More Skepticism on Patrol Boats
It looks like there's some other folks who have realized these new patrol boats aren't exactly everything there being promised to be.
On Monday, Harper announced that Ottawa will spend about $3.1 billion for the construction of six to eight new Polar Class 5 Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships, as well as invest another $4.3 billion to operate and maintain those vessels over their 25-year lifespan.
But critics have already deemed the steel-reinforced ships to be less powerful than icebreakers, as they can't break through thick ice in the coldest winter months. The armed patrol ships will also be stationed outside the North for most of the year.
Rob Huebert, an analyst with the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, said Canada needs new icebreakers to replace the aging fleet of Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers currently in service.
While Huebert said Ottawa's made a positive step in the right direction with Monday's announcement, he remains somewhat skeptical because he has heard a lot of Arctic spending promises before.
"When we see the actual contract, and we see an actual ship start construction … it's at that point that I'll feel totally comfortable that in fact we are making the right steps," he said.
Audlaluk also said many people in the North have heard numerous government promises for everything from more military personnel to a deepwater port in a northern community.
"To me, as someone living in the High Arctic, I've heard talk like that before," Audlaluk said.
"I'm just curious to see how far that's going to go this time, because they made promises like that before during and after the election."
I'm not holding my breath on this. The one election promise tied to this that I have been paying truly close attention to is the promised deepwater port that is to possibly serve as a operational base for these ships in the brief summer months such vessels would be useful in the Arctic. The announcement of its location, not its construction mind you, just where they plan to put it, has been delayed at least twice since December, and they're still "looking at options" as of the announcement of these ships yesterday.
