Key milestones in National Shipbuilding Strategy history
Explore key events under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) for the construction and delivery of new vessels as well as repair, refit and maintenance work to sustain existing fleets.
Milestones
The NSS is a long-term shipbuilding plan to create jobs, revitalize Canada’s marine industry and provide timely and affordable delivery of ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.
2025
- March: Government of Canada awards
- contract to Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards for the construction of 1 polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard
- contract to Chantier Davie for the construction of 1 polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard
- implementation contract to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. for construction of River-class destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy
- April:
- full-rate production begins on the first River-class destroyer
- Steel cut on the CCGS Arpatuuq, the polar icebreaker being built by Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards
- July:
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of the 16th search and rescue lifeboat (CCGS Baie des Chaleurs)
- full-rate production begins for the CCGS Arpatuuq
- August:
- construction begins on the CCGS Imnaryuaq, the polar icebreaker being built by Chantier Davie
- Royal Canadian Navy takes delivery of the 6th and final Arctic and offshore ship—His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Robert Hampton Gray
2024
- February:
- Government of Canada awards contract for construction engineering services to Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards for the next steps in the multi-purpose vessels project
- Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards successfully completes the construction of the polar icebreaker prototype block
- March: Government of Canada awards ancillary contract to Chantier Davie for initial work related to construction of new program icebreakers
- April: Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt receives the last of 4 steel barges
- May: Vessel life extension work period is completed on the high-endurance, all-weather patrol vessel, CCGS Wilfred Grenfell
- June: Start of construction activities for 1st River-class destroyer as part of a production test module to assess and improve processes ahead of full-rate production
- July: Construction begins on 2nd Arctic and offshore patrol ship for the Canadian Coast Guard (8th vessel in class overall)
- August:
- Launch of new offshore oceanographic science vessel (CCGS Naalak Nappaluk)
- Royal Canadian Navy receives delivery of:
- 1st Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel (CFAV) Haro and 2nd (CFAV Barkerville) naval large tugs
- 5th Arctic and offshore patrol ship (HMCS Frédérick Rolette)
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 17th search and rescue lifeboat (CCGS Groswater Bay)
- September: Government of Canada awards ancillary contract to Chantier Davie for initial design work on polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard
- December:
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 18th search and rescue lifeboat (CCGS Cascumpec Bay)
- Royal Canadian Navy launches 6th and final Arctic and offshore patrol ship (the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray)
- Launch of joint support ship 1 (the future HMCS Protecteur)
2023
- April: Chantier Davie becomes 3rd NSS strategic partner and an umbrella agreement is signed for construction of 1 polar icebreaker and 6 program icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard, and 2 ferries for Transport Canada
- May:
- Government of Canada announces funding for the renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard’s small vessels fleet that includes the acquisition of up to 61 small vessels (6 mid-shore multi-mission vessels, 1 near-shore fishery research vessel, 16 multi-purpose vessels, 4 air cushion vehicles and 34 search and rescue lifeboats)
- Maintenance and repair work completed on Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Regina
- June: Vessel life extension work period completed on the heavy icebreaker, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent
- July: Government of Canada awards contract to Thales Canada Inc., in a joint venture with Thales Australia Limited, to provide in-service support for the Canadian Armed Forces minor warships and auxiliary vessels
- August:
- Royal Canadian Navy receives delivery of 4th Arctic and offshore patrol ship (HMCS William Hall)
- Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt receives delivery of 2nd and 3rd steel barges
- Construction begins on 1st Arctic and offshore patrol ship built for the Canadian Coast Guard (7th vessel in the class overall)
- October:
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 15th (CCGS Barrington Bay) and 16th (CCGS Baie des Chaleurs) search and rescue lifeboats
2022
- April: Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt receives delivery of 1st of 4 steel barges, supporting maintenance work on the Royal Canadian Navy vessels
- May: Construction begins on 2nd joint support ship
- June: Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 11th (CCGS Chignecto Bay) and 12th (CCGS Shediac Bay) search and rescue lifeboats
- August: Construction begins on 6th Arctic and offshore patrol ship
- September: Royal Canadian Navy receives delivery of 3rd Arctic and offshore patrol ship (HMCS Max Bernays)
- October: Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 3rd medium icebreaker converted under NSS (CCGS Vincent Massey)
- November: Maintenance and repair work is completed on Halifax-class frigate HMCS St. John’s
- December:
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 13th (CCGS Gabarus Bay) and 14th (CCGS Chedabucto Bay) search and rescue lifeboats
- Government of Canada awards contracts to Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards for the construction engineering and long lead items for the polar icebreaker
2021
- March: Construction begins on the Canadian Coast Guard’s offshore oceanographic science vessel
- May:
- Government of Canada announces plan to build 2 polar icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard at 2 Canadian shipyards (Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards and Chantier Davie)
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 9th search and rescue lifeboat (CCGS Hare Bay)
- Construction begins on 5th Arctic and offshore patrol ship
- July: Royal Canadian Navy receives delivery of 2nd Arctic and offshore patrol ship (HMCS Margaret Brooke)
- August: Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 10th search and rescue lifeboat (CCGS La Poile Bay)
2016 to 2020
- March 2016: Construction begins on 2nd offshore fisheries science vessel
- August 2016: Construction begins on 2nd Arctic and offshore patrol ship
- November 2016: Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of coastal research vessel to support the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Great Lakes Science program
- December 2016: Delivery of 1st of 7 hydrographic survey vessels, supporting the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ hydrographic survey operations in Canada’s coastal and internal waters
- February 2017: Construction begins on 3rd and final offshore fisheries science vessel
- June 2017: Delivery of last of 7 hydrographic survey vessels
- August 2017: Canada awards contract to joint venture of Thales Canada Inc. and Thales Australia Ltd. for in-service support
- contract includes refit, repair and maintenance and training for the Arctic and offshore patrol ships and joint support ships for the Royal Canadian Navy
- November/December 2017: Canadian Coast Guard accepts 1st (CCGS Pennant Bay) and 2nd (CCGS Baie de Plaisance) search and rescue lifeboats
- December 2017: Construction begins on 3rd Arctic and offshore patrol ship
- June 2018: Construction begins on 1st joint support ship
- September/October 2018: Canadian Coast Guard accepts 3rd (CCGS McIntyre Bay) and 4th (CCGS Pachena Bay) search and rescue lifeboats
- November 2018: Canadian Coast Guard accepts 2 new channel survey and sounding vessels, CCGS Jean Bourdon and CCGS Helen Irene Battle
- December 2018: Canadian Coast Guard accepts 1st of 3 medium interim icebreakers (CCGS Captain Molly Kool) converted under the NSS
- May 2019:
- Construction begins on 4th Arctic and offshore patrol ship
- Government of Canada announces that:
- Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards will build up to 16 new multi-purpose vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard
- Irving Shipbuilding will build 2 additional Arctic and offshore patrol ships customized for the Canadian Coast Guard
- June 2019: Canadian Coast Guard receives 1st offshore fisheries science vessel (CCGS John Franklin), the 1st large vessel designed and built under the NSS
- June/July 2019: Canadian Coast Guard accepts 5th (CCGS Conception Bay) and 6th (CCGS Sacred Bay) search and rescue lifeboats
- July/August 2019: Contracts awarded to Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyard, Irving Shipbuilding and Chantier Davie Canada Inc. to carry out maintenance work on the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates
- August 2019: Government of Canada launches a competitive process to select a 3rd Canadian shipyard as a strategic partner under the NSS
- November 2019: Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 2nd offshore fisheries science vessel (CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier)
- July 2020: Royal Canadian Navy receives delivery of 1st large vessel under the NSS, Arctic and offshore patrol ship HMCS Harry DeWolf
- October 2020:
- Canadian Coast Guard receives delivery of 3rd and final offshore fisheries science vessel (CCGS John Cabot), marking completion of the 1st large vessel project under the NSS
- construction of 7th (CCGS Cadboro Bay) and 8th (CCGS Florencia Bay) search and rescue lifeboats is completed
- November 2020:
- Canadian Coast Guard takes delivery of 2nd medium interim icebreaker (CCGS Jean Goodwill) converted under the NSS
- construction begins on 1st of 4 naval large tugs for the Royal Canadian Navy
2010 to 2015
- June 2010: Launch of the NSS
- February 2012: After a competitive process, Canada signs umbrella agreements with Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to become NSS strategic partners and to build non-combat and combat vessels, respectively
- June 2015: Construction begins on 1st offshore fisheries science vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard
- September 2015: Construction begins on 1st Arctic and offshore patrol ship for the Royal Canadian Navy