Seaspan Shipyards has laid the keel for the Canadian Coast Guard’s polar icebreaker CCGS Imnaryuaq at its Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, marking a new construction milestone for the vessel scheduled for delivery in 2032.
The ceremony took place on 14 October 2026, following the start of steel cutting in April 2025. The 158-metre vessel is being built under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and will be the largest polar icebreaker constructed in the country.
CCGS Imnaryuaq will have a beam of 28 metres and a design displacement of 26,036 tonnes. Built to Polar Class 2 standards, the icebreaker will feature 47 MW of installed power, diesel-electric propulsion and ice-classed azimuthing propulsion units.
Designed for year-round operations in the High Arctic, the vessel will accommodate up to 100 personnel. It will support icebreaking, maritime security, scientific research, search and rescue, emergency response and services to northern communities.
Its equipment will include scientific laboratories, a moon pool for research operations, a helicopter flight deck and hangar, and a vehicle garage.
Canada awarded Seaspan Shipyards a C$3.15 billion construction contract in March 2025. According to the Canadian government’s polar icebreaker project information, earlier contracts for ancillary work, construction engineering and long-lead equipment totalled C$1.12 billion.
The project is one of two polar icebreakers being acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard. The second vessel, CCGS Arpatuuq, is being built by Chantier Davie Canada, with delivery expected in 2030.
CCGS Imnaryuaq is the seventh vessel being designed and built by Seaspan Shipyards under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The company is also involved in a programme to build up to 16 Multi-Purpose Icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.
