Keel Laid for Canada's Largest Polar Icebreaker

The 158-meter CCGS Imnaryuaq will feature 47 MW of installed power, diesel-electric propulsion and Polar Class 2 icebreaking capability, extending the Canadian Coast Guard's operational reach into the High Arctic.

Seaspan Shipyards marked a major construction milestone for the Canadian Coast Guard's (CCG) future flagship polar icebreaker, CCGS Imnaryuaq, with a ceremonial keel laying at its Vancouver Shipyards facility in North Vancouver on October 14, 2026.

Designed for year-round operations in Canada's High Arctic, the 158-meter vessel will be the largest and most powerful icebreaker ever built in Canada. Construction officially began with first steel cutting in April 2025, with delivery anticipated in the early 2030s.

The vessel's technical specifications underscore the scale and complexity of the project. Measuring 158 meters long with a 28-meter beam and design displacement of 26,036 tonnes, Imnaryuaq will feature 47 MW of installed power and a diesel-electric propulsion plant driving an ice-classed azimuthing propulsion system.

Designed to IACS Polar Class 2 (PC2) standards, the vessel will be capable of operating in severe Arctic ice conditions, extending the Coast Guard's operational reach farther north and for longer periods than its existing icebreaker fleet.

The propulsion arrangement combines diesel-electric power generation with maneuverable azimuthing propulsion units, providing the thrust and directional control required for operations in challenging ice environments.

Beyond icebreaking, Imnaryuaq is being engineered as a multi-mission platform capable of supporting Arctic scientific research, maritime emergency response, search and rescue, and logistics operations serving northern communities.

The vessel will accommodate up to 100 personnel and incorporate scientific laboratories, a moon pool for deploying research equipment through the hull, and a helicopter flight deck and hangar.

Additional capabilities include a vehicle garage and provisions for future remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), expanding the vessel's potential for aerial reconnaissance and Arctic surveillance.

These systems will support Canada's objective of maintaining a sustained, 12-month maritime presence across its northern waters, including operations along more than 162,000 kilometers of Arctic coastline.

"Today, Seaspan Shipyards is celebrating the future flagship vessel of the Canadian Coast Guard's reinvigorated icebreaker fleet," said John McCarthy, CEO, Seaspan Shipyards.

"We are tremendously proud to be showcasing the capability of our workforce from world-class engineering to the skillset needed to weld steel thick enough to go through Arctic ice."

Imnaryuaq is the seventh vessel being designed and built by Seaspan under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and represents a significant step in the country's effort to renew its aging icebreaker fleet.

The shipbuilder has accumulated experience delivering polar-capable vessels, including three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels and an Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel delivered in 2025. Its broader NSS program also includes up to 16 Multi-Purpose Icebreakers.

Seaspan has invested more than $200 million in modernizing its shipbuilding facilities and production infrastructure to support increasingly complex vessel construction.

Its NSS supply chain now includes more than 800 Canadian companies, with over $3 billion in contracts awarded.

For the Canadian Coast Guard, Imnaryuaq represents a substantial increase in icebreaking power, scientific capability and operational endurance, providing a platform designed to support Canada's Arctic operations for decades.