Vancouver Island firm Ocean Pacific Marine wins $74.7 million RCMP patrol vessel contract
Campbell River-based company will design and build three advanced patrol vessels for the RCMP's West Coast Marine Services.
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The federal government has awarded Ocean Pacific Marine, a Campbell River-based shipbuilder, a $74.7 million contract to design and build three Next Generation Police Coastal Patrol Vessels for the RCMP's West Coast Marine Services.
The advanced aluminum patrol vessels will be designed through a joint venture between Ocean Pacific Marine and Camarc Design, a Scottish naval architecture firm whose patrol vessel designs are in service with police, coast guard, naval and rescue agencies worldwide. The new vessels will replace and modernize the RCMP's existing coastal patrol fleet, improving law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency response, and policing services for remote coastal communities across B.C.'s 26,000 kilometres of coastline.
"This award represents much more than the design and construction of three vessels," said Bruce Kempling, president of Ocean Pacific Marine, which he founded in 1985. "It is recognition that a small business from Campbell River can compete on the national stage and deliver world-class marine projects."
Construction is expected to generate significant long-term economic benefits for Campbell River and B.C.'s marine industry, supporting skilled employment in welding, marine engineering, electrical and mechanical trades, and project management. The project will also create work for a network of B.C.-based suppliers and subcontractors, including Richmond-based Bracewell Marine Group.
