The Government of Canada reaffirms its commitment to Davie and its workers

From: Canadian Coast Guard

News release

Canadian Coast Guard adds to its icebreaker fleet for first time in twenty five years

December 14, 2018

Lévis, Quebec - Our Canadian waterways play a crucial role in our culture, history, and economy. Keeping these waterways safe and open for business is a priority for the Government of Canada. This is why we are ensuring that the Canadian Coast Guard is properly equipped for the important work it carries out on a daily basis in keeping Canadians and our Canadian waters safe.

Today, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, Joël Lightbound, announced that the first of the three medium icebreakers recently refitted by Chantier Davie for the Canadian Coast Guard will be named CCGS Captain Molly Kool. The expertise and the talent of Chantier Davie workers were in the limelight during that event, which highlighted the first floating of a Coast Guard icebreaker in twenty-five years.

The Ministers and the Parliamentary Secretary have seized the opportunity to visit the shipyard and to meet the workers, in order to reiterate the importance of Chantier Davie for the Canadian shipbuilding industry.

All three medium icebreakers, recently acquired by the Coast Guard, will undergo refit and conversion work at Chantier Davie in Lévis, Québec, to ensure they comply with Canadian regulatory and Coast Guard operational standards before entering the fleet.

The first ship will allow the Coast Guard to provide essential services during the upcoming winter season, while the other two undergo refit projects.

The namesake of the icebreaker is Captain Myrtle ‘Molly’ Kool. Myrtle Kool, known by everyone as Molly, was born in 1916 in Alma, New Brunswick. In 1939, she became the first woman in North America to attain the certification of Master of a Cargo Steamship in the Home Trade. At the time, this was one of the highest levels of qualification that could be achieved in the seagoing profession.

CCGS Captain Molly Kool is part of the national Coast Guard fleet which carries out icebreaking duties in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and Arctic regions. This icebreaker is the latest Coast Guard asset deployed to help ensure the safety of Canadian waterways and those who rely on them, both for recreational and commercial purposes. 

Quotes

“Today, we are pleased to welcome CCGS Captain Molly Kool into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. This icebreaker will provide essential support to the shipping industry, while keeping Canadians safe along our waterways. Canadians can be proud of the men and women of our Coast Guard, and the important work they carry out from coast, to coast, to coast.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard

“CCGS Captain Molly Kool is a welcome and much needed addition into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. Congratulations to the skilled workers of Chantier Davie for their excellent work in bringing this ship into service for the upcoming icebreaking season. This project is yet another example of how the National Shipbuilding Strategy is supporting jobs and prosperity in communities across Canada, including here in Quebec.”

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

“I am proud to be here with my colleague the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, and my colleague the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, in order to highlight the excellent work achieved by the Chantier Davie workers on CCGS Captain Molly Kool.  The importance of the Chantier Davie for the Canadian shipbuilding industry and for our region’s economy is undeniable. The high quality of the refit and conversion work conducted on CCGS Captain Molly Kool is another example of our workers’ exceptional know-how. Together, we can consider the future with confidence..”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Quick facts

  • CCGS Captain Molly Kool measures 93.7 metres in length, and has a beam of 18 metres. It is classified as a medium icebreaker, and can maintain a speed of 3 knots through ice up to 1 metre thick.

  • In addition to icebreaking, the ship will support other Coast Guard programs, such as Search and Rescue and Environmental Response.

  • Icebreakers are crucial to Coast Guard services, the safety of mariners, protection of coastal waters, and efficient transport of people and goods through Canada’s waterways.

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Contacts

Jocelyn Lubczuk
Press Secretary 
Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
343-548-7863
Jocelyn.lubczuk@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada 
613-990-7537
Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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