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Canadian Icebreaking Capabilities Not up to Snuff, Experts

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Canadian Icebreaking Capabilities Not up to Snuff, Experts 23 Policy Briefi ng Transportation shore of Quebec. The 600-person communi- ance multitask vessel, which is not capable require rescue by the Canadian Coast ty relies on a ferry service to provide them of handling the ice conditions in this area.” Guard’s icebreakers. According to Mr. Canadian with everything from groceries to propane. Of the four icebreakers delegated to Webb, Canada’s icebreaking capabilities “All our grocery stores rely on it for their the Atlantic region, only the Molly Kool are not entirely suffi cient for dealing with produce and product, all our restaurants. I was built in the 21st century. The ship was the current risks, let alone those future heat my business with propane, that has to initially launched in 2001, then purchased risks posed by a changing climate. Mr. icebreaking comes across on the ferry,” said L’Anse-au- by the federal government from Norway as Webb said that the six Arctic Offshore Pa- Loup Mayor Trent O’Brien. “During the win- part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. trol vessels included in the National Ship- ter months, we have ice conditions. Usually It was one of three ships purchased from building Strategy are not equipped to serve capabilities by mid-February they’re very troublesome Norway for a total cost of $610-million. as icebreakers—their “ice-strengthened” for transportation. It prevents our ferry The ship was retrofi tted with icebreaking hulls can “barely deal with fi rst year ice,” he from crossing for days on end.” capabilities by the Davie shipyard, and fi rst said—and the single heavy icebreaker the As of Thursday, Feb. 21, the ferry has deployed on Dec. 14, 2018. It is the fi rst government will purchase isn’t enough. not up only been able to cross once in the past new icebreaker deployed since the Terry In addition to ensuring the safety of two weeks due to heavy ice conditions. Fox fi rst fl oated in 1993. The Louis S. St. remote Canadian communities and frigid “There’s very little produce here now. Un- Laurent is the oldest of the four Atlantic marine transit-ways, the Coast Guard’s ice- to snuff , less you buy it canned or frozen, you’re not ships, fi rst deployed in 1969. breaking fl eet helps protect Canada’s claim getting it,” Mr. O’Brien said. When the ferry According to Stewart Webb, editor of to Arctic sovereignty, Mr. Webb said. He can’t cross, the province provides a passen- DefenceReport, “The icebreakers are old. Can- cited China and the European Union’s ef- ger plane, but that only happens after fi ve ada’s icebreaking capacities are okay for now, forts to secure permanent member status on experts say consecutive days of missed crossings and it we are adding a few new ships, but essentially the Arctic Council and gain fi shing rights doesn’t carry any freight. it’s just a band-aid.” Mr. Webb said icebreakers in the Arctic Ocean, the Chinese research “If stores want to have their produce generally have a lifespan of 40 years. vessel Xue Long’s navigation through the Experts say the Canadian fl own, they have to do so at their own The current shortage of icebreakers is Northwest Passage in late summer 2017, expense,” Mr. O’Brien said. “A box that only already causing problems for communities and Russian efforts to create an Arctic tran- icebreaking fl eet isn’t weighs a couple of pounds from St. John’s like L’Anse-au-Loup, but as climate change sit route as examples of the need to do so. can cost $100 or more.” continues to melt sea-ice in the coldest re- Prof. Dawson agrees. “Other nations suffi cient for current or Normally, the town would look to the Cana- gions of the country, marine shipping will are building icebreakers, investing in sci- dian Coast Guard’s fl eet of icebreakers to clear increase. Marine activities in the Arctic and ence programs. It may not be coming next future needs. As climate the water so the ferry can cross. The number similar regions are already increasingly year, but we will see a signifi cant increase change breaks Arctic ice, of ships, however, is in short supply and often annually, especially since 2007, according in traffi c,” she said. “We should position can’t manage the thick ice. Currently, four me- to a joint study by the University of Ottawa ourselves as leaders of the situation in our the ships will become more dium and heavy icebreakers are tasked with and Environment Canada. Multi-year ice, own country, instead of letting other coun- handing the Atlantic region. Two are heavy the thickest form of ice, “is breaking off tries dictate the way forward.” important for the security icebreakers, the Louis S. St. Laurent and Terry and fl owing down into the Canadian Arctic The government currently has an out- Fox, and two are medium icebreakers, the Cap- Archipelago and making it much more standing request for information regarding of communities and marine tain Molly Kool and Henry Larsen. Given the hazardous for ships than it’s ever been in the procurement of an existing icebreaker for thickness of the ice in the area, only medium the past,” said Prof. Jackie Dawson, one the St. Lawrence Seaway. Davie still has two shipping routes. and heavy class icebreakers can adequately of the authors of the study. The ships that icebreakers to deliver, Irving is building six clear the transit route. normally inhabit these waters are unable Arctic patrol vessels, and Seaspan has been BY AIDAN CHAMANDY “A lot of the time when we could make to deal with the thickest ice, and it presents asked to build four ships, one of them a heavy a crossing the icebreakers aren’t available a serious danger for the ship and crew. icebreaker. The shipbuilding industry has until he town of L’Anse-au-Loup, N.L., sits or are tasked somewhere else,” Mr. O’Brien As these vessels traverse ice-laden wa- Apr. 19 to respond to the government’s request. Ton north shore of the Strait of Belle said. “Or instead of sending a medium or ters and encounter the thickest ice, should Aidan Chamandy Isle, just over 20 km east of the lower north heavy icebreaker, they send a high endur- anything ever happen to them, they’ll [email protected].
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