Canadian heavy icebreaker CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent reached the North Pole on 16 August during a joint Canada-Sweden expedition gathering seabed data to help define the outer limits of Canada’s Arctic continental shelf, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
The vessel is collecting high-resolution geoscience and hydrographic data for Natural Resources Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada during a series of missions running from 2024 to 2027.
Louis S. St-Laurent is operating with Swedish icebreaker Oden on the Canada-Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026 expedition, which runs from 10 August to 20 September and is being conducted by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat and the Geological Survey of Canada.
The scientific programme covers geophysical and geological surveys of the Alpha Ridge, Mendeleev Ridge and Lomonosov Ridge, alongside measurements of sea ice, ocean currents, weather and aerosols.
Oden also reached the North Pole on 16 August, arriving at 09:55 UTC before scientists began sampling and measurements on the sea ice.
“The arrival of CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent at the North Pole is an important milestone that reflects Canada’s enduring commitment to the Arctic,” Canadian defence minister David J. McGuinty said.
The mission forms part of work under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides a framework for establishing the outer limits of continental shelves extending beyond 200 nautical miles.
Louis S. St-Laurent had been expected to transit to the North Pole in late July. No reason was given for the later arrival.
The Canadian Coast Guard is a special operating agency within Canada’s Department of National Defence, with responsibilities including icebreaking, search and rescue, navigation services and environmental response.
Natural Resources Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are federal government departments, while the Geological Survey of Canada operates within Natural Resources Canada.
The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat is a Swedish government agency responsible for polar research infrastructure and expeditions.
Louis S. St-Laurent is homeported in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Canada awarded Quebec shipbuilder Chantier Davie a C$14.36m ($10.35m) vessel-life-extension contract in 2022.
Canada is also building two replacement polar icebreakers: CCGS Arpatuuq at Vancouver Shipyards in British Columbia and CCGS Imnaryuaq at Chantier Davie in Quebec. The first is expected to be delivered in 2030, following the planned retirement of Louis S. St-Laurent.