Ottawa awards $3.25B contract to Quebec-based Davie shipyard to build new polar icebreaker
The federal government has handed a $3.25 billion contract to the Davie Shipyard in Lévis, Que. to build a new polar icebreaker by 2030.
"This polar icebreaker will be among the largest and most complex ever built on the planet," said Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos at a news conference in Lévis on Saturday morning.
An icebreaker is a vessel designed to navigate and cut through thick ice that obstructs frozen waters.
Another polar icebreaker will be built simultaneously at Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards. Duclos explained that the Canadian Coast Guard will be able to use the two ships in emergency situations in Canada's Arctic to conduct year-round missions to support northern communities and scientific research, and to ensure the country's Arctic sovereignty.
"This will give Canada access to the Arctic and the High Arctic at all times and in all circumstances for the first time in the country's history," said Duclos.
"This is particularly relevant in the present context, where Canadian sovereignty is threatened by growing global tensions."
The construction of the PolarMax is expected to create 3,250 "direct and indirect jobs" per year between 2025 and 2030 and to add $440 million to Canada's GDP annually, according to Duclos.
More than 70 per cent of the work will be done in the province and the rest of Canada. Canadian workers will also work with their Finnish counterparts to build part of the icebreaker in Finland.
Quebec Premier François Legault told reporters this job creation comes at a "good time."
"With Mr. Trump, there's a significant risk that jobs will be lost in the manufacturing sector as a result of the tariffs that will be put in place and the reduction of our exports to the United States," said Legault.
Duclos noted that the PolarMax will withstand impacts and extreme vibrations in very cold temperatures and through ice up to three metres thick for a minimum lifespan of 40 years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PA House passes bill requiring American-made steel in tax-payer funded projects
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill Monday requiring American-made steel for all tax-payer funded projects. State law already requires government projects to use American-made steel. However, H.B. 1018 would extend this requirement to private entities receiving public funds or tax incentives. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'This is one way to bring back good-paying, family-sustaining jobs – by leveling the playing field for hardworking people and industries that were economically steamrolled by unfair competition,' said Rep. Frank Burns (D-Cambria), who sponsored the bill. The bill, which is a part of Burns' larger 'American Made Jobs Plan,' passed the House 200-2. It will now move to the Senate for concurrence. Mexican aluminum, steel exporters say sales in US down 63% due to tariffs The bill comes as tariffs have driven down the demand for foreign-made steel. In February, President Donald Trump ordered a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum imports. Exporters of Mexican steel and aluminum said that has led to a 63% drop in sales to the United States. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Vermont governor vetoes collective bargaining bill
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont governor Phil Scott on Monday used his veto pen for the first time since May 15. Senate Bill 125 would make it more difficult for workers to decertify a union. Under current Vermont law, if 30 percent of workers represented by a union file a petition, the union can be decertified. S. 125 would raise this requirement to a simple majority of the workers. This bill would also allow judiciary supervisors to bargain collectively. Read the full text of the bill hereDownload Scott said he opposed raising the threshold for decertification saying in his veto letter that while he supports collective bargaining, he believes that 'employees should have choices for which union they belong to.' Burlington mayor signs amended resolution to clean up downtown, gives $10,000 to relocate Food Not Cops The governor also shared concerns about extending collective bargaining rights to judiciary supervisors. He wrote, 'I'm concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify. 'The Judiciary has advised this change could have a negative impact on the effective management of courthouses and fear a workplace marked by divisiveness and angst were this bill to pass. At a time when our court system is managing a significant backlog, we should be focusing on improving efficiencies within the system.' Canadian teen arrested in Vermont trying to drive dad to airport S. 125 passed the House on May 13 in an 81-51 vote, which would be short of the two-thirds threshold needed to override Scott's veto. Vermont's legislature is still working on other legislation before it is scheduled to adjourn later this month, most prominently trying to find a compromise on an education bill that Scott said he would not sign last month without further amendment. He did not issue a formal veto in that case as the bill was not sent to his desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
As new U.S. travel ban arrives, some Canadian dual nationals are worried
Christian Kodia is accustomed to visiting the United States on a weekly basis, but with a new travel ban coming into effect on Monday, he's not sure if that will continue. Kodia is a dual national with citizenship from both Canada and the Republic of Congo, one of 12 states whose citizens U.S. President Donald Trump has now banned from entering that country. "I travel to the United States of America, I would say, every weekend. I go to visit my family, I go for business, I go for friends," said Kodia, president of the Congolese-Brazzaville Community of Ottawa-Gatineau. Even though Kodia has a Canadian passport, he's unsure of what kind of welcome to expect from U.S. customs. "It's going to be difficult," he told Radio-Canada, predicting that the ban would have a "huge, negative impact" for many people. Citing national security, Trump said Thursday his administration would block entry for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Trump also announced restrictions to limit the entry of nationals of seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. In the case of the Republic of Congo, Trump cited high rates of overstaying among citizens visiting the United States: 29.6 per cent of those on temporary business or tourism visas, and 35 per cent of students and exchange visitors. For other countries he cited links to terrorism, failure to accept deportees or a lack of central authority as justification for barring their citizens. "If we had a government, a strong one, one that we elected, they [would] be able to deal with [Trump]," said Darlène Lozis, a Haitian community organizer in Gatineau, Que. Lozis said with much of her home country controlled by armed gangs, she doesn't think Haiti's government will be able to advocate for the rights of its citizens. "Whatever we do won't change anything. That man is a fool," she said, referring to Trump. "He will continue doing and saying whatever he wants." Dual nationals like Kodia are now trying to establish whether they can still legally enter with their Canadian passports. But Ottawa immigration lawyer Betsy Kane suggests that given the potential risks,"it's not even about what's legal." Kane said she's asking her business clients whether it's worth risking the well-being of their staff by sending them to the United States, especially if they are dual nationals from one of the banned countries. "It's about putting yourself in the lion's den," said Kane, stressing that she's not a U.S. immigration specialist. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have wide discretion whether to admit travellers to the United States — even if they have a valid visa. They also have the power to detain people for questioning and to search their electronic devices. In April, Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advisory for the United States, warning Canadians to "expect scrutiny," which could include those devices. It also warned that Canadians denied entry could be detained while awaiting deportation. In an interview with the Canadian Press on Friday, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said if a Canadian faced device searches, or detainment at the border, it was "an isolated event" and "not a pattern."
