Working with the North, for the North

From: Canadian Coast Guard

News release

August 19, 2024

Iqaluit, Nunavut - The Canadian Arctic covers 40 per cent of Canada's territory and plays a fundamental role in our national identity. Expansions in commercial shipping, the impacts of climate change, and increased maritime activity in the Arctic have underscored the importance of safe navigation in the region.

Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, was in Iqaluit, Nunavut to unveil the names of the Canadian Coast Guard’s two future Polar Icebreakers: the CCGS Arpatuuq and CCGS Imnaryuaq. The vessels’ names were chosen in collaboration with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami for their cultural significance to Inuit, marking another step forward in the Government of Canada’s commitment to build a stronger relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.

Once built, the Polar Icebreakers will be the largest vessels in the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet of the future. The CCGS Arpatuuq and CCGS Imnaryuaq will enable the Canadian Coast Guard to operate in the Canadian Arctic year-round to support Indigenous Peoples and Northern communities, Arctic sovereignty, high Arctic science, and emergency response.

This announcement follows the recent name unveiling and launch of the Canadian Coast Guard’s new Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, the CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, at Vancouver Shipyards in British Columbia. The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk pays tribute to an esteemed Inuk Elder, and the name was also chosen in collaboration with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

As part of today’s announcement, Minister Lebouthillier also marked the launch of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic Strategy. The Strategy outlines the Canadian Coast Guard’s vision for the Arctic region over the next decade and was developed in collaboration with Inuit, First Nations, and Métis peoples. As noted in the Strategy, the Canadian Coast Guard is enhancing its year-round presence in the Arctic with innovative programs, a modernized fleet, an equitable and representative workforce, and policies that are made in the North, by the North, and for the North.

Finally, Minister Lebouthillier announced that year two of the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s dedicated mission to conduct hydrographic surveys in the Arctic will launch from Iqaluit on August 26, 2024. These surveys are critical to advance knowledge of the Arctic seabed, and the data collected plays a significant role in enhancing navigational safety in a challenging marine environment.

Funded through the Oceans Protection Plan, the initiative supports job training and provides employment opportunities for post-secondary Indigenous students to work aboard the vessel as cadets while supporting the mission, which will continue to improve marine safety in the challenging environment of the Arctic Ocean.

Quotes

“The Government of Canada is committed to working with the North, for the North. Our ongoing collaboration with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Indigenous Peoples in Canada remains a priority and we are proud to foster these positive partnerships. The milestones announced today will help increase services to Northern communities while improving navigational safety in the Arctic.”

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“The Polar Icebreakers are a key component of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which supports the Canadian Coast Guard in its operations while revitalizing our domestic shipbuilding industry and creating good jobs. Given that these vessels will enable the CCG to ensure a year-round presence in the Canadian Arctic in support of Indigenous Peoples, it is only fitting that their names reflect the rich Inuit culture.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement

“We are pleased that the Canadian Coast Guard has chosen to name its new Polar Icebreakers after Inuktut placenames within Inuit Nunangat. Inuktut is a vibrant language and Inuit Nunangat is our vast homeland and so it’s fitting that these new vessels, which are designed to support our communities and protect Arctic sovereignty year-round, will reflect the language and places that are significant to Inuit. We welcome this renewed partnership and look forward to working with the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure its new Arctic Strategy includes Inuit priorities and self-determination.”

Natan Obed, President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

“Today’s name unveiling for the Polar Icebreakers is another exciting step forward in the renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet, and demonstrates our dedication to growing our partnerships with Indigenous communities across Canada. These icebreakers will better equip our personnel with the state-of-the-art technology they need to expand our services and ensure year-round presence in the Canadian Arctic. I also look forward to seeing the Arctic Strategy in action to guide our path forward in the region.”

Mario Pelletier, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard

Quick facts

  • The CCGS Arpatuuq references Akpatok Island, an uninhabited island in Nunavik, on the northern coast of Quebec. The island is an important geographical landmark in Ungava Bay that has been used by Inuit of Nunavik for centuries. It is named for the Akpa, a thick-billed murre that is one of the many seabird species in the region.

  • The CCGS Imnaryuaq’s namesake is a cape located at the southern end of Banks Island that extends into the Amundsen Gulf. Also referred to as Nelson Head and meaning “big cliff,” Imnaryuaq extends over 300 metres almost vertically from the water’s edge and is a culturally significant area for Inuvialuit.

  • The construction of the two Polar Icebreakers is projected to support approximately 300 jobs per vessel at the shipyards, and 2,500 jobs across the marine supply chain. Vancouver Shipyards in British Columbia will build one Polar Icebreaker, and Chantier Davie in Lévis, Quebec, will build the other Polar Icebreaker.

  • The National Shipbuilding Strategy is helping restore Canada’s shipyards, rebuild the marine industry, and create sustainable jobs while helping to protect Canada’s sovereignty. As of the end of 2023, over $26.5 billion in National Shipbuilding Strategy-related contracts have been awarded to businesses throughout the country.

  • The Canadian Hydrographic Service awarded a $6.5 million contract to Nunavut’s Sedna ROV Services to conduct dedicated hydrographic survey missions in Canada’s Arctic during the 2023 and 2024 field seasons. During the first year of the project, over 9,000 linear kilometres of the Arctic Ocean were surveyed.

  • As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, the two-year Arctic surveying project will improve charting in the proposed northern low impact shipping corridors by using modern sonar technology to collect hydrographic data.

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Contacts

Gabriel Bourget
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Gabriel.Bourget@dfo-mpo.gc.ca    

Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-990-7537
Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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