Question Period Note: Polar Icebreaker Contracts

• On March 8, 2025, the Government announced a $3.15 billion contract award with Vancouver Shipyards and a $3.25 billion contract award with Chantier Davie for the construction of two Polar Icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.
• These polar icebreakers will allow for year-round Arctic sovereign presence and bolster the Coast Guard’s capacity to provide crucial services in the north, including icebreaking, response to search and rescue and environmental emergencies, and support for Arctic science.
• Both ships are expected to be delivered to Canada by the early 2030s, in time to replace Coast Guard’s existing aging icebreakers as they retire from service. Work under these contracts is expected to commence at both Vancouver Shipyards and Chantier Davie this spring.

• Budget 2008 allocated funding for the acquisition of a Polar Icebreaker to replace CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. Subsequent policy and funding approvals occurred between 2012 and 2025.
• In May 2021, Canada announced the procurement of two Polar Icebreakers for the CCG – one to be built at VSY and the other at Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (CDCI), once CDCI was formally added to the National Shipbuilding Strategy (an Umbrella Agreement was signed in April 2023).

Polar Icebreaker at VSY (Polar-VSY):
• In July 2021, Canada awarded an Ancillary Contract (AC) to VSY to finalize design and undertake work in preparation for comprehensive construction engineering.
• In December 2022, construction engineering and long-lead items contracts were awarded to VSY. Work under those contracts remain ongoing in preparation for full rate construction to begin in 2025.
• In February 2024, work was completed on a prototype block at VSY. This marked an important step in the shipyard’s work on the project.
• On March 7, 2025, a $3.15 billion build contract was awarded to VSY. The vessel is expected to be delivered to Canada by 2032.

Polar Icebreaker at CDCI (PolarMax):
• In September 2024, Canada awarded an AC to CDCI to verify the technical specifications, costings, and build strategy for the PolarMax, which was an alternative Polar Icebreaker design proposed by CDCI.
• On March 7, 2025, a contract of $3.25 billion was awarded to CDCI for the construction of a Polar icebreaker (i.e., PolarMax). The vessel is expected to be delivered to Canada by 2030.

If pressed – hybrid acquisition approach with Chantier Davie
o The Polar icebreaker at Chantier Davie will be partially constructed in Lévis, Quebec, and partially constructed offshore at its Canadian-owned shipyard in Helsinki, Finland.
• Chantier Davie will be able to leverage the expertise of their experienced Helsinki shipyard, to accelerate production and ensure the vessel is delivered faster and cheaper. This will allow Canadian workers at Chantier Davie to learn from the Finnish yard, which has extensive experience in building icebreakers.
• This Government remains committed to building ships in Canada as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Canada continues to work with its strategic partners to ensure that members of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard have the equipment they need to do their jobs and protect Canadians, while maximizing a return on investment for the country.