Feds ask shipyards to make their cases for building missing heavy icebreaker

OTTAWA — There is a new lead in the case of the missing icebreaker, though exactly how the story will end remains to be seen.

The fate of the Canadian Coast Guard’s next heavy icebreaker has been wrapped in mystery since the federal Liberal government quietly removed the $1.3-billion project from Vancouver shipyard Seaspan’s order book in May.

The ship was first promised by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government more than a decade ago.

Now the government is asking Canadian shipyards to essentially make their case for building the vessel, which the Harper government dubbed the CCGS John G. Diefenbaker.

Public Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the aim is to have the vessel built as quickly as possible as the Diefenbaker is expected to replace the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, which has been in service since 1969.

The Diefenbaker, whose $1.3-billion budget is under review, was supposed to replace the St-Laurent in 2017.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2020.

The Canadian Press