Film Jobs Calgary

BC antes up $40-million to help snare shipbuilding deal

The B.C. government showed its hand Monday in the fierce competition for the federal $35-billion shipbuilding contract, announcing a package of measures worth $40-million over 30 years to bolster the bid of the Vancouver Shipyards Co.

B.C.’s support comes after Nova Scotia offered a $20-million loan to bidder Irving Shipbuilding Inc. of Halifax to upgrade the Halifax dry dock, and Quebec indicated that contracts to build twin ferries could be awarded to a Quebec shipbuilder without tenders.

The involvement of provincial governments in supporting local bids reflects the competition’s high stakes. The decision will make a fundamental difference in the shape of Canada’s shipbuilding industry.

Those that receive a contract will survive and those who do not will likely cease to exist, David Zimmerman, a military historian at the University of Victoria, said Monday in an interview.

Robert Huebert, of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, said all the provinces are assuming that whoever receives the nod will be controlling shipbuilding for a long period. “This is why the provinces are now starting to really step up to supporting their shipyards,” he said in an e-mail response to questions.

The deadline closed last week on bids for the shipbuilding contracts. The federal government has said two contracts will be awarded: one for combat ships worth about $28.5-million and a second for Coast Guard and other vessels.

Vancouver Shipyards Co. is competing against Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and a consortium made up of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., of Quebec, Upper Lakes Group of Ontario and Daewoo of South Korea.

B.C. Jobs Minister Pat Bell said in an interview that B.C. had lost its capacity for shipbuilding in recent decades. The federal contracts create an opportunity to bring new life to the industry.

“This is an industry we think has a strong future in B.C. and we want to make sure we give Seaspan [the parent company of bidder Vancouver Shipyards Co.] the best possible opportunity they could have to win the bid,” Mr. Bell said.

The Vancouver shipyard, which employs 287 people, could provide as many as 3,433 jobs at the peak of the 30-year construction program if the company is awarded the larger contract to build warships, according to a consultants report. An affiliated shipyard in Victoria, which currently employs 772 people, would provide twice as many jobs at the peak of the contract, the report said.

FFWD - Calgary Music - Music Features - Chameleon artists making ...

Calgary actor Trevor Leigh received training at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse, a popular acting school associated with the legendary actor Sanford Meisner, known for his development of method acting. Leigh has performed on several major stages in Calgary and beyond as well as in numerous film and television gigs. This year, he received a Betty nomination for his portrayal of the wicked hunchback in Richard III Despite his extensive experience and training, Leigh has “a lot of things going on” to keep him financially stable. Not only does he rent out a couple of properties for extra income, he rents himself out as a good, ol’-fashioned handyman, willing and able to do everything from plumbing and bathroom renovations to caulking windows and fence construction. Orton’s situation reflects the seasonal nature of an actor’s work in Calgary. Typically, the theatre season runs from September to May or sometimes early June. As stage regular Christian Goutsis points out, Calgary doesn’t have an active summer stock scene, so there’s very little — if any — theatre work for actors (and designers, stage managers and directors) from June to August. And the local film and television industry isn’t exactly booming. “I think in order to be a full-time musician,” says Calgary singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, “you (removed extra space at the beginning of the quotation) have to really go for it, and be on the road all the time, and make your costs minimal. That can be pretty hard on a lot of other parts of life that are important to most people.” Louie tours with her band about three times a year, usually travelling across Canada to perform on the East Coast. In the past, she has tried to cover the majority of the band’s expenses while on tour — with, she emphasizes, help from parental loans — (spacing) as the money they pick up from gigs on the road isn’t enough to cover everything. “As someone starting out in the music industry, Calgary is awesome,” Bruch explains. “Everybody is so supportive. It’s like a big family. You can have a second job and it’s great. You can expect 100 people at a show. It’s going to be fun whenever you play. But then you don’t want to step outside of the box.” Like local musicians, most visual artists in Calgary also have to work regular jobs to make ends meet.

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