Icebreaker Requirements 2017-2022
2. Background

On December 5, 1995, a Joint Industry/Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaking Task Force was established to review the icebreaking services provided by the Canadian Coast Guard with a view to identify cost reduction strategies and to propose an icebreaking fee structure. In 1997, this task force, chaired by an industry representative, produced the document entitled, “Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker Requirements”, which identified the type, number, timing and location of icebreakers in support of the public good, ferries and commercial users. These requirements were incorporated into the Icebreaking Operations Levels of Service, providing a foundation for the deployment of the core icebreaker fleet necessary to meet the needs of the marine shipping industry.

In May 2009, the National Marine Advisory Board (NMAB) industry members asked the Canadian Coast Guard to re-examine the 1997 Icebreaker Requirements, as many changes had occurred over the years. It was also recommended that the document be updated every five years. In response, the Canadian Coast Guard asked the NMAB members to review and update their icebreaking service requirements and to identify areas where they believed there was an excess capacity, which could assist the agency in aligning to any new demands or adjusting to new priorities. The Icebreaker Requirements document was updated to summarize the results of the review of the commercial shipping industry requirements (as represented by members on the NMAB).

The 2017-2022 Icebreaker Requirements updates the previous version to reflect consultation with industry and Canadian Coast Guard’s resource availability. This document captures icebreaker requirements for the next five years as they are known to us today, carrying us forward to 2022 and will serve as a basis for the planning and deployment of icebreaking resources for the next five years.