Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a significant investment of $11.3 billion by the federal government into Quebec’s shipbuilding industry to construct six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. This contract is described by Carney as the largest in the history of the province.
The new icebreakers will replace the aging heavy and medium icebreakers currently in operation, fulfilling a commitment made in 2019. Carney emphasized the urgency of the project, stating that steel cutting for the first ship will commence next fall. The first vessel is expected to be delivered within five years, with the full fleet operational five years thereafter, facilitating operations in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence River during winter, and the Arctic in summer.
The announcement was made in partnership with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette at the Chantier Davie shipyard in Lévis, where all six icebreakers will be built. Fréchette, gearing up for a provincial election campaign, hailed the contract as a boon for Lévis, safeguarding the province’s economic independence and creating employment opportunities for welders and technicians.
Carney highlighted that the project will generate around 5,000 jobs during the construction phase. The vessels will be constructed in line with the federal government’s “Buy Canadian” procurement policy, utilizing Canadian steel exclusively.
This initiative follows the breakdown of trade discussions with the United States and amid new tariff threats by President Donald Trump against Canadian industries. In 2024, Ottawa awarded an initial $19.6 million contract to Davie under the national shipbuilding strategy to design the six new Polar Class 3 icebreakers. The national shipbuilding strategy aims to replace 88 vessels for the coast guard by 2045.