Canada funds $11B for six new Coast Guard icebreakers to be built in Lévis

What happened

• The federal government awarded Chantier Davie a contract worth more than $11 billion to build six program icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard at the Davie Shipyard in Lévis, Québec.

Who and where it affects

• Built in Lévis by Canadian workers and using Canadian steel under the Buy Canadian Policy.
• Affects the Canadian Coast Guard, Chantier Davie, regional suppliers, and workers across the shipbuilding supply chain.

Key numbers and timeline

• Investment: more than $11 billion.
• Jobs: nearly 5,000 jobs during construction.
• Economic impact: about $650 million added to GDP each year.
• Construction starts: 2027.
• First ship ready: 2032 (construction start plus five years, per the release).
• Full fleet in service by: 2038.

What the ships will do

• Classified as Polar Class 3 icebreakers and designed for Arctic-capable missions such as search and rescue, environmental response, northern resupply, and Arctic science support.
• They will replace aging heavy and medium icebreakers that keep Atlantic, St. Lawrence, and Arctic waterways open.

Context from the release

• Chantier Davie has held more than $7.74 billion in contracts since 2012.
• The government previously awarded $19.6 million in 2024 for initial design work and a $3.25 billion contract in 2025 for the Polar Max project.
• The release links this procurement to broader goals: strengthening domestic shipbuilding, securing trade routes, and increasing Arctic presence.