Our Stories
William Froude is a Red Seal Millwright at Irving Shipbuilding (ISI) giving an insight into the intricacies of shipbuilding through his art.
William has worked for ISI on the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) project at Halifax Shipyard for two years. Originally from Ontario, he now calls Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia home.
After becoming a millwright, William worked installing the new expansion of the subway line in Toronto. When the opportunity to work for ISI came up, he knew it was right for him.
“When I saw an ad for Irving Shipbuilding, I thought if they’re going to be building ships for the Royal Canadian Navy, that’s a secure job for quite some time. I have two little kids, and this opportunity gave me the perfect work-life balance to go home at the end of the day and hang out with my kids. My kids love seeing the ships on the water and always ask me if that’s the ship I work on.”
Aside from his work at the shipyard, William is a talented artist. As a child, instead of playing with his action figures, he would draw them, but it wasn’t until his mother bought him an oil painting set at the age of 15 that he started to focus on his art.
Now, William’s work at Halifax Shipyard inspires his paintings as he tries to show everything that goes into building a ship that the average person may not see.
“Most people see the ships while driving over the MacKay or MacDonald Bridge. What they’re not seeing is two workers carrying a heavy piece of machinery into place, or a pipefitter fitting pipe together in a tight space. If I can take a moment to honour that person and their hard work with a painting that might be seen by somebody, I think that’s special.”
William’s work has been featured in art shows across Canada and was recently showcased in a new art exhibition at the 14 Bells Fine Art Gallery called “Halifax: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” The show featured various artists who created two pieces of art for the show, one highlighting a part of Halifax in the past, and another that shows its current state.
His paintings for the show featured two ship launches on the Halifax waterfront: HMCS Margaree in 1956 and HMCS Robert Hampton Gray in 2024. Both paintings were sold before the show began.
Since being purchased, William’s paintings have attracted considerable attention. William’s painting of the launch of the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray has been reproduced at the RCN’s request. It was proudly displayed at the naming ceremony for the vessel and is now displayed onboard.
William’s art also helps him explain what he does to his family. “It’s interesting I get to do what I do. I can go home and tell my kids that I got to do something cool today. They may not know what that is, so I try to paint it to show them.”
When asked how it feels to be building ships for Canada, William humbly says, “It is a moment in history that we’re all simultaneously a part of. It’s important that we’re doing this here in Halifax. We can proudly say that our country built these ships for our navy and to be a part of that is special.”
Follow William's art here.