Program icebreakers
The program icebreakers will:
- replace the heavy and medium icebreakers of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that operate in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence waterways, the Great Lakes and Pacific Canada during the winter, and in the Arctic during the summer
- provide aids to navigation, search and rescue, environmental response, northern resupply missions and vessel traffic services to fulfill obligations of the CCG under the Canada Shipping Act
- be used to exercise Canada’s Arctic sovereignty as part of Canada’s increasingly rigorous security requirements in Arctic waters, which are becoming more accessible due to climate change
3D rendering of the program icebreaker
Project at a glance
- Shipyard
-
Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (Lévis, Quebec)
- Number of vessels to be built
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6
- Project budget
-
Under review
Current status
On March 26, 2024, the Government Canada awarded an ancillary contract to Chantier Davie Canada Inc. of Lévis, Quebec, for initial work related to the construction of new Program Icebreakers.
The year ahead
Work will progress under the ancillary contract including the establishment of a project management office, the assessment of the CCG’s program icebreaker concept design, the planning work for the project, as well as the initial design work for the vessels.