Supplementary Information Tables

Status Report on Transformational and Major Crown Projects

Polar Icebreaker Project

Description

Canada’s first polar icebreaker is expected to be delivered in time for the decommissioning of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. The new polar icebreaker will help strengthen Canada's Arctic sovereignty. The vessel will be able to operate in the Arctic in more difficult weather conditions and for a longer period of time, three seasons instead of the current two seasons.

Project Outcomes

Project outcomes contribute to the core responsibility of Marine Operations and Response under Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Departmental Results Framework.

Industrial Benefits

Canadian industry will benefit from this project. Canada's Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy, as well as the Value Proposition provisions of the umbrella agreement with Vancouver Shipyards under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, applies to the Polar Icebreaker Project contracts.

Sponsoring Department

Canadian Coast Guard, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Contracting Authority

Public Services and Procurement Canada

Participating Departments

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Department of National Defence

Prime Contractor

VARD Marine Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (for design services)

Major Subcontractors

• Aker Arctic (either Helsinki, Finland or Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) (hull form design and optimization)
• Imtech (Ashford, Middlesex, United Kingdom) (electrical engineering design services)
• SNC Lavalin (Montréal, Québec, Canada) (integrated logistics support services)
• Indal / Curtiss Wright (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) (ship borne helicopter integration)

Project Phase

Definition Phase - The Canadian Coast Guard is currently refreshing the design of the Polar Icebreaker Project.

Major Milestones

• June 2009 - Preliminary Project Approval
• June 2010 - Government of Canada announced that the polar icebreaker would be built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy
• November 2010 - Contract award for design
• May 2019 – Government of Canada announced the Polar Icebreaker is being removed from Umbrella Agreement with Vancouver Shipyards and replaced with a run of up to 16 Multi purpose Vessels
• TBD – Decision on procurement strategy for the Polar Icebreaker
• TBD - Contract award for construction engineering
• TBD - Contract award for construction
• TBD - Delivery of Polar Icebreaker
• TBD - project closeout

Progress Report and Explanation of Variances

Federal Budgets 2008 and 2012 allocated funding for the procurement of Canada’s first polar icebreaker. Total funding of $1,297.8 million has been earmarked for the execution of this project and is currently under review. In June 2009, Treasury Board’s Preliminary Project Approval granted $36.3 million to begin the definition phase of the project.

The final of three detailed design stages was completed in 2014-15 by VARD Marine, including an appraisal by Lloyd’s Register, a Transport Canada-certified Classification Society. VARD Marine remains engaged in ongoing design maintenance and technical risk mitigation work and in 2019 began design refresh work to ensure compliance with current regulatory requirements and to incorporate lessons learned since the design was finalized in 2014-15.

In May 2019, a decision was made under the National Shipbuilding Strategy to remove construction of the Polar Icebreaker from Vancouver Shipyards in place of a long run of 16 Multi-purpose Vessels (MPVs). The procurement strategy will be determined following marine industry engagement to explore alternative delivery options to ensure that the Polar Icebreaker is built in the most efficient manner.