Steel officially cut for new Navy ships in Halifax

The Irving Shipbuilding shipyard has started cutting steel for the next fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy’s next generation of warships.

According to the government, the 15 warships are the largest shipbuilding initiative for Canada since the Second World War.

First being announced in 2011, the project originally came with a price tag of $25 billion.

Minister of Defence, Bill Blair says the price has since gone up.

“As a result, above that design phase this project is likely to cost us, for delivery of all 15 ships, somewhere between 50 and 60 billion dollars, so there has been an increase in cost,” said Blair.

In an interview with CTV News on Thursday, Blair said the very first of the ships are expected to be complete by the early 2030s, with nine finished by 2040, and the full 15 being finished by the 2050s.

In a statement to CTV News on Friday, the NDP’s weighed in on the subject, saying: “Almost half of the CAF's equipment doesn't work due to deep cuts from the Conservative government and the Liberals unwillingness to invest properly. A New Democratic government will build a strong domestic manufacturing base to deliver the equipment the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard need and invest adequately in CAF's housing and services.”

Conservative shadow minister of defence, James Bezan, says the current equipment has become outdated.

“Not only has the Trudeau government failed to recruit enough sailors to the Royal Canadian Navy, our warships are rusting out and aging faster than expected leaving our navy incapable,” said Bezan.

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