Finnish Shipyard Starts Building Canada’s Newest Icebreaker

The construction of Canada’s next icebreaker is starting out in Finland as the two Arctic nations boost cooperation in manufacturing the specialized vessels for the world’s harshest marine conditions.

Steel cutting for the Polar Max heavy icebreaker, which traditionally marks the start of works, is taking place on Wednesday at the Helsinki Shipyard. The vessel is being built for the Canadian Coast Guard, with initial assembly taking place in Finland and much of the construction later in Canada. It’s scheduled for delivery within just five years.