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CCGS Vincent Massey leaving Levis, Quebec | Photo credit: Chantier Davie

CCGS Vincent Massey leaving Levis, Quebec | Photo credit: Chantier Davie

Canadian Coast Guard Dedicates Third and Final Secondhand Medium Icebreaker

Mike Schuler
Total Views: 10992
September 15, 2023

The Canadian Coast Guard has officially welcomed the medium icebreaker CCGS Vincent Massey to its fleet at a dedication to service ceremony in Quebec City.

The ship is the third of three medium icebreakers that Canada purchased secondhand from the commercial market in 2018.

The CCGS Vincent Massey joins its sister ships, the CCGS Jean Goodwill and CCGS Captain Molly Kool, in providing icebreaking services in Eastern Canada’s waterways, including the St. Lawrence River and Gulf and the Atlantic region. The vessel is also equipped to support environmental response and search and rescue operations.

The Canadian Coast Guard took delivery of the CCGS Vincent Massey last October after acquiring it from Viking Supply Ships as part of a three medium-icebreaker package. Vincent Massey was originally built in 2000 and previously went by the name Tor Viking.

The first of the three icebreakers, CCGS Captain Molly Kool, entered into service in late 2018, followed by CCGS Jean Goodwill in November 2020.

Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy aims to revitalize the country’s shipbuilding industry, create skilled jobs, and build new classes of ships to ensure safe and modern marine services. The three medium interim icebreakers were acquired to supplement the Canadian Coast Guard’s existing fleet while new ships are being built under the strategy.

“Investing in and delivering on the future of the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet is a top priority for our government. This investment ensures the Canadian Coast Guard has the necessary resources to respond to current and future challenges and keep Canadians safe,” said the Honorable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Contracts under the National Shipbuilding Strategy have contributed CAD $21.26 billion ($1.93 billion per year) to Canada’s GDP and created or sustained over 18,000 jobs annually from 2012 to 2022.

The CCGS Vincent Massey underwent conversion and refit to increase crew accommodation, add a heavy lift crane, improve icebreaking and ship endurance, and meet Canadian Coast Guard and regulatory requirements.

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