Feds ask industry for icebreaking help amid concerns about Coast Guard’s fleet
OTTAWA — The federal government has turned to the private sector for help in keeping the country’s waters free of ice during the winter months amid concerns about the state of Canada’s icebreaking fleet.
Companies were invited Tuesday to submit proposals for the provision of icebreaking services to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, which coast guard officials would call upon as needed.
But while the government said the measure was intended to address a “short-term need,” the reality is that the coast guard could end up needing outside help for years.
That is because the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreakers are nearing the end of their original 40-year life expectancies, with the average vessel already 35 years old.