A keel-laying ceremony was held on Wednesday at Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C. for the Canadian Coast Guard ship Imnaryuaq, which, once completed, will be the largest vessel ever built for the agency.
Once finished, the Polar Class 2 icebreaker will measure158m long and be able to operate year-round in the High Arctic.
“Strengthening Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and security means having the capabilities and industrial strength to protect our interests in the North,” Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement.
“The CCGS Imnaryuaq is a powerful example of what Canadian workers and our shipbuilding industry can deliver.”
For modern ships, keel laying ceremonies mark the setting of the first big hull module as well as placing a coin into the construction for good luck. At the Oct. 14 ceremony, a Inuit Nunangat Commemorative Coin representing the four Inuit regions of Canada was used.
The CCGS Imnaryuaq gets its name from a cape at the southern tip of Banks Island, in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago.
A second heavy icebreaker, the CCGS Arpatuuq, is being built by Chantier Davie Canada Inc. in Quebec, with the hull built at the Canadian-owned Helsinki Shipyard in Finland.
Modernizing Canada’s icebreaker fleet
Canada has 162,000 km of Arctic coastline, and as the polar region becomes increasingly important for national security and environmental monitoring, Ottawa says the new vessels will play a key role in supporting Coast Guard operations and scientific research.
The icebreaker construction projects are part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, a broader effort to modernize Canada’s fleet and strengthen its presence in the North.
This summer, Prime Minister Mark Carney also announced a buget of $11.3 billion to design and build six Polar Class 3 rated icebreakers, a designation meaning the vessels can operate year-round in second-year ice.
The CCGS Imnaryuaq is expected to be delivered in 2032.
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Related stories from around the North:
Canada: South Korean shipbuilder eyes Arctic opportunities, including Canada, as northern shipping grows, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Finland sharpens Arctic stance as security pressures rise; Canada among key allies, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Resource extraction projects, dwindling sea ice power Arctic shipping surge, Eye on the Arctic
Russia: Container ships shuttling Arctic route between China and Russia carry car components, says Chinese shipper, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: Alaska port gets 1st funds from Yukon mine to study options for shipping critical minerals, CBC News
