Canada Needs More Escorts for Plan to Boost Arctic Ships
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When the Danish-owned Nordic Orion became the first bulk carrier to transit the Northwest Passage, it relied on an escort for part of the route by the Canadian Coast Guard’s most capable icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent.
The ship’s voyage, completed this month, symbolized the Canadian government’s plan to bolster its claim to Arctic waters as polar ice melting makes more shipping possible. It also symbolized how much the government needs to do: the 45-year-old Louis S. St-Laurent is one of only two Canadian icebreakers capable of making sure the 1,450-kilometer (900-mile) trip can be done safely.