Today, Mike Kelloway, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Glace Bay and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, on behalf of the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, announced Sydney, Nova Scotia, as the preferred location to explore the maintenance port for the Canadian Coast Guard's future polar icebreakers. This infrastructure will serve as a deep‑water port to support the unique operational and maintenance requirements of the Canadian Coast Guard's largest and most capable Arctic-ready ships.
This preferred location follows a national assessment to determine the most suitable site based on the Canadian Coast Guard's operational, geographic, and infrastructure needs. Sydney, Nova Scotia has key advantages that support the long‑term operational needs of the fleet, providing one of the shortest routes to the Arctic from Eastern Canada, proximity to the Canadian Coast Guard Academy, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration with the Royal Canadian Navy.
Pending future discussions with local landowners, due diligence and planning activities will be required to assess the technical feasibility of constructing the polar icebreaker maintenance port at this location. This marks the first step in planning infrastructure that will support Canada's Arctic‑capable vessels, expand East Coast marine capacity, and create economic opportunities for Atlantic Canada.
Indigenous Peoples will be engaged and consulted throughout the process, in accordance with the Government of Canada's duty to consult, and the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Inuit Nunangat Policy.
The port will provide essential maintenance for the Canadian Coast Guard's largest polar icebreakers, enabling year‑round Arctic operations and strengthening Canada's sovereignty and security in the Arctic. This will allow personnel to continue delivering critical services, including icebreaking operations, environmental response, search and rescue, and Arctic science.
