Up to 11,500 jobs a year in NS if Irving wins shipbuilding bid: report

It could be the economic boom needed to turn Nova Scotia into a ‘have’ province. Business reports released Friday suggest the province’s economy would soar for at least 25 years if Ottawa awards a shipbuilding contract to the Halifax Shipyards.

“Nova Scotia is built to build ships, and there simply is no better place in Canada to build ships,” said Premier Darrell Dexter. “Winning this bid would equate to hosting the Olympics each year for 30 years.”

The two reports, commissioned by the Greater Halifax Partnership, suggest that the $30-billion Shipbulding Procurement Strategy would create up to 11,500 jobs a year in Nova Scotia if Irving Shipbuilding wins the bid.

“It’s bigger than any project we’ve seen anywhere in Atlantic Canada ever. That’s how big this is,” said Greater Halifax Partnership Executive Vice President Fred Morley. “It will almost double GDP for Nova Scotia. It will turn Halifax almost immediately into one of Canada’s high growth cities.”

The reports also suggest that having the combat and supply vessels built in Halifax would benefit other regions of Canada. Analysts predict for every $1,000 in real GDP created by shipbuilding in Nova Scotia, $491 will be spent in other areas of the country.

That’s the big message Premier Darrel Dexter will try to get across during his meeting in Ottawa on Monday. He says, if Halifax wins, everyone wins.

The province has launched a campaign in support of Irving Shipbuilding’s bid called “Ships Start Here”.

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