Québec Marine Transportation Policy - Transport - Gouvernement ...

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1.6 Related maritime industries and services
Marine transportation handles 75% of all goods carried in the world today. Globalisation is
becoming more and more of a reality, but should not negatively affect the shipping industry. It
would seem, on the contrary, that the need for new ships will in fact increase. The shipbuilding
and repair sectors are essential to an efficient shipping industry as they develop and supply the
services needed to keep vessels in good working condition for national and international trade.
The shipping industry also contributes to the development
of maritime equipment and provides quality employment
for hundreds of workers. The passage of ships on the Saint-
Laurent creates an increased need for support from various
sectors. New satellite technology has made navigational
instruments and traffic control systems more sophisticated. Environmental concerns have led to
the development of specific mechanisms in the fight against pollution, such as the treatment of
ballast water and waste from ships, and these mechanisms require specialized facilities. Changes
in the overall picture, therefore, have led to the development of related service industries.
The need for new ships
will in fact increase
Shipbuilding and repair are complementary industries to the shipping industry and are powerful
economic development tools, as can be seen in South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan where
these industries are thriving. These countries alone control two-thirds of the world’s shipbuilding
market. These sectors also occupy an important position in the economies of a number of other
countries, Québec included. The golden age of shipbuilding in Québec is still a part of the very
recent past. From the end of the Second World War to the years following the opening of the
St. Lawrence Seaway, the shipyards of Québec were bustling and a large number of them dotted
the coast of the Saint-Laurent.
A number of political decisions taken in the eighties, however, considerably slowed the industry
in Québec. The federal government did a great disservice to Québec shipyards when it decided
to use negotiated contracts rather than tenders to allocate frigate building and repair contracts.
The great beneficiaries of the new policy were the shipyards of St. John Shipbuilding in Saint
John, New Brunswick, the Irving Halifax Shipyard group in Nova Scotia and the Marystown
Shipyards in Newfoundland.