Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced $11.3 billion to build six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard at the Chantier Davie shipyard in Lévis, Quebec.
Carney called it the largest shipbuilding contract in Quebec’s history. The vessels will replace the Coast Guard’s aging heavy and medium icebreakers and will be built using Canadian steel under the federal government’s Buy Canadian policy.
Construction is expected to begin next fall, with the first ship delivered in about five years. The full fleet is expected to enter service five years later.
The project is expected to support 5,000 jobs, including welders, technicians and other skilled trades, while helping renew Canada’s Coast Guard fleet for service in the Atlantic, the St. Lawrence and the Arctic.
