was not impartial or independent, and aimed to absolve the military of any responsibility for their son’s death ….”
- Stuart Landridge, R.I.P. (2) Family seeking help from CF for lawyers to represent them – more here.
- Ooopsie…. “Some Canadian soldiers are feeling a little unappreciated after home improvement retail giant Lowe’s announced it would pull its discount program it said was offered by mistake – the discount program was only intended for U.S. military members. The U.S.-based company had offered the 10% discount since 2008 to members of the Canadian Armed Forces at four stores – two in Ottawa, one in Kingston, Ont., and one in Belleville, near CFB Trenton. The company said the program was never intended for Canada and just recently realized its error. “I’m not able to get into the specifics of our (Lowe’s) systems and processes, but it (the discount) was a combination of misunderstanding and miscommunication that unfortunately went undetected until now,” Joanne Elson, corporate communications manager with Lowe’s Canada, said Wednesday ….”
- Mark Collins’ impressions of testimony on organization of the CF at a recent Senate Standing Committee hearing.
- More back and forth in the House of Commons on east coast search and rescue. “Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John’s South—Mount Pearl, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the worst search and rescue response times in the world. A recent incident off Bell Island, Newfoundland showed just how bad it was. After emergency flares were fired in the area, the Coast Guard called in a provincial ferry, full of passengers, to help the search and rescue effort. It then took the Canadian Coast Guard vessel over three hours to arrive on the scene. This is not about a limo service from a fishing lodge; this is about human lives. How long would the minister be prepared to wait in icy water before being rescued? Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows full well that the search and rescue system is made up of a network of potential responders that includes the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard auxiliary, the Canadian Forces and any vessel of opportunity. Any vessel within the vicinity of a search and rescue call can be asked to assist. When the flares are discharged, the CCG will treat it as a matter of distress. If the member would like to be constructive, he would help us to take this message back to the public so that lives are not put at unnecessary risk.”
- Tory MP Tilly O’Neill Gordon (Miramichi) salutes women in the CF in the House of Commons. “October is Women’s History Month in Canada. This year’s theme, Women in Canadian Military Forces: A Proud Legacy, highlights the important contributions of women to the Canadian military forces throughout Canada’s history. It is an ideal time to learn about the work of outstanding women who serve and protect Canada and Canadians through key roles in the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Women such as Elizabeth Gregory MacGill, the first woman aircraft designer in the world, Josée Kurtz, the first woman to command a warship, and Marie Louise Fish, the first woman to serve as a naval officer at sea, are inspiring leaders. Their milestone achievements helped pave the way for women in the Canadian military. On behalf of all Canadians, we thank them for being an important part of our national military history.”
- A Conservative MP presents a nuclear disarmament petition in the House. “Canadians are well aware of the destructive power of nuclear weapons, a power that the world’s worst dictators and terrorists are trying to acquire. I would like to present to the House a petition from the Oakville chapter of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The petition is signed by 330 residents of Oakville. The petitioners ask the government to commit to the motion passed by the House on December 7, 2010, regarding the global disarmament of nuclear weapons. I am happy to present this petition for a response from our government.” The text of the December 2010 motion: “By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the House of Commons: (a) recognize the danger posed by the proliferation of nuclear materials and technology to peace and security; (b) endorse the statement, signed by 500 members, officers and companions of the Order of Canada, underlining the importance of addressing the challenge of more intense nuclear proliferation and the progress of and opportunity for nuclear disarmament; (c) endorse the 2008 five-point plan for nuclear disarmament of Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and encourage the Government of Canada to engage in negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention as proposed by the United Nations Secretary-General; (d) support the initiatives for nuclear disarmament of President Obama of the United States of America; and (e) commend the decision of the Government of Canada to participate in the landmark Nuclear Security Summit and encourage the Government of Canada to deploy a major world-wide Canadian diplomatic initiative in support of preventing nuclear proliferation and increasing the rate of nuclear disarmament.”
- Letter to the editor: let’s not forget the Aboriginal contribution to the War of 1812. “Canadians are unaware of the full import of the role of First Nations and the pivotal role the War of 1812 played in the history of Canada’s treatment of aboriginal peoples. Many historians believe that Britain would have lost the war without the aboriginal military strength. Canada’s very existence depended on First Nations co-operation …. Native leaders like Tecumseh hoped for an alliance with Britain to help prevent the elimination of First Nations at the hands of the U.S. The British proclamation of 1763 had meant recognition and accommodation of aboriginal peoples by Britain. First Nations were military allies against the Americans ….”
Tag: Bell Island
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 9 Oct 11
- Looking for a hand from Canada in Darfur. “Canada’s help could be critical in assisting the development of a “new roadmap” for the Darfur peace process, the head of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari, said in talks with senior Canadian Government officials during a three-day visit to Ottawa. Canada has been a major backer of peacekeeping efforts in Darfur and in particular of the two-year peace process among the parties to the Darfur conflict in Doha, Qatar. In addition to leading UNAMID, the AU-UN peacekeeping mission, JSR Gambari is also the interim Chief Joint Mediator in the Darfur peace talks. “Canada has played an important and substantial role in the development of a comprehensive peace in Darfur,” JSR Gambari told Margaret Biggs, president of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in a meeting Wednesday. “We now have a unique opportunity for a new beginning, an enduring peace and a way forward towards a better future for all Darfuris.” ….” More here.
- Afghanistan (1) Covering the troops training (but not from in Afghanistan – note “Edmonton” placeline, meaning that’s where the story was written). “As a reservist charged mainly with the security job of driving people around Kabul in 2008, Jennifer Scott of Edmonton imagined that if she ever returned to Afghanistan, her next role would be one in combat. “But we’ve moved past that, which is a great thing,” the now 22-year-old corporal said last week, calling from the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Scott is among roughly 40 Edmonton-based soldiers assigned to train, advise and mentor Afghan soldiers at Camp Shaheen as they, in turn, train new recruits. “This time I get to actually interact a lot more with the Afghan National Army,” Scott said. “I’m learning a lot from them, and you know, they’re learning a lot from us. It’s going pretty good so far.” ….”
- Afghanistan (2) More on starting the process to bring Khadr Boy back to Canada. “The bureaucratic process has begun to bring Omar Khadr back to Canada. Brydie Bethell, one of Khadr’s Canadian lawyers, confirmed Friday the application had been made to repatriate the 25-year-old. The process is reportedly now in the hands of the Correctional Service of Canada ….”
- What’s Canada Buying? “L-3 MAPPS (has) announced …. that it has been awarded a contract to supply degaussing systems for the Royal Canadian Navy’s 12 KINGSTON-Class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels. These advanced degaussing systems will be delivered and supported locally in collaboration with SAM Electronics, an L-3 company, which produces one of the most effective means of ship protection against modern sea mines. The SAM Electronics solution reduces the magnetic signature of ships to safe levels mitigating the threat from sea mines and has been successfully delivered to 15 of the world’s leading navies ….”
- “The military has ordered a detailed survey of two Second World War shipwrecks off Newfoundland for fear recreational divers might accidentally trigger leftover explosives. The two wrecks are among four sunk by torpedoes fired from German U-boats prowling the waters off Bell Island, N.L., in 1942. The iron-ore transports SS Saganaga and P.L.M. 27 each carried defensive arms to counter such attacks as they travelled to and from the busy steel mills in Cape Breton. Since the sinkings 69 years ago, recreational divers have flocked each summer to the two well-preserved wreck sites, located in relatively shallow, cold waters ….”