Davie Shipbuilding

Davie Shipbuilding is a Canadian shipbuilding and marine-services business based at Lauzon, in Lévis, Quebec, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River opposite Quebec City. Its origins are traced to 1825, when English-born ship captain Allison Davie and shipbuilder George Taylor became business partners. The enterprise developed from a nineteenth-century wooden-ship operation into a major builder of steel commercial vessels, naval ships, ferries, icebreakers, offshore vessels and marine-support platforms. The Lauzon facility is commonly described as North America's oldest shipyard that continues to use the name associated with its founding family, and it is regarded as Canada's remaining large-scale shipbuilding yard. The company’s early work included sailing ships, steamers, cargo carriers and passenger vessels. In the twentieth century it expanded into steel construction and naval production. During the Second World War, the yard built 35 warships, including minesweepers, corvettes and other naval vessels. Its postwar work included ferries, commercial ships, icebreakers, naval auxiliaries and destroyers. A major fire in 1955 severely damaged the yard and disrupted employment, but the facility was rebuilt and continued operating. Davie passed through numerous ownership and corporate structures. The Davie family sold the principal yard to Canada Steamship Lines in 1929, while a related family yard operated next door for part of the twentieth century. Later owners and operators included Soconav, Dome Petroleum, Versatile Corporation, Marine Industries, Dominion Bridge and other entities. Financial difficulties became recurrent during the 1980s and 1990s, when the business required government assistance, underwent rationalization and entered receivership and trusteeship. The Lauzon facility survived several closures and restructurings partly because of its large physical capacity and its involvement in major government and offshore projects. In the early 2000s the yard pursued work for the offshore oil and gas sector, including platform upgrades and vessel conversions. TECO Maritime acquired the facility in 2006, after which it was reorganized as Davie Yards Incorporated. TECO’s creditor protection in 2010 led to another restructuring. In 2011, Upper Lakes Group acquired the assets of the insolvent business and, with SNC-Lavalin and South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, formed the consortium behind Chantier Davie Canada Inc. Davie was not selected for the first major contracts under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, which went to Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards and Irving-owned Halifax Shipyard. Upper Lakes subsequently sold the yard to Inocea in 2012. Under Inocea ownership, Davie returned to major vessel construction. It launched the offshore construction vessel MV Cecon Pride in 2013, the first vessel launched from the yard in more than a decade. The facility later converted the container ship MS Asterix into MV Asterix, a combat-support vessel operated by Federal Fleet Services and leased to the Royal Canadian Navy. Davie also received work supporting the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates and the Société des traversiers du Québec’s LNG-capable ferry program. In 2020, the Canadian government selected Davie as a partner in the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The arrangement assigned the yard work associated with a large Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker and a future fleet of medium icebreakers. This reinforced Davie’s positioning around complex government vessels, Arctic capability, fleet support and long-term marine infrastructure rather than only commercial ship construction. The yard’s business now spans new construction, vessel conversion, repair, refit, maintenance and specialized marine engineering. Its historic site in Lauzon was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.

Davie’s history begins with Allison Davie and George Taylor, who formed a shipbuilding partnership in 1825. Taylor had established an earlier maritime business after immigrating from England, and the partners developed facilities on the St. Lawrence around Lauzon. Following Allison Davie’s death in 1836, his widow Elizabeth managed the enterprise until 1850, when it became George T. Davie & Sons under their son George Taylor Davie. The business built wooden sailing vessels and later steamships, cargo ships and passenger vessels. The name changed to Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing in 1914. In 1929 the family sold the main yard to Canada Steamship Lines, while members of the Davie family continued operating a separate adjacent facility. The family-linked operation remained active until the late twentieth century, passing through Logistec and Équimer before closing in 1989. The larger Lauzon yard experienced repeated changes in ownership. Canada Steamship Lines sold it during a 1970s restructuring to Soconav, a company associated with former Marine Industries employees and backed by Quebec’s Société générale de financement. Dome Petroleum acquired the yard in 1981, and Versatile Corporation acquired it in 1985, renaming it Versatile Davie. In 1986 Marine Industries and Versatile Davie were combined as MIL-Davie Shipbuilding. The Sorel facility and a Montreal facility were closed, while Lauzon remained open for major Marine Atlantic vessels and Canadian Patrol Frigate work. The yard built 35 warships during the Second World War, including Bangor-class minesweepers, Flower-class corvettes and River-class frigates. Later naval production included Canadian destroyers and the auxiliary vessel HMCS Provider. Commercial work included ferries, icebreakers and cargo vessels. A serious fire on 27 October 1955 began in the foundry and damaged much of the yard, although there were no reported fatalities. After the frigate program ended in the early 1990s, MIL-Davie and the Lauzon yard entered receivership. The Quebec government acquired the business and sold it to Dominion Bridge for a nominal price. Dominion Bridge later entered bankruptcy, placing the yard in trusteeship in 1998. A 2000 sale created Industries Davie, which pursued offshore projects such as a Petrobras semi-submersible-platform upgrade and a pipe-laying-vessel conversion. TECO Maritime ASA purchased the yard in 2006 and reorganized it as Davie Yards Incorporated. TECO sought creditor protection in 2010. A proposed Fincantieri acquisition failed in 2011, followed by a restructuring intended to allow Davie to compete in the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. Upper Lakes Group acquired the assets in July 2011 and formed Chantier Davie Canada with SNC-Lavalin and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Davie did not win the initial Coast Guard or naval packages, and its consortium partners later withdrew. Upper Lakes sold the yard to Inocea in November 2012. The Inocea era produced a gradual revival. MV Cecon Pride was launched in 2013, representing the first launch at the yard in over ten years. Davie converted MS Asterix into the combat-support ship MV Asterix, delivered in 2018, and participated in naval frigate maintenance. Its ferry work included an LNG-capable vessel for Quebec’s Société des traversiers du Québec. In 2020, Davie became a partner in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, with responsibilities connected to large and medium icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. The Lauzon site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990, recognizing its long contribution to Canadian shipbuilding.

1. 2020Davie joins the National Shipbuilding Strategy

   Davie was selected as a strategic partner for Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker construction and related fleet work.

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2. 2018MV Asterix delivered

   Davie completed the conversion of MS Asterix into a combat-support vessel for Canadian naval service.

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3. 2013MV Cecon Pride launched

   Davie launched the offshore construction vessel MV Cecon Pride, its first launch in more than a decade.

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4. 2012Inocea becomes owner

   Upper Lakes sold the yard to Inocea.

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5. 2011Upper Lakes acquires Davie assets

   Upper Lakes Group acquired the assets of the insolvent Davie Yards business and established the Chantier Davie Canada structure with consortium partners.

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6. 2006TECO Maritime acquires the yard

   The facility was sold to Norway’s TECO Maritime and reorganized as Davie Yards Incorporated.

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7. 1990Lauzon yard designated a National Historic Site

   The shipyard site received National Historic Site of Canada designation.

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8. 1986MIL-Davie Shipbuilding created

   Marine Industries and Versatile Davie were combined during a federally encouraged rationalization of Quebec shipyards.

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9. 1955Major Lauzon yard fire

   A fire that began in the foundry caused extensive damage and left many employees without work for several months.

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10. 1940Wartime naval production expands

    The yard built numerous Canadian naval vessels during the Second World War, ultimately completing 35 warships.

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11. 1914Name changes to Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing

    The family enterprise adopted the Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing name.

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12. 1825Davie-Taylor partnership formed

    Allison Davie and George Taylor established the partnership from which the Davie shipbuilding tradition is traced.

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A large, full-service Canadian shipyard positioned around complex vessel construction, naval and coast-guard programs, Arctic and icebreaking capability, vessel conversion, and lifecycle marine support.

• Naval vesselsDefence shipbuilding1940

  Davie has built Canadian naval vessels across several generations, including wartime minesweepers, corvettes and frigates, postwar destroyers, and naval auxiliary vessels. Historic examples include HMCS Gatineau, HMCS Qu’Appelle, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Huron, HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Provider.

• Icebreakers and Coast Guard vesselsGovernment and Arctic vessels

  The yard has built or worked on icebreaking and utility vessels, including CCGS D’Iberville, CCGS Griffon and CCGS Sir Humphrey Gilbert. Its current strategic positioning includes large and medium icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

• MV AsterixCombat-support vessel conversion2018

  MV Asterix was created through the conversion of the container ship MS Asterix into a naval combat-support vessel. Federal Fleet Services operates the ship and leases it to the Royal Canadian Navy, providing replenishment and support functions for deployed naval forces.

• MV Cecon PrideOffshore construction vessel2013

  MV Cecon Pride is a 130-metre multipurpose offshore construction vessel designed for work such as pipe laying, subsea construction and deep-sea well intervention. Its 2013 launch marked Davie’s return to vessel construction after a long interruption.

• FerriesPassenger and vehicle ferries1918

  Davie has built passenger and vehicle ferries over its history, including SS Canora, SS Charlottetown and MV Bluenose. In the modern period it also undertook construction of an LNG-capable ferry for Quebec’s Société des traversiers du Québec.

• Commercial and offshore vesselsCommercial shipbuilding and conversion

  The yard’s commercial portfolio has included cargo carriers, bulk carriers, steamships, offshore construction vessels, pipe-laying conversions and oil-and-gas platform work. This work complements its government shipbuilding and repair activities.

• 2020Become a National Shipbuilding Strategy partnerStrategy

  Canada needed additional industrial capacity for Coast Guard icebreakers and sought to expand the long-term national shipbuilding program beyond its initial yards.

  What changed. The federal government selected Davie as a partner for completion of a large icebreaker and construction of medium icebreakers.

  Aftermath. The selection strengthened Davie’s role in Canadian public-sector shipbuilding and emphasized Arctic and icebreaking work as a core growth area.

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• 2018Deliver the MV Asterix conversionProduct launch

  The Royal Canadian Navy required additional replenishment and combat-support capacity, while Federal Fleet Services pursued a commercial arrangement with the government.

  What changed. Davie converted MS Asterix into the naval support ship MV Asterix for Federal Fleet Services.

  Aftermath. The vessel was delivered and leased to the Royal Canadian Navy, becoming a prominent modern example of Davie’s conversion capability.

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• 2011Restructure to compete for the National Shipbuilding Procurement StrategyStrategy

  After TECO Maritime’s financial difficulties and the collapse of a proposed Fincantieri transaction, Davie needed a new ownership and operating structure to qualify for Canada’s major federal shipbuilding competition.

  What changed. Upper Lakes Group acquired the yard’s assets and formed Chantier Davie Canada with SNC-Lavalin and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering as consortium participants.

  Aftermath. Davie was not awarded the initial Coast Guard or naval packages. Daewoo and SNC-Lavalin later withdrew, while Upper Lakes sold the yard to Inocea in 2012.

  • Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards — Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards won the Coast Guard package in the initial procurement.
  • Halifax Shipyard — Halifax Shipyard won the initial naval package.
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• 2020Davie selected as a National Shipbuilding Strategy partner

  The Canadian government selected Davie to participate in the National Shipbuilding Strategy, including work on a large Coast Guard icebreaker and a future medium-icebreaker fleet.

  Product launch
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• 2018Davie delivers MV Asterix combat-support ship

  Davie completed the conversion of MS Asterix into a naval combat-support vessel for Federal Fleet Services, which leased the ship to the Royal Canadian Navy.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2018Davie joins Halifax-class frigate maintenance arrangement

  Davie, Victoria Shipyards and Halifax Shipyard agreed to share a federal maintenance and repair program for Halifax-class frigates. The arrangement was subsequently described as covering three east-coast frigates for approximately $500 million.

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• 2014Davie bid for Canadian icebreaker is rejected

  The federal government rejected Davie’s fixed-price proposal for Canada’s next icebreaker, citing concerns about the credibility, viability and reliability of the participating companies.

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• 2013Davie launches MV Cecon Pride after more than a decade without a launch

  The Lauzon yard launched the 130-metre offshore construction vessel MV Cecon Pride, marking a significant return to ship construction after a prolonged period of inactivity and restructuring.

  Product launchOther
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1. Davie Shipbuilding
2. Chantier Davie Canada