(DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia) — The Canadian Coast Guard on Tuesday officially welcomed Canadian Coast Guard chip (CCGS) Naalak Nappaaluk to its fleet at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Lena Diab, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, alongside vessel sponsor Qiallak Nappaaluk, the crew and community members, participated in the traditional breaking of a ceremonial bottle upon the ship’s bow.
Built in Canada at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk becomes the largest science vessel in Canada’s fleet and will support science missions on Canada’s Atlantic coast. This vessel will allow the Canadian Coast Guard to support scientists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Natural Resources Canada with safe, modern, and Canadian-made equipment. With the Atlantic Ocean home to some of the richest marine ecosystems in the world, Canada’s ability to study and manage these waters is more important than ever.
CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, an offshore oceanographic science vessel, will support important ocean research, conduct critical missions, and improve Canada’s understanding of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The data and samples collected onboard this vessel will advance Canada’s domestic and international commitments to advance the sustainable management of our oceans.
This vessel was built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the Government of Canada’s commitment to renew its federal fleets while revitalizing Canada’s marine industry and creating middle-class jobs and maximizing economic benefits across the country.
CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk will support Canada’s oceanographic science research for the next 30 years and beyond, as the Canadian Coast Guard’s primary East Coast ocean science research vessel. It can accommodate up to 34 crew and 26 scientists and will be stationed at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
The vessel features a large working deck capable of carrying a range of modular payloads to support its science missions, a large ocean sampling room, multiple laboratories, and cutting-edge technology to study and monitor ocean ecosystems. The vessel is equipped to support search and rescue missions and environmental response efforts, when needed.
The vessel is named after Nunavik elder Naalak Nappaaluk (1928-2010) who was known for his vast knowledge of animals, weather patterns, the sea and even the night sky. Nappaaluk was a skilled and respected community builder and harvester devoted to ensuring Inuit language, culture and knowledge of the natural world was preserved and passed on to future generations.
As of March, Canada has awarded more than $53 billion in NSS contracts across the country. NSS contracts awarded between 2012 and 2025 are estimated to contribute close to $49.8 billion ($3.3 billion annually) to Canada’s gross domestic product, and create or maintain more than 25,000 jobs annually.
In addition to these significant economic benefits, the NSS has also generated substantial supplier development opportunities for Canadian companies. More than $13.6 billion in development opportunities have been provided by NSS shipyards to Canadian suppliers, including more than $3 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises.
– Canadian Coast Guard
