The Government of Canada has awarded a $3.25-billion contract (before tax) to Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (CDCI) for the construction of one of two polar icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), as announced by Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant. Chantier Davie will build its icebreaker, named PolarMax, in Lévis, Quebec, leveraging the expertise of Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, which Davie acquired in 2023, to accelerate production and reduce costs, targeting delivery by 2030. The vessels are designed to enhance the CCG’s Arctic presence, supporting operations at higher latitudes for extended periods, aiding Indigenous communities, advancing high Arctic science, and responding to maritime emergencies.
The Chantier Davie icebreaker will be 139 meters long, also rated Polar Class 2, enabling year-round operations in the high Arctic. Davie’s contract includes a commitment to invest 0.5% of its polar contract value into human resources development, technology investment, and industrial development under the NSS Value Proposition.
The second polar icebreaker is under construction at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, British Columbia, with a $3.15-billion contract awarded on March 7, 2025. Construction at Seaspan is scheduled to begin in April 2025, following the completion of a prototype block in February 2024, with delivery expected by 2032.
The polar icebreaker at Seaspan will measure 158 meters in length and 28 meters in width, with a displacement of 26,036 tonnes, featuring IACS Polar Class 2 certification, over 40MW of installed power, an ice-classed azimuthing propulsion system, scientific laboratories, a moon pool, a helicopter flight deck, a hangar, a vehicle garage, and future Remotely Piloted Aircraft System capability. Seaspan’s supply chain includes over 800 Canadian companies, contributing $5.7 billion to Canada’s GDP from 2012 to 2023, while sustaining 7,000 jobs annually.
The NSS is a long-term initiative to renew the vessel fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the CCG, aiming to create a sustainable shipbuilding sector and generate economic benefits across Canada. The NSS, launched in 2010, has contributed approximately $30 billion to Canada’s GDP between 2012 and 2024, creating or maintaining over 20,400 jobs annually.
Since 2010, Canadian shipyards have delivered 8 large vessels and 34 small vessels to the RCN and CCG. Quebec companies have received $4.5 billion in contracts under the NSS, representing over 12% of the total contract value. The project aligns with the ICE Pact, signed on November 13, 2024, with the United States and Finland, to enhance Arctic shipbuilding cooperation.
Established in 1825 and based in Lévis, Quebec, Davie is a major shipbuilder specializing in icebreakers, ferries, and warships, and became the third strategic partner in the NSS in April 2023, with a $519 million investment from the Québec government for facility upgrades.
A North Vancouver-based shipbuilder with over 4,300 employees, Seaspan is a key NSS partner, having modernized its facilities with a $200 million investment and delivered three offshore fisheries science vessels to the CCG.
Acquired by Davie in November 2023, Helsinki Shipyard is a global leader in icebreaker construction, having built over 50% of the world’s icebreakers, and operates under a 50-year land lease from the City of Helsinki secured in July 2023.
Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is a federal agency under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The CCG operates the second-largest icebreaking fleet globally with 18 vessels, focusing on maritime safety, environmental protection, and Arctic sovereignty.