Will government support a graving dock for Marystown?

The federal government announced its $35 billion shipbuilding strategy last week and one of the shipyards considered to be a contender for some of this work is the Marystown Shipyard. However, it is still uncertain as to whether the provincial government will provide any financial support to help build a graving dock at the facility to help its bid against other Canadian shipyards, says Opposition House Leader Kelvin Parsons. The issue was raised earlier today in the House of Assembly.

Since 2006, Marystown has been lobbying the provincial government for financial help to build a graving dock which could improve the town’s chances of winning federal shipbuilding contracts. According to media reports, town officials have met with three Business Ministers and their local MHAs, yet no commitment has been made.

“The federal shipbuilding strategy could provide a much needed boost to the economy of the Burin Peninsula if Marystown is successful in winning some of these contracts,” said Mr. Parsons. “The availability of a graving dock could help Marystown’s chances against other shipyards in the country with similar infrastructure. We know this issue has been discussed around the Cabinet table for over four years, yet there has still been no commitment from the provincial government as to whether they are willing to support this initiative.

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