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Seaspan throws party 10 days after winning contract

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NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Seaspan employees, managers, and even BC’s jobs minister enjoyed sparkling cider and cake at a North Vancouver shipyard this afternoon.
    
The hoopla comes 10 days after the company landed an $8 billion federal shipbuilding contract, and it’s just now starting to come to terms with the impact of such a large project.

Seapsan CEO Jonathan Whitworth says the gathering was necessary to properly thank all of the people who spent 18 months putting together the 25,000-page winning bid.

He says he’s actually happy the bid came in second, and landed the contract for non-combat ships.  “For the work we’re going to be doing and the vessels we’re going to be building, that leap into doing other vessels is absolutely perfect.”

Whitworth expects the labour force in the North Vancouver shipyard to jump to 1,000 jobs within three years.  But he says he’s especially proud of the spin-off jobs the massive contract is expected to create.

“The beauty of this contract is that it creates an industry and careers that span everything from trades, to office jobs, safety managers, engineers, draftsmen, and designers.”

Also on hand for the party was the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell, who says people in places as far away as Port Alberni and Prince George are hoping to get some of those spin-off jobs.

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