Officials representing the governments of the United States, Canada, and Finland today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Washington to begin working together to develop world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers through the exchange of knowledge, information, and resources in each of the countries.
The groundbreaking MOU builds off the launch of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact by Prime Minister Trudeau, President Stubb, and President Biden concluded on the margins of the NATO Washington Summit last July.
Posing their signatures on the document were Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement; Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and Wille Rydman, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs.
“We have embarked on a transformative partnership that strengthens our ability to uphold international rules and maintain security in the Arctic and Antarctic regions,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
A joint statement stressed: “By jointly developing and producing world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers, we are laying the foundation for a resilient and competitive shipbuilding industry, capable of meeting both national and global demand for these critical assets. This arrangement underscores our collective commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Arctic and polar regions, and is a testament to the strength of allied cooperation in addressing strategic challenges.”
Jean-Yves Duclos of Canada commented: “As Arctic nations, it’s imperative that Canada, Finland and the United States invest in the production of icebreakers to protect our sovereignty in the North. The ICE Pact agreement will strengthen shipbuilding in Canada and will be essential in creating and maintaining good middle-class jobs.”
The ICE Pact includes four components: 1) enhanced information exchange between the United States, Canada, and Finland; 2) workforce development collaboration; 3) engagement with allies and partners, and; 4) research and development.
Davie well-positioned
In a separate statement, Chantier Davie Canada, based in Lévis, Quebec, affirmed that as the only ICE Pact shipbuilder with a dedicated presence in all three member nations, the shipbuilder was “uniquely positioned to bridge the critical gap in Western icebreaking capacity.
“Currently holding the largest global order book for heavy icebreakers under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, Davie is also the owner of Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, responsible for over half of the world’s icebreaking fleet. Furthermore, Davie will soon establish a U.S. shipbuilding presence, further solidifying its unique role across the ICE Pact countries.”
(Photo courtesy of tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca)
