Où se trouve le Chantier Davie?

Le Chantier Davie est situé à Lévis, au Québec, sur la rive sud du fleuve Saint-Laurent, face à la ville de Québec.

Quels types de navires Davie construit-elle?

Davie construit notamment des brise-glaces polaires, des navires de soutien militaires, des traversiers et des navires gouvernementaux spécialisés, en plus de la réparation et de la conversion.

Davie participe-t-elle à la Stratégie nationale de construction navale?

Oui. Davie est l'un des partenaires stratégiques de la Stratégie nationale de construction navale du gouvernement du Canada, notamment pour les brise-glaces polaires.

Chantier Davie — Chantier Davie est le plus grand chantier naval du Canada, situé à Lévis, au Qué

About

With more than 200 years of history, Chantier Davie is the oldest and largest shipyard in Canada. Located in Lévis, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River opposite Quebec City, the yard benefits from a strategic location at the heart of the Canadian maritime axis with direct access to the Atlantic and the Northwest Passage. On the industrial side, Davie brings together on a single site one of the largest dry docks in North America, several slipways, and workshops for steel fabrication, mechanical work, electrical, piping and naval systems integration. More than 2,000 specialized employees (engineers, welders, electromechanical technicians, fitters, project managers) work on multi-year programs. Markets served are largely governmental and military: Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and selected international (NATO) clients. Davie is also active in commercial maritime for the construction and repair of ferries, tugs and specialized vessels. Key differentiators include Davie's unique expertise in polar icebreakers and Arctic operations, its role as strategic partner under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (notably for heavy and medium icebreakers), its ability to run multiple major naval programs in parallel, and its Quebec roots that make it a major industrial employer in the Greater Quebec City region — a meaningful contribution to Canadian sovereignty and economic security.

Products

Brise-glaces polaires

Construction de brise-glaces lourds et moyens pour la Garde côtière canadienne.

Chantier Davie is one of the few shipyards in North America with full expertise for the construction and conversion of heavy and medium polar icebreakers. This expertise covers the design of reinforced hulls (polar PC classes), ice-capable propulsion systems, cold-weather insulation, Arctic heating and habitability systems and specialized deck equipment. Davie is in particular one of the strategic partners under the Government of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy for the delivery of icebreakers destined for the Canadian Coast Guard, as part of the renewal of its fleet. This mission includes the construction of new vessels and the conversion of existing units for Arctic operations. These vessels are used to keep maritime routes open in winter, to resupply northern communities, for scientific research, Arctic sovereignty, escort of commercial vessels through ice and polar search and rescue. They are operated mainly by the Canadian Coast Guard. Benefits include: globally recognized expertise, capacity to execute high-value multi-year programs, direct contribution to Canadian Arctic sovereignty, full integration from design to launch, and the ability to industrialize series of complex vessels in line with government schedules — a meaningful national capability asset.

Navires de soutien et auxiliaires

Navires de ravitaillement, de soutien interarmées et navires gouvernementaux spécialisés.

Chantier Davie builds and converts support and auxiliary vessels primarily for the Royal Canadian Navy and other government fleets. This category covers replenishment-at-sea vessels, joint support ships, strategic transport vessels and a range of specialized government ships. Design and fabrication rely on the integration of complex naval systems: propulsion, replenishment-at-sea (RAS) systems, logistic support capabilities for naval groups, helicopter operations, on-board hospitals and military communication installations. Davie has mastered the normative and operational requirements specific to the military domain (classifications, operational durability, redundancy). These vessels are deployed by the Royal Canadian Navy to support international naval group operations, humanitarian deployments, joint NATO exercises and sovereignty missions. Their operational life typically extends over several decades. Benefits include: capacity to integrate complex military systems, execution of long-term programs with strict schedule discipline, support to the Navy for in-service maintenance, and direct contribution to Canadian operational capability. Davie is one of the few Canadian shipyards able to deliver this class of vessel end to end — a meaningful sovereignty asset.

Traversiers et navires commerciaux

Conception et construction de traversiers, remorqueurs et navires commerciaux.

Beyond military programs, Chantier Davie designs and builds ferries, tugs, service vessels and specialized commercial ships for Canadian and international operators. This activity diversifies the yard's order book and helps maintain industrial skills between major naval programs. Designs cover ferries with conventional, hybrid or electric propulsion depending on operator needs, integrating modern requirements for energy efficiency, emissions reduction and passenger comfort. For commercial vessels, Davie offers expertise in naval architecture, systems integration and certification (Lloyd's, ABS, DNV, etc.). Clients include provincial ferry operators, port operators, commercial maritime companies and selected government operators for their non-military vessels. Davie can take on projects end to end, from concept design to delivery. Benefits include: industrial capacity suited to medium series, expertise in naval architecture and integration, propulsion flexibility (including hybrid and electric), local engineering that shortens coordination times, and compliance with environmental requirements of the new generation of commercial vessels — a meaningful lever for operators planning fleet renewal.

Conversions et modernisations de navires

Conversion d'unités existantes pour de nouvelles missions militaires ou commerciales.

Chantier Davie is recognized for its ability to convert and modernize existing vessels to extend their operational life or adapt them to new missions. This service is particularly strategic in the context of Canadian military and government fleet renewal, where existing units must sometimes be adapted quickly to meet critical operational needs. The process includes: vessel condition assessment, conversion engineering, controlled dismantling, addition or modification of structures, installation of new systems (propulsion, electronics, armament, replenishment), dry-dock and sea trials, and final certification. Every step is run with project-management discipline suited to military requirements. These projects are delivered for the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and selected commercial operators requiring significant modifications (special mission, green propulsion, lengthening, etc.). Benefits include: significant extension of useful vessel life, savings versus new build, often shorter lead times, ability to quickly integrate new missions, and retention of residual fleet value. For operators, conversion is a strategic option to address operational needs quickly while waiting for new units — a meaningful operational lever.

Services

Réparation et radoub navals

Cale sèche, radoub planifié et réparations d'urgence pour grands navires.

Chantier Davie's ship repair and refit service is one of the most complete in Canada. The yard operates one of the largest dry docks in North America, able to accommodate very large military, government and commercial vessels for heavy maintenance work. The service covers planned dry-docking (periodic refits), classification surveys, emergency repairs, hull blasting and painting, replacement of major equipment (propellers, rudders, valves), structural work, maintenance of mechanical and electrical systems, and post-return-to-service trials. Davie can mobilize its integrated teams to deliver short turnaround cycles. Clients include the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, selected commercial and international operators, and classification societies. The yard's capacity also supports handling several vessels in parallel. Benefits include: exceptional dry-dock capacity, vertical integration of every trade on a single site, 24/7 availability, expertise on complex vessels, and rapid execution thanks to internal resources and specialized workshops. For operators, Davie is a reference partner to plan predictable and reliable maintenance cycles — a meaningful contribution to fleet readiness.

Ingénierie et conception navale

Bureau d'études naval intégré couvrant la conception, l'ingénierie et la simulation.

Chantier Davie operates an integrated naval engineering office covering design, engineering, simulation and technical documentation for complex vessels. This internal capability is a major asset to execute multi-year programs entrusted to the yard with discipline, while addressing specific requests from military, government and commercial clients. Expertise includes: naval architecture, hydrodynamics, structure, propulsion, electrical and mechanical systems, automation, military integration (where applicable), classification (Lloyd's, ABS, DNV), environmental certifications and compliance with international maritime standards. Teams use advanced CAD/CAE tools and multi-physics simulations. The service supports every stage: pre-design, detailed design, manufacturing engineering, commissioning engineering and in-service support after delivery. It applies to new builds, conversions and modernizations. Benefits include: design capacity tailored to the most complex vessels, acceleration of project cycles through engineering–fabrication integration, full control of technical and budget choices, and direct collaboration with classification authorities. For clients, Davie engineering delivers a vessel optimized for its specific missions while remaining fully compliant — a meaningful project-risk reduction.

Gestion de projets navals complexes

Pilotage de programmes pluriannuels pour clients militaires et gouvernementaux.

Complex naval project management is a strategic capability of Chantier Davie. The yard is accustomed to delivering large multi-year programs that mobilize several hundred or thousand people, dozens of subcontractors and budgets ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion dollars. The approach relies on rigorous methodologies: detailed planning aligned with government milestones, risk management, supply chain structuring, contractual governance with public authorities, quality and safety management, document control and client reporting. Teams combine engineers, certified project managers, quality controllers and specialized buyers. These services are mobilized in particular for National Shipbuilding Strategy programs, Royal Canadian Navy projects, Canadian Coast Guard programs and selected major international contracts. Benefits include: proven mastery of large naval programs, capacity to coordinate multiple parallel streams (construction, conversion, repair), strong interfacing with Canadian government authorities, proactive management of schedule and budget risk, and the ability to integrate the Canadian industrial base (SMEs, specialty suppliers). Davie acts as a recognized program integrator in the national naval industrial landscape — a meaningful sovereignty contribution.