Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Diane Lebouthillier, has released the names of the Canadian Coast Guard’s two future Polar Icebreakers: the CCGS Arpatuuq and CCGS Imnaryuaq.
The vessels’ names were chosen in collaboration with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami for their cultural significance to Inuit. The CCGS Arpatuuq references Akpatok Island, an uninhabited island in Nunavik, on the northern coast of Quebec. The island is an important geographical landmark in Ungava Bay that has been used by Inuit of Nunavik for centuries. It is named for the Akpa, a thick-billed murre that is one of the many seabird species in the region.
The CCGS Imnaryuaq’s namesake is a cape located at the southern end of Banks Island that extends into the Amundsen Gulf. Also referred to as Nelson Head and meaning “big cliff,” Imnaryuaq extends over 300 meters almost vertically from the water’s edge and is a culturally significant area for Inuvialuit.
The construction of the two Polar Icebreakers is projected to support approximately 300 jobs per vessel at the shipyards, and 2,500 jobs across the marine supply chain. Vancouver Shipyards in British Columbia will build one Polar Icebreaker, and Chantier Davie in Lévis, Quebec, will…