16 - Wednesday, September 26. High Million dollar contracts infuse optimism into local shipbuilders THE B.C. shipbuilding in- dustry, which some industry had diagnosed as being terminally ill after the killed the $640 million Polar Class won by North Vancouver-based Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc. (VPSI), has received a much needed financial shot in the arm and is now back insiders federal government 8 icebreaker contract on the road to recovery. By Surj Rattan News Reporter At least that’s how some local industry executives view B.C.’s struggling shipbuilding sector. But while Dave Longdale, VPSI's director of business devel- opment, says the B.C. ship- building industry can only get healthier now that the B.C. Ferry Corp. (BCFC) has awarded VPS! the contract to build one of two $120 million, 470 vehicle, 2,100 passenger superferries, at least one other North Vancouver ship- builder is not so sure the depress- ed industry can recover. And the president of the union which represents the bulk of B.C.’s unionized shipyard workers says the industry cannot solely re- ly on the superferry contract if it is going to continue to survive. Longdale says B.C. companies will supply over 80 per cent of the equipment to be used to build the superferry, **We'’ve included local manu- facturers as much as possible. The ripple effect to B.C. will be about $100 million of value going into the economy,’’ says Longdale. “It’s a great feeling for everyone that there is now a future here for us. We proved something to ourselves by beating the best in the world, It’s a big confidence builder.’’ By ‘‘beating the best in the world,’’ Longdale was referring to the four international shipyards which placed bids on either one or Fire department on safety hunt THE NORTH Vancouver District Fire Department is opening up its fire halls to accept unsafe cribs, baby gates and baby walkers as part of its participation in the KidsCare Safety Hunt, a national program coordinated by Con- sumer and Corporate Affairs Canada. During Safety Hunt, which runs to Sept. 30, the fire department is encouraging the public to turn in their unsafe children’s products. As a general rule, it is unlikely that any crib made before 1986 will meet current safety standards. Parents should be able to find the date of manufacture marked on the crib itself. Baby gates that have diamond- shaped openings large enough for a child's head to fit through have been banned. For baby walkers, there has been a voluntary safety standard in place since June 1989. Al- though it is legal to sell old baby walkers, iC is not advisable to use them. The drop of locations for Safety Hunt on the North Shore are at 1110 Lynn Valley Rd., 480 Moun- tain Highway, 550 Montroyal Blvd... 3891) Mount Seymour Parkway and 1221 West [5th St. in North Vancouver. . 1990 - North Shore News hopes on the water NEWS photo Paul McGrath A WORKER at Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. scrapes the hull of a tug boat. Tom Ward, general manager of the North Vancouver-based company, says things are now looking up for the B.C. shipyard. industry after the provincial government awzrded Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc. the contract to build one of two superferries for the B.C. Ferry Corp. Although Vancouver Shipyards plans to help buitd the vessel, the company was served with 72-hour strike notice on Monday. builders Union. And while Marine and Boiler- makers’ Industrial Union, a se- cond shipyard union, president George McPherson said he was happy to see the provincial gov- ernment reject the international bids, he adds that Victoria’s move was politically motivated, in light of recent speculation that Premier Bill Vander Zalm will call a fall election. “We were very pleased they (provincial government) did it. It was a gutsy move on Bill Vander Zalm's part. Having said that, | would have been happier if they did it in the middle of their man- date-and not at the end,” says McPherson. “Tr think both of the superferry contracts. They included shipyards from ihe United States, Finland, Japan and Yugoslavia. Even though VPSI's bid of $120 million for the one vessel it bid on was well ‘above the $95 million bid submit- ted by Halter Marine Inc. of Gulfport, Mississippi, Victoria re- jected all international bids and opted to go with VPSI on the first vessel, expected for delivery in 1993. Transportation and Highways Minister Rita Johnston said the provincial cabinet rejected the in- ternational bids after it was learn- ed they could either not deliver the vessels on time or could not deliver the ferries at an ‘‘accept- able price.’’ Tom Ward, general manager of North Vancouver-based Van- couver Shipyards Co. Ltd., agrees with Longdale that things are now Starting to look up for the B.C. shipbuilding industry. ‘*} think we're on the way up. It looks like in the next couple of years the shipbuilding industry will have good employment levels,"’ says Ward. ‘‘Things are a lot better today than they were 12 months ago, particularly in North Vancouver. But while things may be im- proving for the B.C. shipyard in- dustry as a whole, labor unrest has hit Vanccuver Shipyards, which was served with 72-hour strike notice on Monday by the local 506 of the Marine and Ship- the superferries will CHILDCARE SERVICE EVERYDAY 9:30am - 12:30pm TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS 4:30 - 7:30pm MUSCLE CONNECTION RON ZALKO HEALTH CLUB RON ZALKO RON ZALKO INTERNATIONAL PLAZA COMPLEX FITNESS CONNECTION 1989 MARINE DR. 2660 WEST 4TH AVE. 2625 WEST 4TH AVE. NORTH SHORE 986-3487 KITSILANO 736-0341 KITSILANO 736-0341 NOW OPEN MORNINGS MON + WED ° FRI - FROM 7 AM on give the industry some form of a turn around. We're hoping there will be more work to come,’ he said. After VPS was awarded the contract to build the first superferry, John Dane HI, presi- dent of the Trinity Marine Group, the parent company of the Mississippi-based Halter Marine Inc., charged the BCFC had no business calling for international bids if it was not going to award any of the contracts to those bid- ders. The BCFC move has angered the U.S. shipbuilding industry. While American shipyards are free to bid on Canadian contracts, Canadian shipbuilders are pro- hibited trom bidding on vessels commissioned by U.S. companies because of the Jones Act legisla- tion which was passed by the U.S, Coneress several years ago. Ix is a move McPherson calls unfair. “HF they (U.S.) were honest about their free trade, then they would let us bid on their con- tracts. We could make a dent in that market. There's a lot we could do there,’ says McPherson. He adds that he is not surprised by comments made by a group representing U.S. shipbuilders that some retaliatory action may be taken against B.C. for not awar- ding Halter Marine the superferry contract. Ward, whose Vancouver Ship- yards, along with Allied Ship- builders of North Vancouver, is expected to receive sub-contracts for the superferry construction, agrees with McPherson that the U.S. shipbuilding industry is not playing on a level playing field when it comes to bidding on in- ternational contracts. “*They (U.S.) never have been on a ievel playing field. | believe the provincial government has done the right thing by having taxpayers’ dollars spent in Canada,”’ says Ward. ‘‘The U.S. yards have never allowed Cana- dian shipbuilders to bid on U.S. contracts.”” But some industry observers argue the BCFC is making a See Shipbuilders Page 12 WE ACCEPT “MEMBERSHIP” TRADE (HS