Shipyards Directory

Ontario Shipyards

ship repair yard Hamilton, ON, Canada

Ontario Shipyards, formerly Heddle Marine Service Inc., is a Canadian-owned ship repair, shipbuilding and heavy industrial fabrication company founded in 1987 in Hamilton, Ontario. It provides vessel lifecycle services, dry docking, specialized heavy industrial fabrication and project support to domestic and international vessels trading the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway system. The company is headquartered in Hamilton and operates three major shipyards on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, with its HSSE page also referencing five facilities across the Great Lakes and Atlantic Canada. It is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and its Port Weller and Hamilton shipyards are Green Marine certified.

Ontario Shipyards

Ontario Shipyards, previously Heddle Marine Service Inc., was founded in 1987 by Rick Heddle with a single welding machine on a quayside in Hamilton, Ontario. It has since grown into what it describes as the largest Canadian ship repair and construction company on the Great Lakes, and the group's entities have been consolidated under the Ontario Shipyards brand. The company is 100% Canadian-owned and its in-house team includes welders, electricians, blasters/painters, millwrights and mechanics, general labourers, project managers, engineers and naval architects.

Services

  • Vessel lifecycle services, including ship repair and maintenance
  • Dry docking (100+ dry docking projects cited)
  • Shipbuilding and construction
  • Specialized heavy industrial fabrication
  • Project support services

Facilities

  • Three major shipyards on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, totalling approximately 316,000 m² of shipyard area
  • Port Weller and Hamilton shipyards, both Green Marine certified
  • Company HSSE page also references five facilities across the Great Lakes and Atlantic Canada

Vessel Types

  • Domestic and international commercial vessels trading the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway
  • Naval vessels — Ontario Shipyards is part of "Team Vigilance," launched at CANSEC 2023 with Vard Marine, Thales Canada, SH Defence and Fincantieri, to develop next-generation naval vessels

Certifications and Programs

  • ISO 9001:2015 certified, supported by a Quality Assurance Policy introduced in 2019
  • Green Marine participant since 2021; Port Weller and Hamilton yards certified
  • Accessibility commitments under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

Careers and Training

  • Partnerships with local colleges and universities for on-the-job training, apprenticeships, virtual experiences and ship repair courses
  • Trades recruited include carpenters, electricians, welders/fitters, millwrights, machinists, mechanics and crane operators
  • Apprenticeships, education reimbursement, benefits and co-op/internship opportunities

Location

  • Headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • Operations across the Great Lakes region, serving the St. Lawrence Seaway system