Canadian Coast Guard Adds To Its Icebreaker Fleet For First Time In 25 Years

Our Canadian waterways play a crucial role in our culture, history, and economy. Keeping these waterways safe and open for business is a priority for the Government of Canada. This is why we are ensuring that the Canadian Coast Guard is properly equipped for the important work it carries out on a daily basis in keeping Canadians and our Canadian waters safe.

The Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, Joël Lightbound, announced that the first of the three medium icebreakers recently refitted by Chantier Davie for the Canadian Coast Guard will be named CCGS Captain Molly Kool. The expertise and the talent of Chantier Davie workers were in the limelight during that event, which highlighted the first floating of a Coast Guard icebreaker in twenty-five years.

Also read: How Does An Ice Breaker Ship Work?

The Ministers and the Parliamentary Secretary have seized the opportunity to visit the shipyard and to meet the workers, in order to reiterate the importance of Chantier Davie for the Canadian shipbuilding industry.

All three medium icebreakers, recently acquired by the Coast Guard, will undergo refit and conversion work at Chantier Davie in Lévis, Québec, to ensure they comply with Canadian regulatory and Coast Guard operational standards before entering the fleet.

The first ship will allow the Coast Guard to provide essential services during the upcoming winter season, while the other two undergo refit projects.

The namesake of the icebreaker, Captain Myrtle ‘Molly’ Kool, was the first woman in North America to become a master mariner. Myrtle Kool, known by everyone as Molly, was born in 1916 in Alma, New Brunswick. In 1937, she was the first woman in North America to become a licensed ship captain, and in 1939, was awarded her coastal master’s certificate.

CCGS Captain Molly Kool is part of the national Coast Guard fleet which carries out icebreaking duties in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and Arctic regions. This icebreaker is the latest Coast Guard asset deployed to help ensure the safety of Canadian waterways and those who rely on them, both for recreational and commercial purposes.

Quotes

“Today, we are pleased to welcome CCGS Captain Molly Kool into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. This icebreaker will provide essential support to the shipping industry, while keeping Canadians safe along our waterways. Canadians can be proud of the men and women of our Coast Guard, and the important work they carry out from coast, to coast, to coast.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard

“CCGS Captain Molly Kool is a welcome and much needed addition into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. Congratulations to the skilled workers of Chantier Davie for their excellent work in bringing this ship into service for the upcoming icebreaking season. This project is yet another example of how the National Shipbuilding Strategy is supporting jobs and prosperity in communities across Canada, including here in Quebec.”

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

“I am proud to be here with my colleague the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, and my colleague the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, in order to highlight the excellent work achieved by the Chantier Davie workers on CCGS Captain Molly Kool. The importance of the Chantier Davie for the Canadian shipbuilding industry and for our region’s economy is undeniable. The high quality of the refit and conversion work conducted on CCGS Captain Molly Kool is another example of our workers’ exceptional know-how. Together, we can consider the future with confidence..”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Press Releases: canada.ca

Photo courtesy: ccg-gcc.gc.ca