The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) maintains a fleet of sea and lake going vessels, hovercraft, and aircraft. The variety of equipment allows the CCG to perform its mandated functions of navaids and sea-going transportation management, search and rescue, marine pollution response and the support of other Canadian federal authorities.
The Fleet Directorate of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is responsible for all ships and their manning requirements. As of October, 2022, it manages and operates a fleet of 123 [1] [2] vessels in support of: CCG aids to navigation; icebreaking; environmental response; and search and rescue (SAR). The CCG fleet also supports Department of Fisheries and Oceans's Fisheries Conservation and Protection and Marine Science programs.
The ships, ranging from search and rescue lifeboats to icebreakers, are tasked to various programs, often concurrently, and are crewed by 2,400 skilled seagoing personnel. Most vessels have between 4 and 30+ crewmembers.
All CCG vessels are painted uniformly regardless of their use. They are characterized by a red hull and white superstructure, designed to look like a "floating Canadian flag". Their hulls bear a (primarily) white stripe raked forward at a 60-degree angle on each side forward. Larger vessels display a red maple leaf on the funnel. Ship nameplates are typically affixed to the superstructure, and vessels are typically named for persons or places of historic or geographic significance.
Throughout the 1960s–1990s, the CCG painted primary SAR vessels in a different colour scheme: bright mustard yellow superstructure and maple leaf red hull, meant to distinguish them from navaid tenders and icebreakers, and also to improve their visibility on the open ocean in breaking waves. Today, the only distinguishing markings for primary SAR vessels is the large RESCUE-SAUVETAGE lettering on the superstructure. Vessels carry the "Canada" 'federal wordmark', which incorporates the duotone version of the national flag. The words Coast Guard/Garde Cotière appear side by side on the hull.
The prefix "Canadian Coast Guard Ship", abbreviated CCGS, is affixed to all vessels. Minor vessels such as patrol boats and lifeboats carried the prefix "Canadian Coast Guard Cutter", abbreviated CCGC in the past, however, this is no longer the case.
The list of various classes of CCG vessels includes:
List of Polar Class icebreakers | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Builder | Status |
Polar Icebreaker class | CCGS Arpatuuq | (TBD) | Expected 2030 | ~26,000 tonnes | Polar Class 2 | (TBD) | Seaspan ULC | Construction Engineering & Prototyping [3] |
CCGS Imnaryuaq | (TBD) | (TBD) | ~26,000 tonnes | Polar Class 2 | (TBD) | Davie Shipbuilding | Not started | |
List of heavy icebreakers | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Heavy Icebreaker class | CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent | June 1966 | 1969 | 15,324 tonnes | Polar Class 3 [ citation needed ] | CCG Base St. John's | Active |
Heavy Icebreaker class | CCGS Terry Fox | April 1983 | 1991 | 4,234 tonnes | Arctic Class 4 | CCG Base St. John's | Active |
List of medium icebreakers | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Medium Icebreaker class | CCGS Pierre Radisson | June 1977 | June 1978 | 5,910 tonnes | Arctic Class 3 | CCG Base Quebec | Active |
CCGS Amundsen | January 1977 | March 1979 | 5,910 tonnes | Arctic Class 3 | CCG Base Quebec | Active | |
CCGS Des Groseilliers | February 1982 | August 1982 | 5,910 tonnes | Arctic Class 3 | CCG Base Quebec | Active | |
CCGS Henry Larsen | January 1987 | June 1988 | 5,910 tonnes | Arctic Class 3 | CCG Base St. John's | Active | |
Project Resolute class [4] [5] [ better source needed ] | |||||||
CCGS Captain Molly Kool | February 2001 | May 2019 | 6,872 tonnes | ICE-10 Icebreaker | CCG Base St. John's | Active | |
CCGS Jean Goodwill | October 2000 | November 2020 | 6,872 tonnes | ICE-10 Icebreaker | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active | |
CCGS Vincent Massey [6] [7] | March 2000 | October 2022 | 6,872 tonnes | ICE-10 Icebreaker | CCG Base Quebec | Active | |
List of Multi-purpose vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Multi-purpose vessels - Flight I | (Ships to be named) | (TBD) | (TBD) | ~8,987 tonnes | Polar Class 4 | (TBD) | Basic Design |
Multi-purpose vessels - Flight II | (Ships to be named) | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | Concept |
Multi-purpose vessels - Flight III | (Ships to be named) | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | Concept |
List of high endurance multi-tasked vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
- | CCGS Griffon | September 1969 | December 1970 | 3,096 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base Prescott | Active |
Martha L. Black class [1] [8] | |||||||
CCGS Martha L. Black | September 1985 | April 1986 | 4,737 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base Quebec | Active | |
CCGS George R. Pearkes | November 1985 | April 1986 | 4,737 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base St. John's | Active | |
CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier | December 1985 | November 1986 | 4,737 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base Victoria | Active | |
CCGS Kopit Hopson 1752 (ex-Edward Cornwallis) [9] | February 1986 | August 1986 | 4,737 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active | |
CCGS Sir William Alexander | October 1986 | February 1987 | 4,737 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active | |
CCGS Ann Harvey | December 1985 | June 1987 | 4,737 tonnes | Arctic Class 2 | CCG Base St. John's | Active | |
List of medium endurance multi-tasked vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Provo Wallis class | CCGS Bartlett | (TBD) | December 1969 | 1,620 tonnes | Buoy tender | CCG Base Victoria | Active |
Samuel Risley class | CCGS Samuel Risley | (TBD) | April 1985 | 2,935 tonnes | Light icebreaker (CASPPR Arctic Class 2) / buoy tender | CCG Base Parry Sound | Active |
CCGS Earl Grey | (TBD) | May 1986 | 2,935 tonnes | Light icebreaker (CASPPR Arctic Class 2) / buoy tender | CCG Base Charlottetown | Active | |
Interim light icebreaker | CCGS Judy LaMarsh | 2010 | (TBD) | Unknown | Shallow-draught icebreaker | CCG Base Prescott | Refit and conversion |
List of offshore oceonographic science vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status | |
CCGS John P. Tully | December 1984 | 1985 | 1,800 tonnes | Research vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active | |
CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk | August 17, 2024 [10] | Expected 2025 | 5,085 tonnes [11] | Research vessel | Dartmouth (Halifax) Nova Scotia | Launched |
List of offshore fisheries science vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Alfred Needler class | CCGS Teleost | March 1988 | 1996 | 2,405 tonnes | Fisheries research vessel | CCG Base St. John's | Active |
Sir John Franklin class | CCGS Sir John Franklin [12] | December 2017 | June 2019 | 3,212 tonnes | Fisheries research vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active |
CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier | June 2019 | 2020 | 3,212 tonnes | Fisheries research vessel | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active | |
CCGS John Cabot [13] | 2020 | 2020 | 3,212 tonnes | Fisheries research vessel | CCG Base St. John's | Active |
List of Mid-shore Science Vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status | |
CCGS Limnos | 1968 | 1968 | - | Coastal research and survey vessel | CCG Base Burlington | Active | |
CCGS Otter Bay [14] | 1992 | 1992 | - | Coastal research and survey vessel | CCG Base Victoria | Active | |
CCGS Vector | May 1967 | 1967 | - | Coastal research and survey vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active |
List of Near-shore Fisheries Research Vessels | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
CCGS Leim [15] | 2012 | 2012 | - | Research vessel | CCG Base Sorel-Tracy | Active |
CCGS M. Perley [16] | 2012 | 2012 | - | Research vessel | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active |
CCGS Neocaligus [17] | 1989 | 1989 | - | Research vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active |
CCGS Vladykov [18] | 2012 | 2012 | - | Research vessel | CCG Base St. John's | Active |
List of Offshore Patrol Vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Cape Roger class | CCGS Cape Roger | June 1976 | August 1977 | 1,489 tonnes | Fisheries patrol vessel | CCG Base St. John's | Active |
CCGS Cygnus | July 1981 | May 1981 | 1,489 tonnes | Fisheries patrol vessel | CCG Base St. John's | Active | |
Other | CCGS Gordon Reid | June 1990 | October 1990 | - | Fisheries patrol vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active |
CCGS Leonard J. Cowley | November 1984 | 1984 | - | Fisheries patrol vessel | CCG Base St. John's | Active | |
CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell | 1985 | December 1987 | 3,813 tones | Offshore supply and search and rescue vessel | CCG Base Victoria | Active | |
CCGS Tanu | 1968 | September 1968 | 940 tonnes | Fisheries patrol vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active | |
5 ships to be named [20] | (TBD) | (TBD) | (TBD) | Multi-purpose vessel | TBD | (Unknown) | |
Future Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships [21] | CCGS Donjek Glacier | (TBD) | Expected 2026 | ~6,667 tonnes | Arctic and ofshore patrol vessel | (TBD) | Construction |
CCGS Sermilik Glacier | (TBD) | Expected 2027 | ~6,667 tonnes | Arctic and offshore patrol vessel | (TBD) | Construction |
List of mid-shore patrol vessels | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Homeport | Status |
Hero class | CCGS Private Robertson V.C. | May 2012 | July 2012 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG Base Patricia Bay | Active |
CCGS Caporal Kaeble V.C. | September 2012 | November 2012 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG IRB Station Quebec | Active | |
CCGS Corporal Teather C.V. | December 2012 | February 2013 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active | |
CCGS Constable Carrière [22] | 2013 | 2013 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG IRB Station Quebec | Active | |
CCGS G. Peddle S.C [23] | 2013 | 2013 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG Base Dartmouth | Active | |
CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V. | September 2013 | October 2013 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG Base Dartmouth | Awaiting repair | |
CCGS A. LeBlanc | January 2014 | March 2014 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG IRB Station Quebec | Active | |
CCGS M. Charles M.B. [24] | 2014 | 2014 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG Station Victoria | Active | |
CCGS Captain Goddard M.S.M. | May 2014 | October 2014 | - | Patrol vessel | CCG Station Victoria | Active |
The following is a listing of vessels that are no longer part of the Canadian Coast Guard's present fleet.
In addition to various bases located in deep water ports, rescue stations in smaller minor ports, and eighteen ships equipped with aviation facilities such as flight decks and/or hangars, the CCG operates 23 helicopters. There are also eight fixed wing aircraft operated on CCG's behalf by Transport Canada. Rotary wing aircraft are used as ice reconnaissance platforms in the winter (operating from icebreakers and shore bases), while flying maintenance personnel and supplies for servicing aids to navigation year-round. Fixed wing aircraft are flown in support of the Canadian Ice Service and also conduct arctic sovereignty patrols, marine pollution surveillance and fisheries protection patrols as part of the Canadian government's National Aerial Surveillance Program.
As part of the Coast Guard's Fleet Renewal Plan, the Government of Canada has purchased and deployed 23 new helicopters – 16 light-lift helicopters (Bell 429) and seven medium-lift helicopters (Bell 412EPI).
In December 2013, the Minister of National Defence (the lead Minister for Search and Rescue) released the first "Quadrennial SAR Review" in order to provide a comprehensive perspective of Canada's National SAR Program (NSP). In the SAR resources section of the review it states "The Canadian Coast Guard has a total of 117 vessels and 22 helicopters stationed across the country that can deliver maritime SAR services, either in a primary or secondary role".
The Bell 412s replaced the Bell 212s that operated until in 2017.
One fixed wing aircraft (owned and operated by Transport Canada on behalf of CCG) is based in eastern Canadian airports with the facility at Ottawa International Airport providing the main maintenance base. A single fixed wing aircraft is based in British Columbia. The CCG operates two Transport Canada aircraft under contract: an Ottawa-based de Havilland Dash 8, which does pollution control patrols over the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and parts of the east coast; and a Vancouver-based de Havilland Twin Otter, which flies fisheries and pollution control missions along the west coast. In addition to the federal government aircraft, a private company Provincial Aerospace Ltd., is contracted to operate four specially modified and equipped King Air 200 aircraft in support of the National Aerial Surveillance Program (jointly funded by Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada), from Halifax, St. John's and Comox, British Columbia.
All CCG regions operate helicopters. However, ice reconnaissance missions are primarily flown in eastern Canada, given the absence of ice surveillance requirements for the West Coast. Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters can often operate directly out of CCG bases, as is the case in Quebec City and Parry Sound. The majority of CCG aircraft operate from municipal airports located near major CCG bases, as follows:
CCG's fixed-wing operations and maintenance bases are co-located with Transport Canada aviation operations facilities. Maintenance for all CCG aircraft is provided by both CCG and Transport Canada personnel.
All Canadian Coast Guard aircraft are able assist the Canadian Forces with search and rescue operations, as well as having a secondary air search and rescue role in the CCG.
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bell 412 EPI | Canada | rotary wing | 7 | 7 aircraft acquired to replace the Bell 212, final model delivered March 24, 2017. [31] | |
Bell 429 | Canada | rotary wing | 16 | 16 in service, delivered in 2015, 2016, and 2021 [32] replacing MBB Bo 105. [33] | |
de Havilland Canada Dash 8 | Canada | fixed wing | 2 | Canadian Ice Service ice reconnaissance and oil pollution surveillance. C-GCFJ is a 1985 DHC-8-102 Dash 8. | |
Beech Super King Air B200 | US | fixed wing | 4 | Contracted by the Canadian government and owned and operated by Provincial Aerospace Limited for ice reconnaissance, marine fisheries and marine pollution surveillance [30] | |
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | Canada | fixed wing | 1 | Marine fisheries and marine pollution surveillance. C-FCSU is a 1973 De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300. | |
de Havilland Canada Dash 7 | Canada | fixed wing | 1 | Canadian Ice Service ice reconnaissance and oil pollution surveillance (replaced two specially modified ice patrol Lockheed L-188 Electra's registered as CF-NAY and C-GNDZ that were operated under contract for the Canadian government by Canadian Airlines). |
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) does not operate an aviation branch. This role is instead provided by the volunteer Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA). Some CCGA volunteers also volunteer with CASARA or have cross-trained with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
CCG has operated the following aircraft types which have since been retired:
Many larger vessels in the CCG are close to the end of their planned lifetime, having been constructed from the 1960s–1980s with no replacements in the 1990s–2000s. To replace them, new icebreakers, multi-purpose vessels, patrol ships and science vessels are to be constructed under terms of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy; now known as the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Under the NSS and since Budget 2006, the following projects have been initiated:
The Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project procured nine vessels to supplement fisheries conservation and protection duties as well as marine security duties in the Maritime, Newfoundland, Pacific, and Central and Arctic regions. It was expected that four of these vessels are to be tasked with marine security duties in Central and Arctic Region and will have an operating area in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway. The initial procurement process for 12 ships was cancelled in 2008 when bids came in over budget; however, a revised bidding process was reissued in 2009. [34] On September 2, 2009, Public Works and Government Services Canada awarded a contract to Halifax Shipyards to build nine (down from the original twelve) mid-shore patrol vessels based on a 'Canadianized' version of the Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel. [35] [36] [37] All vessels had been delivered to the Coast Guard by the end of 2014.
The federal government announced the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel Project in 2006 to procure vessels that are 67 metres (220 ft) in length and be capable of carrying 22 to 26 crew as well as 19 scientists. [38] Two vessels were provided for in Budget 2006, with funding for an additional vessel added in Budget 2007. [39] The procurement process for these vessels began in September 2009, [40] and actual construction work on the three vessels in the class started in June 2015 at Seaspan ULC's Vancouver Shipyards. [41] They were originally projected to start entering service in 2017. However, the first vessel of the class, CCGS Sir John Franklin, was delivered in June 2019 followed by the second ship, CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier, in December 2019. In October 2020, the third and final ship of the class, CCGS John Cabot, was handed over to the Coast Guard completing the project. [13] She will be home ported in St. John's, Newfoundland. [42]
The Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel Project is a plan to procure a single vessel that will be 90–100 metres (300–330 ft) in length capable of carrying 30 crew as well as 37 scientists. The ship will replace CCGS Hudson which was Canada's major oceanographic research vessel for 40 years but suffered a "catastrophic motor failure" in 2021 ending her service. [38] [43] Funds for the project were initially allocated in Budget 2007. [39] The first phase of the procurement process for this vessel, along with the three offshore fisheries science vessels, was launched in September 2009 when the government issued a Solicitation of Interest and Qualification to identify qualified designers. [40] Although construction was originally scheduled to proceed immediately following the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel project, construction of this vessel is now taking place between the construction of the two Protecteur-class joint support ships at the Seaspan Yard. In February 2021, a $453.8 million contract was awarded to Seaspan yards to begin construction on the vessel. [44] The full costs, however, were reported to be nearly $1 billion, a figure attracting considerable criticism. [45] In late 2023, it was reported that the cost had increased by a further $280 million. [46] The first steel was cut on the new ship in March 2021 with an envisaged completion date of 2024. [47] [48] [49] However, that projected in-service date subsequently slipped to 2025. [43] In November 2022, it was reported that the ship's keel had been formally laid down. [50] The vessel was named CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk and she was launched in August 2024. [51]
The February 2008 federal budget designated $720 million for the Polar Class Icebreaker Project [52] [53] to replace CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in FY 2017. In August 2008 the name for this project's sole vessel was announced as CCGS John G. Diefenbaker. [54] This vessel was originally scheduled to start construction at the Seaspan ULC yard in Vancouver in sequence after two new Protecteur-class joint support ships (JSS) were built for the Royal Canadian Navy. However, ongoing delays with the JSS and other projects resulted in the reallocation of this vessel to another yard in 2019 with an uncertain build timeframe. [55] In February 2020, the federal government requested that all interested Canadian shipyards to outline their capacity to potentially construct the polar icebreaker with the objective of securing service entry by December 2029. [56] In May 2021, the Government announced that two polar icebreakers — CCGS Arpatuuq and CCGS Imnaryuaq — would be built instead, one at Seaspan and the other at Davie (pending the successful conclusion of the umbrella agreement with Davie which was concluded in April 2023). The service entry for the first of these two icebreakers was then projected as being in 2030. [57] In 2021, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated the lifetime cost of building two vessels at $7.25 billion. [58] By 2024, that estimate had increased to $8.5 billion. [59]
The 2009 federal budget announced $175 million in funding for, among other things an Inshore Fisheries Science Vessel Project which will procure three new Inshore Fisheries Science Vessels. Two 22-metre (72 ft) vessels are to be based in Quebec region, while a third 25-metre (82 ft) vessel will be based in Maritime region (in New Brunswick). [60] In June 2009, the government awarded a contract to Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia to design the vessels. The vessels are CCGS Vladykov, CCGS M. Perley and CCGS Leim. [2] In June 2012, the first vessel, CCGS Vladykov, which had been built at Meridien Maritime in Matane, Quebec, arrived at its homeport of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. [61] CCGS M. Perley and CCGS Leim also entered service in 2012. M. Perley is homeported at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, while Leim is homeported at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. [62] [63]
In 2019, the federal government indicated that a third shipyard would be added to the National Shipbuilding Strategy and that the construction of six medium icebreakers, to replace the Coast Guard's existing and aging icebreaker fleet, would be undertaken. A competition was undertaken to select the third yard with the envisaged construction of the icebreakers to proceed starting in the 2020s. In December 2019, it was announced that only the Davie Shipyard had qualified to build the envisaged icebreakers for the CCG. An umbrella agreement was planned to be negotiated between Davie and the Government of Canada by the end of 2020. [64] [65] In May 2021 the Government announced that the envisaged umbrella agreement with Davie was now anticipated at the end of 2021, one year later than originally planned. As of the end of 2021, further progress on the conclusion of the umbrella agreement had not yet been reported. In June 2022 the Government again indicated that negotiations had been initiated to conclude an agreement by the end of the year. [66] The agreement to incorporate Davie as a third shipyard within the NSS was finally signed in April 2023 permitting negotiations for the future construction of the icebreakers to begin. [67] In March 2024, Davie was awarded its first contract for the design of the new vessels. [68]
Up to 16 Multi Purpose Vessels are now scheduled to be built at the Seaspan yard after the second of the two joint support ships are completed. This project is a new addition to the National Shipbuilding Strategy which is designed to provide greater stability to the build program at Seaspan. The Multi Purpose Vessels will supersede originally envisaged Offshore Patrol Vessels and Multi-Role High-Endurance Vessels (with a similar role) that originally had been planned to be built in two blocks of up to five ships each. Instead up to 16 new vessels (numbers being partially budget dependent) will be built which are envisaged as performing multiple roles for the Coast Guard by replacing several existing Coast Guard fleets. [69] [70] Construction work on this project is scheduled to begin at the Seaspan yard in the mid-2020s as work on the second of the two joint support ships winds down. In February 2024, a pre-construction design contract was awarded to Vancouver Shipyard for the project. Delivery of the first vessel was anticipated in 2030. [71]
Two Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) are planned for the Coast Guard utilizing the same design as the vessels currently being constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). As of 2020, construction of these Coast Guard variants of the AOPS design was scheduled to begin at the Irving Yard in Halifax in 2022 and 2023, coming at the tail end of AOPS production for the RCN. [72] In 2022 it was reported that the two vessels were expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027 respectively and that the cost would be significantly greater than originally anticipated, totalling about $1.5 billion for two ships. [73] In January 2023, it was announced that the vessels had been ordered and that work on them would begin in the course of 2023. [74] In early 2023, it was also reported that the projected costs for the two Coast Guard ships had increased by an additional $100 million. [75] Steel was cut on the first Coast Guard variant in August 2023, starting construction [76] while the second ship began construction in June 2024.
The funding announced in Budget 2009 also provided for the procurement of 98 small boats and barges for the CCG, as well as the life extension or repair of 40 of its larger vessels. [77] [78]
On August 20, 2012, the Government of Canada announced a procurement of 24 new helicopters to replace the existing fleet with delivery in 2017. [79] Of these helicopters, two could eventually be assigned to the new Polar-class icebreakers if and when those vessels enter service. The Canadian Government announced it will buy 15 Bell 429 helicopters to satisfy the requirement for light helicopters. [80] The contracts for both the light helicopters and the medium-lift helicopters were signed in 2014–2015, with the seven Bell 412 EPI ordered to fulfill the medium-lift helicopter role in April 2015. Deliveries of the Bell 429 began in March 2015 and all aircraft were delivered by March 2016. Delivery of the Bell 412 EPI was completed in March 2017.
The CCG acquired the Romanian-built commercial tug icebreaker Mangystau-2 in November 2021 from New Brunswick-based Atlantic Towing. [81] The ship traveled from the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan to CCG Base Prescott where it was converted into a light icebreaker by 2022. In October 2022, it was reported that the ship will be named CCGS Judy LaMarsh, and be ready for the 2022–2023 icebreaking season. [82]
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking, marine pollution response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The Coast Guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
CCGS Henry Larsen is a Canadian Coast Guard Improved Pierre Radisson-class icebreaker serving in the Newfoundland and Labrador region and based in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Entering service in 1988, Henry Larsen is the fourth ship and of an improved design over the rest of the ships in her class. The ship operates in the Arctic Ocean during summer months.
CCGS Amundsen is a Pierre Radisson-class icebreaker and Arctic research vessel operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The vessel entered service in 1979 as Franklin and was renamed Sir John Franklin in 1980 and served as such until 1996. Declared surplus, the vessel was used as an accommodation ship in Labrador in 1996 and placed in reserve in 2000. In 2003, the ship was reactivated and underwent conversion to an Arctic research vessel. The ship recommissioned as Amundsen.
CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is a Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) heavy icebreaker. Louis S. St-Laurent's home port is St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She is the largest icebreaker and flagship of the CCG.
The Protecteur class of naval auxiliaries for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) began as the Joint Support Ship Project, a Government of Canada procurement project for the RCN that is part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. It will see the RCN acquire two multi-role vessels to replace the earlier Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment vessels.
CCGS Des Groseilliers is a Pierre Radisson-class icebreaker in the Canadian Coast Guard. The vessel is named after Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (1618–1669) a close associate of Pierre-Esprit Radisson in explorations west of the Great Lakes and the founding of the British Hudson's Bay Company. The ship entered service in 1982. The vessel has participated in a number of research voyages, including Ice Station SHEBA. As part of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean experiment conducted in the Arctic Ocean from October 1997 to October 1998 to provide polar input to global climate models, Des Groseilliers was allowed to be frozen into the ice for the Arctic winter, to serve as a base for scientific researchers.
CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a Martha L. Black-class light icebreaker and major navaids tender of the Canadian Coast Guard. Built in 1986 by Canadian Shipbuilding at Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, she was the last ship constructed there. The ship has been based out of Victoria, British Columbia.
Davie Shipbuilding is a shipbuilding company located in Lauzon, Quebec, Canada. The facility is now operating as Chantier Davie Canada Inc. and is the oldest continually operating shipbuilder in North America.
CCGS Arpatuuq is a future Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker that will be built under the Polar Icebreaker Project as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The ship was initially expected to join the fleet by 2017 but has been significantly delayed and is now expected by 2030.
Polar Class (PC) refers to the ice class assigned to a ship by a classification society based on the Unified Requirements for Polar Class Ships developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). Seven Polar Classes are defined in the rules, ranging from PC 1 for year-round operation in all polar waters to PC 7 for summer and autumn operation in thin first-year ice.
CCGS Captain Molly Kool is a Canadian Coast Guard converted medium class icebreaker. She was originally built as an icebreaking anchor handling tug Vidar Viking for Trans Viking Icebreaking & Offshore in 2001. The vessel was acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard in August 2018 and was commissioned in May of the next year after refit. She is named after the Canadian sailor, Molly Kool.
The Hero-class patrol vessels, previously the Mid-Shore Patrol Vessel Project, is a series of nine patrol vessels constructed by Halifax Shipyards for the Canadian Coast Guard. Based on the Dutch Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel, construction began in 2011 and the first vessel entered service in 2012. The vessels are assigned to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada, used for coastal patrol duties.
CCGS Earl Grey is a Samuel Risley-class light icebreaker and buoy tender in the Canadian Coast Guard. Constructed in 1986, the vessel serves a variety of roles, including light ice-breaking and buoy tending, as well as being strengthened for navigation in ice to perform tasking along the shores off the Atlantic coast of Canada. Like her sister ship, CCGS Samuel Risley, she carries a large and powerful crane on her long low afterdeck for manipulating buoys. Earl Grey is the second icebreaker in Canadian service to carry the name.
CCGS Jean Goodwill is an icebreaking anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) converted to a medium class icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. She was originally built as Balder Viking for Trans Viking Icebreaking & Offshore AS in 2000. The vessel was sold to Canada in 2018 and was initially expected to enter service in late 2019 following a refit. However, due to delays the conversion of the vessel was not completed until November 2020.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), formerly the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), is a Government of Canada program operated by the Department of Public Works and Government Services. The NSS was developed under the Stephen Harper Government in an effort to renew the fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). The strategy was broken into three sections; the combat package, the non-combat package and the smaller vessel package. The companies who won the bids for the larger ships were not permitted to bid on the smaller vessel package. In 2019, the Trudeau Government decided to add a third shipyard to the NSS specializing in the construction of icebreakers for the Coast Guard. The agreement to incorporate Davie as a third shipyard within the NSS was finally signed in April 2023.
The Samuel Risley-class icebreakers are a class of two icebreakers and buoy tenders constructed for and operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The two ships are based on offshore supply tugboat design and entered service in the 1980s. Samuel Risley is deployed to the Central Region, operating mainly on the Great Lakes of North America, while Earl Grey is posted to Atlantic Canada, working off the east coast of Canada.
CCGS Sir John Franklin is an offshore fisheries research ship of the Canadian Coast Guard. The ship was ordered in 2011 as part of the Canadian National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) as a replacement for aging Canadian Coast Guard vessels. The ship was launched on 8 December 2017, named for Sir John Franklin, an arctic explorer who led two Royal Navy expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage, the second ending with the death of all his crew around 1848. The first of three vessels, Sir John Franklin is the sister ship of CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier and CCGS John Cabot.
The Pierre Radisson-class icebreakers, also known as R-class icebreakers, are a class of four icebreakers constructed for and operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The Canadian Coast Guard designates the four ships in the class as medium icebreakers. Built in two phases, the first three ships, Pierre Radisson, Franklin and Des Groseilliers, were built to a common design. The fourth, Henry Larsen was built to a modified design and is considered a subclass, the Improved R-class icebreaker. Franklin was later renamed Sir John Franklin before undergoing a re-design for use primarily as an Arctic research vessel. Upon the vessel's return to service, the ship was once again renamed Amundsen. All the vessels are named for people who sailed through Canada's northern waters. The class operates in the Arctic Ocean in the summer, patrolling, icebreaking and research missions.
CCGS John Cabot is a Canadian Coast Guard offshore fisheries research ship. The vessel was constructed in 2020 by Vancouver Shipyards, operated by Seaspan Shipyards, in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It is named after John Cabot, an Italian explorer. John Cabot's home port is St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Polar Icebreaker Project is an ongoing Canadian shipbuilding program under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Announced in 2008 with an intention to replace the ageing CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent with a new polar icebreaker by 2017, the program has faced multiple delays and changes, and as of 2024 consists of two planned icebreakers, CCGS Arpatuuq and CCGS Imnaryuaq, with the first vessel expected to enter service in 2030.
Ottawa will put aside $720 million this year to commission the icebreaker, which the government says will have better ice breaking capability than the Louis St. Laurent, considered the workhorse of the Coast Guard.
Despite setting aside $720 million in yesterday's budget to purchase a new polar class icebreaker, the government will be cutting things close if it wants to decommission the aging CCGS Louis St. Laurent heavy icebreaker as scheduled by 2017, according to Canadian Coast Guard commissioner George Da Pont.