Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels

In 2016, the Government of Canada awarded a $5 million contract to build two Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels (CSSV) as part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s long-term Fleet Renewal Plan. These vessels are being built in Canada by Kanter Marine, located in St. Thomas, Ontario, as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy small vessel construction program.

The Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels (CSSVs) are an essential element for the delivery of Canadian Coast Guard programs and the fulfilment of its mission and legislated mandate. The new CSSV class reflects the advancements and new standards existing in the field of hydrographic surveys, such as multi-beam sonars highly accurate positioning systems and modern data acquisition and processing technologies.

The new CSSVs, called the CCGS Jean Bourdon and CCGS Helen Irene Battle, will allow hydrographic surveys to be conducted with better accuracy, while reducing data gathering time. They will also be able to assist with a number of activities related to search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement, emergency response, and natural disasters, as well as supporting ecosystems and fisheries science in the region.

These two new vessels will replace the two current CSSVs, CCGS F.C.G. Smith and CCGS GC 03, which have been operating in the St. Lawrence waterway (Central and Arctic region) for an average of 37.5 years and are now nearing the end of their lifespan.

Channel Survey and Sounding Vessel names:

Under the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Naming Policy, CSSVs are named to honour scientists, hydrographers, and explorers who have made a significant contribution to their respective fields.

CCGS Jean Bourdon: Jean Bourdon (c. 1601 – 1668) carried out the first hydrographic studies of the St. Lawrence River.

CCGS Helen Irene Battle: Helen Irene Battle (August 31, 1903 – June 17, 1994) was an award-winning scientist and first woman in Canada to earn a PhD in marine biology (1928). Ms. Battle was also a co-founder of the Canadian Society of Zoologists and served as its president in 1962-1963.

About the Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels:

•  The new vessels are a catamaran design of 11.95m in length, will have a maximum speed in excess of 20kts, and a crew of four.
•  The new Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels were built by Kanter Marine of St. Thomas, Ontario.
•  The home port for the new CSSVs will be at the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute in Mont-Joli, Quebec; however, they will operate within the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Isle-aux-Coudres.

November 2018