Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $15.7-billion 鈥渞enewal鈥� of Canada鈥檚 Coast Guard flanked by several local Liberal MPs in 麻豆传媒映画Wednesday.
As part of this 鈥渃omplete fleet renewal,鈥� the Trudeau government plans to build 16 multipurpose ships as well as two Arctic patrol ships modified for Coast Guard use.
Justin Trudeau was in 麻豆传媒映画today to announce a $15.7-billion plan to 鈥渞enew鈥� Canada鈥檚 Coast Guard. Photo Dan Toulgoet
鈥淐anadians deserve better than having this fleet rust out,鈥� Trudeau told media at the HMCS Discovery naval base in Stanley Park. The Coast Guard鈥檚 aging fleet of vessels聽聽significant concern in recent years.
The $15.7-billion figure represents an聽聽of the construction, logistics and support, contingency, project management and infrastructure costs that will go into the 18 new ships. This is the聽聽into the Canadian Coast Guard, according to Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Trudeau said the shipbuilding project will be 鈥渁nchored鈥� in B.C, creating 鈥渃ertainty and long-term viability for the 麻豆传媒映画shipbuilding industry 鈥撯�� which means even more good, middleclass jobs down the road.鈥� The government plans to build 16 of the new ships at Seaspan鈥檚 麻豆传媒映画Shipyards, while the two Arctic patrol ships will be constructed at Irving Shipyards in Nova Scotia.
Flanked by several local Liberal MPs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the shipbuilding project will be 鈥渁nchored鈥� in B.C, creating 鈥渃ertainty and long-term viability for the 麻豆传媒映画shipbuilding industry.鈥� Photo Dan Toulgoet
The government also announced a聽聽to fortify the maritime agency and its future, including efforts to extend the life of current vessels and undergoing a competitive process to find a third shipyard to partner with the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Shortly after the announcement in Stanley Park, Trudeau was whisked away to a Liberal fundraiser at the Opus Hotel where an anti-Trans Mountain pipeline protester interrupted the prime minister鈥檚 speech.
鈥淥ur waters, those are our spiritual highways. You have no right to do that to us,鈥� Will George, a聽Tsleil-Waututh Nation member,聽听罢谤耻诲别补耻.
Trudeau responded that聽聽the controversial pipeline expansion project. In fact, most Canadians聽聽the construction of new pipelines, he argued. Still, opposition to Trans Mountain remains, as evidenced by the rally outside the Opus Hotel.
Protesters gathered outside the Opus Hotel in 麻豆传媒映画this afternoon where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was speaking at a Liberal Party fundraiser. Photo Dan Toulgoet
Trudeau was slated to speak at another Liberal event Wednesday evening at the Neptune Palace Restaurant in south Vancouver. Activists associated with Protect the Inlet have been 聽the prime minister all day, driving around in a truck decked out with a jumbotron broadcasting anti-pipeline messages.
The federal cabinet expects to deliver a聽聽on the Trans Mountain expansion by June 18, after current consultations with Indigenous groups have wrapped up.
