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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Davie to Convert Three Icebreakers for Coast Guard

By: David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen

The Canadian government intends to enter into a deal with Davie Shipyards of Quebec to provide three medium icebreakers, Public Services and Procurement Canada announced Friday.

The vessels will be acquired for the Canadian Coast Guard. The ships would provide the interim capability for the coast guard, while replacement vessels are built later under the government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. The icebreakers are seen as essential to ensuring that Canadian ports remain open during winter months, according to the federal government.

The deal will see the purchasing a class of three existing Anchor Handling Tug Supply icebreakers. Those vessels will be used by the coast guard while its other ships undergo maintenance, refit and vessel life extension.
Artist Rendition courtesy of Davie Inc. 
The ships will be used for icebreaking duties during the winter and sent to the Arctic as needed during the summer. The first ship will be put to immediate use for icebreaking during the upcoming 2018-2019 season, Public Services and Procurement Canada stated in their news release.

The department has issued an Advanced Contract Award Notice to Chantier Davie of LĂ©vis, Quebec, for the acquisition and conversion of three medium commercial icebreakers.

Other companies will have 15 business days to signal their interest in bidding for the contract, by submitting a “statement of capabilities” that meets the requirements laid out in the ACAN, the government noted.

Industry representatives, however, pointed out that an ACAN is usually designed so the company named in the notice is the only one capable of fulfilling the stated requirements.

No other details of the deal were released. It is unclear what the arrangement will cost taxpayers.

Quick facts

• This acquisition will consist of purchasing a class of three existing anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) icebreakers.
• These ships will be used to backfill for Canadian Coast Guard vessels while they are undergoing maintenance, refit and vessel life extension.
• These ships will conduct critical icebreaking duties for the southern wintertime program and are to be deployed as needed in support of Arctic summertime programs.
• The first ship will be put to immediate use for icebreaking during the upcoming 2018-2019 season.

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