Canada Awards Polar Icebreaker Contract to Davie Shipbuilding Amid Arctic Strategic Push

Davie Shipbuilding, the Quebec-based shipbuilder, has secured a CAD $3.25 billion contract from the Government of Canada to construct a new polar icebreaker, with delivery expected by 2030.

The project, which will begin construction in 2025, marks a significant development in Canada’s Arctic maritime capabilities, following another heavy polar shipbuilding contract to Seaspan Shipyards.

The Davie vessel, dubbed the Polar Max, will leverage expertise from Helsinki Shipyard, which Davie acquired in 2023. Helsinki Shipyard brings considerable experience to the project, having constructed over half of the world’s icebreakers.

The Polar Max will be 22,800 tonnes with a length of 138.5 meters. It will be the first newbuild project at the Helsinki Shipyard under Davie’s ownership, and carried out in collaboration between Finnish and Canadian maritime industry experts. The work will begin in Helsinki and be completed at Davie’s shipyard in Canada. 

“When we acquired Helsinki Shipyard, we pledged to rebuild this historic business. The Polar Max project is evidence that we are delivering on our promise,” said James Davies, President & CEO, Davie Shipbuilding. “The Canadian government deserves immense credit for partnering with Davie on this groundbreaking procurement.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, emphasized the strategic importance of the project: “This state-of-the-art vessel will not only strengthen our icebreaking fleet but will also support critical scientific research and environmental protection efforts, and ensure national security in the Arctic.”

The project represents a milestone in the ICE Pact, a trilateral partnership established in 2024 between the United States, Canada, and Finland to develop Arctic and polar icebreakers. The collaboration comes at a crucial time, as Arctic regions become increasingly accessible due to climate change.

This announcement is part of a broader Canadian shipbuilding initiative. Notably, Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver on Friday announced it has also secured a contract for a heavy polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. Their vessel will be a Polar Class 2 ship designed to operate year-round in the high Arctic at temperatures as low as -50°C.

The Seaspan icebreaker will feature advanced capabilities, including more than 40MW of installed power, an ice-classed azimuthing propulsion system, and comprehensive research facilities. The vessel will be equipped with scientific laboratories, a moon pool for equipment deployment, helicopter facilities, and capability for future remotely piloted aircraft systems.

The timing of the contracts coincide with growing cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic. Moscow is working to increase oil and gas deliveries to China in response to Western sanctions, while Beijing seeks alternative shipping routes to reduce dependence on traditional maritime corridors.

Davie’s President & CEO, James Davies, highlighted the transformative nature of the agreement: “Delivering such a special ship in a timely manner is in the best interests of all Canadians. It will accelerate economic benefits for Quebecers and strengthen the skills of our talented Lévis’ shipbuilders.”

The project will involve significant workforce development, with Davie implementing an exchange program enabling Quebec employees to learn icebreaker construction expertise directly from their Finnish colleagues. The company plans to invest more than $200 million in local small- and medium-sized businesses, reinforcing Quebec’s position as a naval construction hub.

These projects mark a historic moment in Canadian shipbuilding, representing the first polar icebreakers to be built in Canada in over 60 years. The contracts come as the U.S. Coast Guard faces challenges with its own icebreaker fleet replacement program, with the first Polar Security Cutter now unlikely to arrive before 2030.

Davie was named the third official partner to Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy in April 2023, joining Irving Shipbuilding Inc. in Nova Scotia and Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, British Columbia. The NSS is a long-term, multi-billion-dollar program to modernize Canada’s naval and coast guard fleets while revitalizing the domestic shipbuilding industry. The strategy focuses on two vessel categories: non-combatant vessels (icebreakers, offshore science vessels, and support ships) and combatant vessels (frigates and Arctic offshore patrol ships). 

Davie has secured an initial $8.5 billion package that includes seven heavy icebreakers and two large hybrid-powered ferries.