Roughly a year ago, an Indigenous-led partnership took control of Newdock, the marine services company at the heart of the St. John’s Dockyard. The partnership, including Membertou First Nation, Qalipu First Nation and Horizon Naval Engineering is now considering an expansion, with the possibility of adding more than 200 jobs to their business.

To celebrate their first year in, the partners hosted an event at the dockyard on Friday, Sept. 26. Both there, and in a subsequent press release, they said engineering is proceeding and a final investment decision on an expansion project is scheduled for the spring. The proposed development would “triple the ship lift capacity” at site and lead to new capacity and demand for the additional staff, according to the partners.

“This first year has proven what’s possible when Indigenous communities are at the forefront, leading in sectors where we’ve historically been underrepresented,” said Membertou First Nation Chief Terry Paul, in a joint statement.

The leader of the Mi’kmaq of Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island), Paul’s enthusiasm for the partnership hasn’t waned since its beginnings in 2024. Paul has led Membertou — with the Membertou Development Corporation — in other notable business deals in recent years, including the 50% acquisition of Clearwater Seafoods in 2021.

The Newdock partnership was the first acquisition for Qalipu First Nation’s Qalipu Holdings. Qalipu is part of the Mi’kmaq Nation and made up of 67 communities with presence throughout Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland).

“This anniversary is a proud moment for Qalipu First Nation and all Indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador. It demonstrates that Indigenous-led economic development isn’t just possible, it’s powerful, sustainable, and beneficial for everyone involved,” said Chief Jenny Brake, in the statement that followed the anniversary event (Brake was unable to attend in person).

With an eye to more ship repair and maintenance, the Indigenous-led partnership has set sights on the potential for contributions to work allotted under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. It’s also looking to more work supporting ships active on Arctic security and sovereignty operations, said Newdock’s managing director Sean Leet.

“Newdock has always played a critical role in the Atlantic marine industry, and the last year has reinforced just how valuable this facility and its people are. Now, together with our Mi’kmaq partners, we’re investing in the future of ship repair and marine services,” he said, in the partners’ statement.

When the takeover of Newdock was first announced, Leet noted his company, Horizon, was proud to see “the continual increase in Indigenous seafarers and shore-based professionals in the businesses we have grown.” Atlantic Business Magazine has recently been looking at the broad demand for seafarers in Atlantic Canada and will have more on that in the next print issue.

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