DND Shipbuilding Contract - Page 3

RyeJay · #41 Posted **Oct 16, 2011, 10:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Right now there are plans to have high speed rail between US and 3 of Canada's biggest cities before 2020. Those being Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Very highly populated and frequent buses running more than once an hour between some. Passenger high speed won't happen here in the Maritimes but it is possible that it could work for the shipping industry. Sure would be nice to be able to get containers off the ships and onto trains that can do excess of 220kph. I'm not sure what cost vs. savings would be but with cost of fuel and maintenance it might balance out.

If you have any information about those projects I would love the opportunity to reading about them. Everything I've been exposed to has lead me to think that nothing is beyond advocacy. I wasn't aware anything was actually being considered.

And you're correct in that a Maritimer population cannot support high speed rail through passenger traffic; only its cargo shipping can. It is our only option, but fortunately not a weak option.

I hope the continued growth of container traffic in the Halifax Harbour helps makes this case.

Servicing ships with product destined for Quebec/Ontario is within grasp of the Gateway's abilities, but to obtain New Englander business we need the ability of getting products moved faster. We have an opportunity to build upon the advantage our geography has given us.

Please also consider how nothing is stopping the American ports from implementing high speed to take our Quebec/Ontario market (should they ever clear their poltical stagnation).

someone123 · #42 Posted **Oct 16, 2011, 11:38 PM**

Does any country have a high-speed freight system? I would guess no. The mass of the trains would be much higher and for most freight quicker travel times aren't worth much. For the small volume of time-sensitive freight there are the courier companies that ship by air.

I don't think the Maritimes can support HSR but there's a big range of service levels between HSR and what exists currently. Simply having efficient, reliable conventional service would be a huge step up from VIA. A train service going downtown-downtown Halifax to Moncton that took about 2 hours, had okay times, and didn't cost much would be useful.

VIA is like living in a leaky trailer. Yes, a mansion would be great, but even if we can't afford it there are plenty of other options that would be a step up.

halifaxboyns · #43 Posted **Oct 16, 2011, 11:49 PM**

I got this image off of the High Speed Rail Thread in the main page - this is the US concept.

Jstaleness · #44 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 12:19 AM**

Thanks, I was about to post a link to the HSR Thread. You beat me to it.

Tomorrow is the 17th. This is the week the announcement is supposed to be made right?

RyeJay · #45 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 1:38 AM**

That's quite the ambitious trek, and an eager timeline. I wonder if the socialist Kenyan can enact enough big government spending to shove this all down their throats.

And while Obama's at it, he can fund a HSR link between Toronto and Montreal.

RyeJay · #46 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 1:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Thanks, I was about to post a link to the HSR Thread. You beat me to it.

Tomorrow is the 17th. This is the week the announcement is supposed to be made right?

Tomorrow is the 17th. Tomorrow may be the day we know.

RyeJay · #47 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 2:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Does any country have a high-speed freight system? I would guess no. The mass of the trains would be much higher and for most freight quicker travel times aren't worth much. For the small volume of time-sensitive freight there are the courier companies that ship by air.

China does.

India has proposals for freight, but only proposals; they have nothing in operation like China. China's gone total pro, devoting separate high-speed tracks to freight.

Time isn't worth ..much? There is always someone willing to pay more to get their product to shelf faster because there is always profit in doing so. When shipping food, time is vital and the cheaper choice, depending on the volume of product, isn't always via air.

someone123 · #48 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 2:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Time isn't worth ..much? There is always someone willing to pay more to get their product to shelf faster because there is always profit in doing so.

I don't think this is true. For example, imagine that you are shipping hammers from Canadian Tire. Getting the product from Asia to North America in 3 weeks is not much better than taking 10 minutes. It's probably better, all else being equal, but I doubt it's something Canadian Tire would pay significantly more for. Looking at it the other way, I'm sure they'd build a bigger warehouse in Mississauga and carry more stock if it meant long-term savings on shipments. And all of that aside the HSR is only going to work for the land portion of the shipping anyway, so the overall reduction in time is likely very small even if the rail reduces travel time to zero. For Halifax you're talking about cutting travel time from N weeks + a couple days to N weeks + a couple hours.

Produce is more time-sensitive but is it worth spending billions on? Seems unlikely when there's already air and there's the possibility of setting up local production with greenhouses.

I do think that if high speed rail were implemented it would be useful for shipping, but I've yet to see a good argument that justifies the expense.

Passenger traffic is a little different because people care very much about personal travel times. They don't care how long most products take to get to them as long as local availability is maintained.

q12 · #49 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Tomorrow is the 17th. Tomorrow may be the day we know.

Not sure what this announcement is about.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/med...nce-2011-10-16

Quote:

Media Advisory/REMINDER: Ministers Kent and MacKay to Make an Announcement of Regional Significance

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, Oct 16, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, will make an announcement.

Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter will be in attendance.

This advisory is subject to change without notice.

The details are as follows:

Date: Monday, October 17, 2011
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Halifax Citadel National
Historic Site
Halifax, Nova Scotia

resetcbu1 · #50 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 3:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

Not sure what this announcement is about.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/med...nce-2011-10-16

It may be that the Coast Guard is handing over control of Sable to Parks Canada , I heard a while back that was in the cards?

Empire · #51 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 1:20 PM**

CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...pbuilding.html

q12 · #52 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...pbuilding.html

from this story:

Quote:

Recent interviews with industry and government insiders suggest that Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax is the odds-on favourite to win the grand prize, the massive contract to build up to 15 warships at a cost of $25 billion over the next several decades.

That would leave Quebec and the West at broadsides for the $8-billion contract for the non-combat vessels.

Vancouver Shipyards is in a strong position to win that deal.

But so is a Canadian-Korean consortium that recently acquired the previously insolvent Quebec-based Davie shipyards. The group is betting everything on the non-combat project, and didn't even bid on the much larger deal for the warships.

reddog794 · #53 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 7:16 PM**

Just read on:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-rele...rk-1573862.htm

Seems Parks Canada is taking on Sable Island, as was mentioned earlier. Still no word on the shipbuilding contracts though.

Chadillaccc · #54 Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 8:28 PM**

GOOD LUCK GUYS! I'm rootin for yah!

So excited to hear the news!!!!

q12 · #55 Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 8:01 PM**

From CBC Nova Scotia's Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23cbcns?q=%23cbcns

Quote:

Start the countdown: Our Ottawa bureau says the shipbuilding contract winners will be announced Wednesday after the markets close

24 hours to go.

halifaxboyns · #56 Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 8:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

From CBC Nova Scotia's Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23cbcns?q=%23cbcns

24 hours to go.

I thought it was today? Oh well; it's coming...

MonctonRad · #57 Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 10:06 PM**

Tomorrow is the day......

Good luck Halifax. If you don't get the warship contract, I will be shocked and surprised.

This will be good for the entire region, not just Halifax!

PoscStudent · #58 Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 10:25 PM**

I have heard from someone in the Nova Scotia government that if Halifax wins the largest contract Marystown will also get some work out of it!

q12 · #59 Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 10:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoscStudent

I have heard from someone in the Nova Scotia government that if Halifax wins the largest contract Marystown will also get some work out of it!

From what I understand if Halifax wins, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador all stand to benefit from the contract.

halifaxboyns · #60 Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 11:28 PM**

Marystown? What is there? Sorry I'm not familiar with it...