CCG Polar Class icebreaker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CCG Polar Class icebreaker refers to a Canadian Coast Guard project to construct a replacement for the nation's largest icebreaker and the flagship of the coast guard, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.

The project was announced in the February 27, 2008 budget of the Government of Canada with a budgeted cost of $720 million (CAD 2008) and estimated delivery in 2017.[1][2][3][4]

The term "Polar Class" by the government and media is somewhat confusing as according to the International Association of Classification Societies, all vessels operating in sea ice must be assigned a polar class, with PC 1 being capable of "Year-round operation in all Polar waters"[5]

Contents

[edit] Minister's comments

Minister of Defence Peter MacKay has stated that the icebreaker will be built in Canada.[6] According to the Halifax Chronicle Herald, Halifax Shipyards, located in MacKay's home province can expect some of the construction work:

The replacement ship is to be built in Canada and Irving’s Halifax Shipyard can be expected to seek a piece of the work, likely as part of a consortium including other Canadian shipyards.

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn announced the icebreaker will be homeported in his riding of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. He also stated that the vessel will be larger than the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent which it will be replacing.[7]

On Friday, May 30, 2008, Chuck Strahl the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development wrote about the proposed Polar 8 icebreaker in a letter to the editor of the Windsor Star.[8] Strahl wrote that the icebreaker would held protect the Arctic environment, and Canadian sovereignty. In addition he wrote that the Canadian Rangers would be expanded, and that a new Arctic research centre would be built in Resolute Bay.

[edit] Third party comments

Michael Byers, the Canada Research chair in global politics and international law at UBC, responded:

  • "This icebreaker and new money for mapping is something that Arctic experts like myself have been calling for, for some years now. I hope it's real. I hope it's not just an election promise."[3]
  • "We need it and we need it right now. But I'm still somewhat skeptical. This has been done before for cynical electoral politics."[9]

[edit] Canadian Forces armed icebreakers

In 2007 the Stephen Harper government announced plans to build six to eight naval icebreakers for the Canadian Forces.[10]

The new icebreakers will give Maritime Command (MARCOM) its first Arctic Ocean capability. The vessels will be based on the Norwegian Svalbard class which carry a Polar class PC-5, which is defined as "Year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions"[5] and as such will be incapable of operating in Arctic winter ice as the present CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent can. The Winnipeg Free Press quoted Gary Stern, a research scientist temporarily stationed aboard the CCGS Amundsen, who called Maritime Command's new design "slush-breakers".

[edit] Cost

In contrast to the $720 million CAD announced to the new CCG Polar Class icebreakers, the Navy Times reports that replacing either of the United States Coast Guard's two oldest Polar Class icebreakers could cost as much as $925 million USD.[11]

[edit] Polar 8 initiative

In 1985 the Government of Canada announced plans to build a fleet of several icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. This was known as the Polar 8 project and would have consisted of one or more vessels with polar class of PC 1. The Polar 8 project was cancelled in 1989.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Arctic icebreaker, fishing port, tax break a start: northerners", CBC News, Wednesday, February 27, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 
  2. ^ Chris Windeyer. "Feds to replace old icebreaker", Nunatsiaq News, February 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. "Ottawa will put aside $720 million this year to commission the icebreaker, which the government says will have better ice breaking capability than the Louis St. Laurent, considered the workhorse of the Coast Guard." 
  3. ^ a b Lee Berthiaume. "Icebreaker Replacement Deadline Looms: Despite $720 million in yesterday's federal budget, procurement for a new polar icebreaker will take eight to 10 years", Embassy, Canada's Foreign Policy Newsletter, February 27, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. "Despite setting aside $720 million in yesterday's budget to purchase a new polar class icebreaker, the government will be cutting things close if it wants to decommission the ageing Louis St. Laurent heavy icebreaker as scheduled by 2017, according to Canadian Coast Guard commissioner George Da Pont." 
  4. ^ Brodie Thomas. "Reaction mixed on fed's budget", Northern News Services, Monday, March 3, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 
  5. ^ a b "Requirements concerning POLAR CLASS", International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), August 2006. Jan 2007 (Rev. 1). Oct 2007 (Corr. 1).. Retrieved on 2008-03-11. 
  6. ^ Stephen Maher. "Little news not good news for region: $720 million allocated to replace coast guard icebreaker", Halifax Chronicle Herald, Thursday February 28, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 
  7. ^ Tara Mullowney. "Feds fall short: Ottawa must do more, politicians say", Southern Gazette, March 4, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. "...and $720 million in funding for the Coast Guard will translate into a polar class ice-breaker that will be based in Newfoundland...

    ...“This is a bigger boat, so you can add to that.”" 

  8. ^ Chuck Strahl. "Securing our true North", Windsor Star, Friday, May 30, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.  mirror
  9. ^ a b "Budget's "anywhere, any time" icebreaker welcomed, if it gets built:experts", Canadian Press, February 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 
  10. ^ Bartley Kives. "Red Amundsen our flag in white Arctic", Winnipeg Free Press, February 28, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-01. 
  11. ^ Philip Ewing. "CG steps up bid to rescue icebreaker funding", Navy Times, Tuesday March 25, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-01. 
  This article related to water transport is a stub. You can help by expanding it.