Did you know…

CCGS Louis St. Laurent

Built close to forty-years ago (1969), the Canadian Coast Guard Service’s Louis St. Laurent is Canada’s largest and strongest ice-breaking vessel.  Named after Canada’s twelfth prime minster (1948-1957), the almost 112-meter long icebreaker can penetrate thick multi-year sea ice and provides a multitude of services that includes: traditional ice-breaking, escorts, re-supplies and an Arctic research platform. 

The icebreaker has been modernized on three separate occasions (1988, 1993 and 2000) to extend its operational lifespan.  Retirement of the Louis St. Laurent seems on the horizon as Federal finance minister Jim Flaherty announced in February, 2008 that the Canadian government will commit $720M to purchase a new polar class icebreaker to replace the Louis St. Laurent in 2017. 

The Louis St. Laurent will be in the northern Beaufort Sea later this summer participating in a joint-seabed mapping project with the American Coast Guard cutter Healy.  The project will help move forward scientific evidence to delineate continental shelf rights and the lucrative natural resources they offer. 

The jewel of the Canadian Coast Guard — Louis St. Laurent
Credit: Canadian Coast Guard