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PROGRESS 2022: CME makes progress on Port Alberni waterfront

Shipbuilders talk expansion—again
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Two 85-foot commercial fishing vessels receive final outfitting at Canadian Maritime Engineering’s facility at Canal Beach in May 2022. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Commercial maritime business is booming in Port Alberni, and Canadian Maritime Engineering is one of the companies leading the way.

“I would say there’s as much interest as there’s ever been, maybe even a little bit more” on the city’s waterfront, says Steve Dunagan, in charge of business development for CME.

Port Alberni is one of three locations CME has on Vancouver Island: there is an office in Victoria and they have taken over the former Nanaimo Shipyard. In Port Alberni, CME has three sites: the original Bird Street location across from the Port Alberni Train Station, Shed 2 on the Port Alberni Port Authority’s Harbour Road property, and a large-vessel manufacturing facility on Plywood Road at Canal Beach.

“We are currently at just about 100 employees for this location in Port Alberni,” said Dunagan. “We are continuing to hire; we’re looking to get another 20-40 people.”

Canadian Maritime Engineering has cultivated a relationship with North Island College (NIC) that will see a number of welding students join the company after graduation.

Groups of four to six students will begin training with CME this summer; another NIC welding cohort begins at the end of August with the prospect of more students next year.

The partnership is a win-win: NIC students gain on-the-job experience, while CME will have people to work on some of the numerous projects they have on the go at any one time.

“We’re going to bring them in here to teach them what they need to know to move on,” Dunagan said.

In Nanaimo they perform service work on fish farm service vessels and vessel disposals. For example, they recently dismantled and disposed of the W.E. Ricker, a decommissioned Coast Guard offshore fisheries research vessel.

The engineering and manufacturing company has a number of contracts underway, both at Shed 2 on Harbour Road as well as Canal Beach. The company is working on its largest contract ever for the oil and gas industry, with eight new builds of ice-capable boats destined for northern Alberta.

“We also have a contract in hand and are about halfway through construction of eight to 10 aluminum oil recovery barges for the Canadian Coast Guard,” Dunagan said. The first two were moved outside the Canal Beach building at the end of May.

They are also building an 11-metre, self-propelled buoy recovery barge for the Canadian Coast Guard.

Canadian Maritime Engineering has three new dozer work boats underway for forestry companies within B.C. as well as seven, 18-foot superwinders under construction for local logging companies or for individual sale.

“The shipyard here has been reasonably busy with servicing of the local off-shore fleet,” he added.

The company has been so busy they are looking at expanding their buildings in Port Alberni, says Dunagan. “We’re expanding both locations with more buildings. You’ll see a new 80-foot-by-45-foot building going up at Canal Beach. We’re putting up more tent-style buildings behind Shed 2 for outfitting and painting.”

More development is planned for the Canal Beach site: CME is working with Fisheries and Oceans and other government agencies for approval to install a travel lift.

“It would replace our lifts (at the Bird Street site). The travel lift would be capable of (handling) about 450 tonnes, which is equal to the biggest boat we could haul here, but down there we could haul multiple boats.

“The long-term goal would be to replace this aging infrastructure with something more modern down at Canal Beach.”

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Two oil recovery barges—part of a larger order from the Canadian Coast Guard—are positioned in the yard at Canadian Maritime Engineering’s facility at Canal Beach in Port Alberni. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
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A wide-angle view of Canadian Maritime Engineering’s operations on Plywood Road, between APD Sawmill (in background) and Canal Waterfront Park. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)


Susie Quinn

About the Author: Susie Quinn

A journalist since 1987, I proudly serve as the Alberni Valley News editor.
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