I doubt our aerospace sector would have ballooned into the largest in Canada. Some serious stuff going on in Quebec what with Bombardier and others. I believe the aerospace sector in Ontario has contracted rather significantly.
KEY CANADIAN CLUSTERS
Manitoba
Manitoba is home to the largest aerospace sector in Western Canada and is the third largest provider of aerospace goods and services in Canada. Four world-class firms anchor the sector: Aveos Fleet Performance Inc., Bristol Aerospace Limited, Boeing Canada and Standard Aero. The province is also home to 23 established regional and national firms that specialize in tool and dye making, precision sheet metal fabrication, plating and coating and electronics.
Winnipeg is the largest aerospace cluster in western Canada, and is a major centre in North America for manufacturing composite aircraft components, and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.
It is home to one of Boeing’s ten major global sites for commercial aircraft, one of only three such sites outside the United States. Boeing’s composite manufacturing facility in Winnipeg is the largest such facility in North America.
The cluster directly employs approximately 5,300 people, led by four global leading firms—Boeing Technology Canada, Magellan Aerospace, Aveos and StandardAero, one of the largest independent MRO firms in the world—plus 23 other established regional and national firms and several mid-sized aerospace suppliers.
British Columbia (BC) Greater Vancouver, the province’s main aerospace cluster, benefits from its proximity to Boeing’s home in neighbouring Washington State. The cluster’s aerospace strengths include: helicopter services, aero engine overhaul, multi-role aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, space systems, and advanced composite aerostructures.
The industry here is also supported by one of Canada’s largest aerospace training centres at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Leading BC aerospace firms include ASCO Aerospace, Avcorp Industries, Cascade Aerospace, CHC Helicopter, Kelowna Flightcraft, MDA Corp., MTU Maintenance, Vector Aerospace and Viking Air.
Alberta’s aerospace and defence industry contributes $1.3 billion in revenue yearly to the economy, as well as over 5,000 jobs exclusive of airlines and airports, and exports 40 percent of its output. The province offers competitive strengths in robotics and unmanned vehicle systems (UVS); space science, geomatics and navigation systems; and maintenance, repair and overhaul. Over 50 aerospace companies are located in and around Calgary alone, with strong clusters in maintenance, repair and overhaul, and information communication technology. Major aerospace companies in Alberta include ATCO Frontec, Field Aviation, ITRES, Iunctus Geomatics, Pratt & Whitney, NovAtel, and Raytheon.
Saskatchewan’s aerospace companies operate in satellite technology, wireless communication systems, atmospheric research and testing, synchrotron research and development, microelectromechanical devices, building structures, cases and harnesses, mini unmanned aerial vehicles and training programs. These organizations employ approximately 2,500 people.
The province’s aerospace companies are located near Saskatoon, including SED Systems, Vecima Networks, Scientific Instrumentations, Summit Structures, SBC Case and Draganfly Innovations.
Quebec Montréal is the hub of Canada’s largest aerospace cluster and is renowned for its expertise in aircraft assembly, engine manufacturing, maintenance repair and overhaul, avionics and landing gear.
Over 42,400 employees work in Quebec’s aerospace industry for firms such as Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rolls-Royce Canada and CAE. In 2008 alone, Quebec’s aerospace exports totalled over $8 billion.
Montréal is home to more than 10 aerospace research centers, including the Canadian Space Agency, the Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Centre and the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec. Montréal also has a well integrated network of support agencies, hosting the Quebec Aerospace Association, Aéro Montréal and the headquarters of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Southwestern Ontario represents Canada’s second largest aerospace cluster with over 200 firms employing more than 20,000 skilled employees. Toronto, the core of this cluster, has key strengths in aircraft parts manufacturing, aircraft systems development, and maintenance and overhaul. Toronto also hosts many world-leading aerospace firms, such as Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Honeywell Canada, Magellan and Northstar Aerospace. The University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Study and Ryerson University’s Institute for Aerospace Design and Innovation collaborate with industry partners on numerous R&D projects.
Halifax is home to a number of world-renowned aerospace firms specializing in composite fabrication, electronic assemblies, simulation and modeling technologies, and engine manufacturing. These include Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney Canada, IMP Group, EADS Composites Atlantic, C Vision and CAE.
Prince Edward Island The Charlottetown cluster specializes in engine maintenance, repair and overhaul and the manufacturing of precision components, engine coatings and airplane interiors. Nine aerospace firms, including Honeywell Canada and Vector Aerospace Engine Services Atlantic, operate in the province, specifically as a part of Slemon Park, “home of Prince Edward Island’s aerospace industry.” Holland College’s Aerospace Technology Centre provides a range of training opportunities for the burgeoning aerospace industry.
