Chad Hipolito/CP Minister of Public Services and Procurement Carla Qualtrough speaks aboard the HMCS Vancouver in Victoria on July 16, 2019.

OTTAWA — Warship repair contracts worth $1 billion will be split evenly between two shipyards, with a third deal on the way, the federal government announced Tuesday. The Davie shipyard in Quebec and Seaspan Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia were each awarded a $500-million contract for maintenance work on the country’s fleet of 12 Halifax-class frigates. A similar deal with Irving Shipyards in Nova Scotia is being finalized now, the government said. In an emailed statement, Irving said details of its contract with the government would be released “in the near future.” The contracts announced Tuesday cover a five-year period, with the value expected to rise as the government adds more work.

The federal government has promised to invest $7.5 billion to maintain the 12 frigates over the remainder of their operational lifespans, which are expected to last about 20 more years. The oldest of the ships, HMCS Halifax, has been in service for 27 years. All recently underwent significant refits and modernizations. Each shipyard will be responsible for refitting a minimum of three frigates each and work will begin in the early 2020s, the government announcement said. In an emailed statement, Public Services and Procurement Canada said the work on the ships would be scheduled to ensure the fleet maintains operational readiness. It said shipyards will be eligible for additional work based on performance. “Each shipyard will have the opportunity to receive a minimum of $2 billion in maintenance contracts until the Halifax-class frigates (have) reached their end of the life cycle. The exact amount each shipyard receives will depend on several factors such as ship condition and performance,” the statement said. Watch: NATO Secretary General meets with Trudeau