Davie: A Shipyard’s Journey Through Time. Celebrating 200 Years
Catherine Ferland et Éric Dussault
- Livre non disponible.
EN LIBRAIRIE LE 2 DÉCEMBRE 2025
In 1825, when George Taylor and Allison Davie opened a shipyard in Lévis, little did they know they were laying the foundation for something that would span two centuries. Over time, hundreds of ships would be built there, each one tied to the local economy, Canada's defence, and pride of the region. From salvaging and repairing damaged vessels to building ships at the cutting edge of technology, Davie earned a reputation for excellence, and thanks to the skill of its workers, that reputation soon reached far beyond Canada's borders.
Today, Davie stands as a defining presence in the Québec and Canadian industrial history, and a major partner in the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Its history is long and sometimes turbulent, but filled with remarkable achievements and innovation. It is a story worth telling and celebrating.
Published to mark the company's 200th anniversary, this beautifully illustrated book shines a light on a national icon with a bright future.
Table des matières
| Davie: A Shipyard’s Journey Through Time. Celebrating 200 Years | 1 |
| Foreword by the Premier of Québec | 5 |
| Foreword by the Mayor of Lévis | 7 |
| Foreword by Alex Vicefield, Co-owner, chairman and CEO, Inocea | 9 |
| Foreword by James Davies, Co-owner and CEO, Davie | 13 |
| Introduction | 17 |
| 1 • At the Forefront of theIndustrial Revolution(1825-1872) | 23 |
| The Origins of Shipbuilding in the Québec City Area | 25 |
| Under the British Regime | 29 |
| A Shipbuilder, A Love Story, and a New Company | 30 |
| Should They Focus on Building or Repairing? The North Shore or the South Shore? | 33 |
| From Loss to Leadership | 36 |
| From Apprentice to Leader: George Taylor Davie’s Journey Begins | 40 |
| Alone at the Helm | 45 |
| Wrecks and Rescues | 46 |
| From Timber and Sails to Iron and Steam | 51 |
| 2 • Riding the Wave (1872-1914) | 53 |
| Expansion and a New Shipyard in Lauzon | 56 |
| Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd. Continues to Grow | 65 |
| Starting With Steel: The Titania and Its Successors | 71 |
| Mastering Salvage and Recovery | 78 |
| Third Generation of the Davie Family | 85 |
| Projects and Challenges | 88 |
| 3 • From One War to the Next (1914-1939) | 95 |
| Upgrading to Maximize Efficiency | 98 |
| Mine Sweepers and Submarine Chasers | 101 |
| A Significant Role in the Spectacular Québec Bridge Project | 107 |
| Building a National Fleet | 111 |
| Weathering the Great Depression | 120 |
| 4 • A War at Sea:Building an Allied Fleet (1939-1945) | 131 |
| Supporting the War Effort | 134 |
| A Steady Flow of Repair Work | 148 |
| A Place to Work and Live | 152 |
| There Once Was a Ship: Model Ship Builder Philippe Demeules and a Lifelong Love of Boats | 159 |
| 5 • A Global Merchant Fleet (1945-1975) | 169 |
| Shipbuilding in the Post-War Years | 172 |
| Flames, Ashes, and Opportunity | 177 |
| Working at Davie in the Mid-20th Century | 182 |
| From Monarch Oil Tankers to Kriti Supertankers | 188 |
| The Iroquois-Class Destroyers | 196 |
| The Highs and Lows of Shipbuilding | 200 |
| More Than Just Shipbuilding | 213 |
| Heading Into the Last Quarter of the 20th Century | 220 |
| 6 • The Pendulum Swings (1976-1990) | 223 |
| Occupational Health and Safety | 226 |
| Extraordinary Achievements: The Oil Rigs | 233 |
| The Last Days of a Century-Old Shipyard | 244 |
| Turbulent Times | 247 |
| A Ferry, a Fight, and a Future on the Line | 251 |
| The Struggles of Ambiguous Contracts and Order Cancellations | 258 |
| But the Best Was Yet to Come | 261 |
| 7 • A Modern Military Fleet (1991-1996) | 263 |
| Running Full Steam in Lauzon | 267 |
| Inspections and Sea Trials | 271 |
| Troubled Seas Ahead | 278 |
| A Shipyard Worth Defending | 280 |
| Dominion Bridge Buys Davie | 286 |
| 8 • Brazilian and Norwegian Connections (1996-2006) | 289 |
| A Political Scandal | 292 |
| A Year-Long Shutdown | 293 |
| The Spirit of Columbus / Petrobas 36 (P-36) | 296 |
| An Unscheduled Port of Call for the Norwegian Sky | 305 |
| A Rough Start to the New Millennium | 309 |
| Rumours, Offers, and Uncertainty | 311 |
| 9 • A Long Dry Spell (2006-2012) | 317 |
| A Waiting Game | 320 |
| Something in the Air | 323 |
| Fierce Competition for Federal Contracts | 327 |
| Saving Davie | 336 |
| A Turning Tide | 337 |
| 10 • A New Era (2013 to Present) | 339 |
| Two Captains at the Helm | 341 |
| Rebuilding a Team to Set a New Course | 344 |
| The First Tangible Achievement: Cecon Pride | 349 |
| The Asterix: A Technical Triumph | 355 |
| A Strategic Role: Converting and Maintaining Icebreakers | 367 |
| New Ferries for Québec | 376 |
| The Frigate Refit Program | 379 |
| National Shipbuilding Strategy | 383 |
| Davie’s Next Port of Call | 390 |
| Working at Davie Since 2013 | 397 |
| A Final Word, as the Journey Continues | 411 |
| Selected Bibliography and Main Sources Used | 415 |
| Table of Contents | 416 |
Auteurs
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Catherine Ferland
Catherine Ferland est historienne professionnelle, conférencière et spécialiste en histoire culturelle du Québec. Détentrice d'un doctorat en histoire, elle est…
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Éric Dussault
Éric Dussault est historien, recherchiste, conférencier, auteur et éditeur. Il travaille pour l'émission Kébec (Télé-Québec) et il a longtemps collaboré…
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