For Immediate Release: February 8, 2008
Bombardier takes off: North Bay benefits from boom in company’s water bomber division
By Dave Dale
Bombardier’s water bomber division is booming in North Bay for the first time since 9-11 as sales of the amphibious firefighting aircraft take flight worldwide.
Italy, Spain and Greece are among the recent customers with eight CL-415s ordered in the past three months and more announcements are expected.
“That will take us quite a way into next year,” said Michel Bourgeois, president of the amphibious aerospace division, while in North Bay Thursday.
Bourgeois is based in Montreal and came here to celebrate achievements by the local operation, including a higher level of certification earned in October.
There are 35 full- and part-time employees once again working at the Aerospace Centre hangar at Jack Garland Airport and 15 more are being brought on board before summer to ramp up productivity.
“They’re highly specialized and good-paying jobs,” Bourgeois said, adding North Bay has built 64 of the “workhorse” firefighting aircraft since moving production here 10 years ago.
Alex Dahr, a Canadore College aircraft technician program teacher and part-time technician at Bombardier, said five graduates were recently hired and they’re excited about the potential.
Some of them left good jobs to come here, he said, because working for Bombardier on the CL-415 is a plum addition to a technician’s resume.
Speaking as a teacher, Dahr said Bombardier in North Bay has become an essential resource for every instructor’s professional development.
The CL-415 can suck up 1,350 gallons of water in 10 seconds and make nine drops in an hour when the fire is 11 kilometres away. Its extra long wings and tail allow short takeoffs and flying agility.
Bourgeois said the water bomber has evolved to offer multi-purpose functions, as well as firefighting capabilities.
Bourgeois said it’s now playing roles in search and rescue, maritime patrol and environmental protection as new technological components are added to an already proven aircraft.
One of four CL-415s ordered by Italy last year was delivered Jan. 30, increasing its firefighting fleet to 19.
Bourgeois said fires are more predominant in Europe and Asia than they were before and countries are motivated to put them out fast.
The high value of forests combined with more arid conditions require quicker action and he said large fires produce more greenhouse gas emissions than industry.
“Fires are raging more and more,” Bourgeois said, noting countries such as Italy that used to have a fire season now battle blazes all year long “and they need an immediate attack concept . . . and this aircraft has a role to play.”
He said Bombardier is expanding into the Asian market with the multi-purpose water bomber which offers an additional cargo door, “nose radar” for surveillance and search missions, and can be equipped with a jet boat for rescues and patrol.
The North Bay plant has a good future, Bourgeois said, partly because of its access to trained workers at Canadore, airport services and the lakes they can use for testing purposes.
“We should be comfortable for the next three years,” he said, adding the challenge is to deliver quicker.
While it takes one year to build the plane from start to finish, with the fuselage and wings delivered here for assembly, he said the backlog of orders means new sales take 2 1/2 years to deliver.
