Executive Council
Transportation and Works
Natural Resources
Business
October 28, 2009
Waterbomber Purchase
Renews Fleet and Delivers Industrial Benefits
The Provincial Government today announced
an agreement to acquire four new Bombardier 415 waterbomber aircraft
through a transaction valued at approximately $120 million US. The
purchase will renew the province�s fleet of waterbombers, providing more
modern and efficient fire suppression capabilities, and will also
deliver significant industrial benefits for Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of
Newfoundland and Labrador, was joined by the Honourable Tom Marshall,
acting Minister of Transportation and Works; the Honourable Ross
Wiseman, Minister of Business; and, Michel Bourgeois, President,
Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft and Military Aviation Training,
Bombardier Aerospace in making the announcement at Provincial Aerospace
Hangar #1- Elite Fixed Base Operation (FBO) at St. John�s International
Airport.
�Today we are announcing an agreement
with Bombardier Aerospace that will facilitate the replacement of some
of our decades-old waterbombers,� said Premier Williams. �This agreement
represents yet another very strategic, responsible investment in
important public infrastructure by our government that will result in
better forest fire protection throughout the province. Through our
negotiations with Bombardier we have also been able to ensure that
significant industrial benefits flow into Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is just one more tangible result of our government's commitment to
maximizing employment, economic and other benefits for people and
businesses in our province.�
�This sale to the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador further demonstrates the trust our customers
have in the Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft and its ability to meet
their firefighting needs,� said Michel Bourgeois, President, Specialized
and Amphibious Aircraft and Military Aviation Training, Bombardier
Aerospace. �With its enviable, proven track record in firefighting, the
aircraft�s unique operational capabilities and exceptional performance
are recognized worldwide. Newfoundland and Labrador has the ideal
geography for the Bombardier 415 scooping technology, with its numerous
lakes and rivers and vast land.�
The Air Services Division of the
Department of Transportation and Works currently owns and operates six
CL-215 waterbombers, which are predominantly used to assist the
Department of Natural Resources in forest fire suppression. These
aircraft are aging and are reaching the need for either replacement or
major refit. It was determined to be more prudent to replace four of the
existing aircraft with new, modern Bombardier 415 aircraft, rather than
to refurbish them. The value of this transaction is approximately $120
million US, which includes necessary spare parts, training and technical
support. The first of the new aircraft will be delivered in April, 2010.
�Our government has designed an
aggressive plan to revitalize key provincial infrastructure and the
acquisition of four new waterbombers is a key piece of that plan,� said
Minister Marshall. �This multi-million dollar deal will ensure we
continue to have the fire suppression capabilities we need right across
our province for years to come.�
�These new, state-of-the-art waterbombers
significantly improve our aerial firefighting capacity, and are an
important component of the forest fire management services our
department provides to protect life, property and forest resources from
forest fires,� added the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister of
Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Forestry and
Agrifoods Agency.
In a separate agreement negotiated with
Bombardier, the company has committed to delivering industrial benefits
in Newfoundland and Labrador. Bombardier will award contracts in the
province and the commitment includes contributing to initiatives that
facilitate capacity-building in the province�s aerospace and defence
industry and providing grants to post-secondary institutions in support
of targeted training or educational programs related to aerospace and
defence.
"I am pleased that, as a result of our
negotiations, Bombardier will make substantial investments in our
province,� said Minister Wiseman. �It is a clear demonstration, in
dollars and cents, that the company recognizes, and has confidence in,
the impressive capabilities of Newfoundland and Labrador�s aerospace and
defence sector.�
The waterbomber acquisition builds on the
Provincial Government�s aggressive infrastructure investment plan, which
will see approximately $4 billion spent over the next several years,
including the approximately $800 million announced in February for
initiatives province-wide.
(Bombardier 415 and CL-215 are trademarks
of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.)
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Media contacts:
Elizabeth Matthews
Director of Communications
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca |
Andrea Nolan
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
709-729-4304, 727-0991
andreanolan@gov.nl.ca
|
Roger
Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca
|
Mark King
Director of Communications
Department of Business
709-729-7628, 699-3454
markking@gov.nl.ca
|
Tracy
Barron
Director of Communications
Department of Natural Resources
709-729-5282, 690-8241
tracybarron@gov.nl.ca
|
Marc Duchesne
Bombardier Aerospace
514-855-7989 |
2009 10 28
10:20 a.m.
|