In a major milestone for Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and naval capability, Seaspan Shipyards has officially commenced construction of the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new heavy polar icebreaker. The steel-cutting ceremony, held on April 3, 2025, at Seaspan’s North Vancouver facility, signals the beginning of a new era in Canadian shipbuilding — and marks the first time in over six decades that a heavy polar icebreaker is being built in Canada.
Image Source: Seaspan Shipyards
This state-of-the-art vessel, designed under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), will be among the most advanced conventional polar icebreakers in the world. At 158 metres in length and 28 metres in width, the icebreaker is a Polar Class 2 (PC2) heavy icebreaker capable of operating year-round in some of the planet’s harshest environments.
Enhancing Arctic Reach and Resilience
With the capacity to support up to 100 personnel and over 40 megawatts of installed power, the vessel’s design emphasizes endurance, versatility, and resilience. Its ice-classed azimuthing propulsion system, moon pool for safe scientific equipment deployment, helicopter deck and hangar, and capacity for future integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), reflect a mission profile far beyond traditional icebreaking.
As Canada faces increasing pressure to maintain a strong and sustained presence in the Arctic — from asserting sovereignty over its 162,000 km of Arctic coastline to responding to emergencies and conducting high-latitude research — this vessel will be a game-changer. It will significantly boost Canada’s capacity to operate in more extreme northern conditions, for longer periods, and farther than any previous Canadian icebreaker.
Built in Canada, for Canada’s North
This polar icebreaker is the seventh vessel designed and constructed by Seaspan under the NSS, and one of up to 21 icebreaking vessels the shipyard is tasked with delivering. Importantly, it is also the fifth Polar Class vessel constructed for the Coast Guard, demonstrating Canada’s deepening expertise in complex shipbuilding.
Ahead of this build, Seaspan completed a polar prototype block in January 2024 to ensure readiness for this demanding project — a ship that requires steel twice as thick and significantly less malleable than that used in other NSS vessels. The prototype allowed Seaspan to refine techniques and validate construction methods unique to polar-class hulls.
Seaspan CEO John McCarthy emphasized the strategic significance of the project:
“The National Shipbuilding Strategy is showing that a made-in-Canada approach is not only possible, it is imperative to Canada’s security and sovereignty. We must continue to design and build ships here at home, to ensure that the experience, skills, and knowledge built through the NSS will be sustained.”
An Economic and Strategic Engine
Beyond its operational role, the new icebreaker exemplifies the NSS’s success in fostering national industrial capability. Seaspan has invested over $200 million in modernizing its infrastructure and now leads one of North America’s most sophisticated shipyards. With over 7,000 jobs created or sustained annually and $5.7 billion contributed to Canada’s GDP since 2012 (per Deloitte), Seaspan has become a cornerstone of Canada’s defense and economic strategies.
Notably, over 800 Canadian companies, more than half of which are small and medium enterprises, now contribute to Seaspan’s NSS supply chain — reinforcing a truly national endeavor.
Looking Forward
The construction of Canada’s new heavy polar icebreaker is more than a shipbuilding milestone — it is a clear statement of Canada’s Arctic intentions. As polar routes become more accessible and geopolitical interest in the region intensifies, this vessel ensures Canada remains equipped, ready, and present in its northern domain.
With its powerful capabilities, modern systems, and resilient design, the vessel underscores Canada’s long-term commitment to asserting its sovereignty, supporting Arctic communities, and advancing science in the High North.
Canada Defence Journal 