With new surveillance planes under construction for 19 Wing in Comox, Boeing is investing $61 million in BC’s aerospace sector as part of its contract with Canada.
That will include a $13 million investment in a Parksville company, COTA Aviation, which is Indigenous-owned. The investment is for an aerospace manufacturing training facility, aimed at increasing Indigenous participation in the aerospace and defence sectors. It will train 10 workers per year who can operate modern and advanced manufacturing equipment.
Canada has contracted Boeing to supply a new fleet of maritime patrol aircraft to replace the CP-140 Aurora surveillance planes, which have been in service for more than 40 years. Up to half of the 16 new P-8A Poseidon aircraft will be based at 19 Wing.
“Our incoming fleet of up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft will provide our aviators with the tools that they need to protect our sovereignty – and at the same time, it is creating economic growth and good jobs for Canadians,” said defence Minister Bill Blair in a press release. “As our government invests more in defence, we are ensuring that these investments deliver real value for the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian economy, and Canadian workers. I thank Boeing for its work to deliver this new fleet of aircraft to Canada – and I welcome its major investments in British Columbia’s aerospace sector.”
