Canada Awards Quebec’s Largest Shipbuilding Project for Arctic Icebreakers
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the awarding of a contract valued at C$11 billion (US$7.9 billion), which will be the largest single shipbuilding contract ever awarded in Quebec’s history. Chantier Davie will build six large new Arctic icebreakers, which will be replacements for aging vessels in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet.
The order comes as Canada is locked in a trade battle with the United States and is facing growing activity in the Arctic region. The vessels will provide critical services while maintaining Canada’s presence in the Arctic as the United States and others also look to grow their presence in the Arctic.
The six new ships will start construction in 2027, with the first delivered in five years and the full program completed by 2038. It is the next step in a program that was first announced in 2019 as part of the country’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Davie was contracted in 2024 to begin development work for the vessels.
The ships are designed for operations in the Arctic, Atlantic Canada, and the St. Lawrence region with the capability to operate in the depths of the Canadian winter and through the summer season. They will provide services including supporting navigation by cutting and maintaining channels, supporting search and rescue operations, environmental response, supporting northern resupply missions, and vessel traffic services. The ships will also respond to aid vessels that become trapped in the ice.
“These six state-of-the-art icebreakers will keep the trade routes that carry Canadian goods to the world accessible and secure,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney during today’s ceremony. “Built in Lévis by Canadian workers, they are a lasting investment in a stronger, more self-reliant Canada."
Carney said the ships would grow Canada’s domestic shipbuilding industry, strengthen the ability to keep critical trade routes open, and reinforce Canada’s strategic autonomy. They are emphasizing that this project will be conducted entirely in Canada and incorporate Canadian components, including steel and other domestic materials.
The announcement highlighted the shipbuilding project as part of a broader effort at investing in Canada’s infrastructure, ranging from ports to corridors that move Canadian goods and the ships that keep the routes open. They reported that Canada’s new government is “laser-focused” on building a stronger, more independent, more resilient Canadian economy. Other investments include expansion at the Port of Montreal with the new Contrecoeur terminal and at the Port of Quebec, as well as efforts planned on the West Coast, including in Vancouver.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
The project is a major win for Davie, which has already received more than C$7.74 billion (US$5.6 billion) in contracts since 2012 as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Davie, along with Seaspan in Vancouver, received contracts to build new Polar Max icebreakers, which will be among the largest and most powerful vessels. Davie is sharing the work with the Helsinki Shipyard, which is also part of the group. Work has begun on the hull for the new vessel in Finland, and it will be transferred to Davie for outfitting and commissioning.
The Canadian Coast Guard maintains a very active role both in the Arctic and Atlantic shipping. Earlier this month, it highlighted that its largest icebreaker had arrived at the North Pole. It is part of an effort that involves nine CCG icebreakers deployed and operating in the Arctic from June to November 2026 to support Northern communities, carry out services, and support Government of Canada Arctic missions. It was also recently announced that Canada is taking the Finnish government-owned icebreaker Nordica on charter to augment its operations in the Arctic.
