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Irving Shipbuilding officials were recently in Ottawa making a pitch to the Liberal government to provide the company with more work to deal with the “gap” that will emerge between major projects such as the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships and the upcoming Canadian Surface Combatants. Without that extra work, Irving officials suggested they might have to lay off employees. “Significant layoffs” was the term being used.

Then came Andrea Gunn of the Chronicle Herald newspaper in Halifax, who broke several stories about how Irving Shipbuilding was hiring outside of Canada for various positions. There was recruitment in Poland, reported Gunn.

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She followed that up with an article about a subcontract Irving has with the Spanish firm Gabadi LC – that involves Spanish carpenters brought in to work on the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships in Halifax.

Irving has now issued a statement that the suggestion by the Chronicle Herald that Irving is hiring outside of Canada for positions that could be filled by Canadians is “false.”