The Government of Canada reaffirms its commitment to Davie and its workers Français
Canadian Coast Guard adds to its icebreaker fleet for first time in twenty five years
LÉVIS, QC, Dec. 14, 2018 /CNW/ - Our Canadian waterways play a crucial role in our culture, history, and economy. Keeping these waterways safe and open for business is a priority for the Government of Canada. This is why we are ensuring that the Canadian Coast Guard is properly equipped for the important work it carries out on a daily basis in keeping Canadians and our Canadian waters safe.
Today, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, Joël Lightbound, announced that the first of the three medium icebreakers recently refitted by Chantier Davie for the Canadian Coast Guard will be named CCGS Captain Molly Kool. The expertise and the talent of Chantier Davie workers were in the limelight during that event, which highlighted the first floating of a Coast Guard icebreaker in twenty-five years.
The Ministers and the Parliamentary Secretary have seized the opportunity to visit the shipyard and to meet the workers, in order to reiterate the importance of Chantier Davie for the Canadian shipbuilding industry.
All three medium icebreakers, recently acquired by the Coast Guard, will undergo refit and conversion work at Chantier Davie in Lévis, Québec, to ensure they comply with Canadian regulatory and Coast Guard operational standards before entering the fleet.
The first ship will allow the Coast Guard to provide essential services during the upcoming winter season, while the other two undergo refit projects.
The namesake of the icebreaker, Captain Myrtle 'Molly' Kool, was the first woman in North America to become a master mariner. Myrtle Kool, known by everyone as Molly, was born in 1916 in Alma, New Brunswick. In 1937, she was the first woman in North America to become a licensed ship captain, and in 1939, was awarded her coastal master's certificate.
CCGS Captain Molly Kool is part of the national Coast Guard fleet which carries out icebreaking duties in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and Arctic regions. This icebreaker is the latest Coast Guard asset deployed to help ensure the safety of Canadian waterways and those who rely on them, both for recreational and commercial purposes.
Quotes
"Today, we are pleased to welcome CCGS Captain Molly Kool into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. This icebreaker will provide essential support to the shipping industry, while keeping Canadians safe along our waterways. Canadians can be proud of the men and women of our Coast Guard, and the important work they carry out from coast, to coast, to coast."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard
"CCGS Captain Molly Kool is a welcome and much needed addition into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. Congratulations to the skilled workers of Chantier Davie for their excellent work in bringing this ship into service for the upcoming icebreaking season. This project is yet another example of how the National Shipbuilding Strategy is supporting jobs and prosperity in communities across Canada, including here in Quebec."
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
"I am proud to be here with my colleague the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, and my colleague the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, in order to highlight the excellent work achieved by the Chantier Davie workers on CCGS Captain Molly Kool. The importance of the Chantier Davie for the Canadian shipbuilding industry and for our region's economy is undeniable. The high quality of the refit and conversion work conducted on CCGS Captain Molly Kool is another example of our workers' exceptional know-how. Together, we can consider the future with confidence.."
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Quick Facts
- CCGS Captain Molly Kool measures 93.7 metres in length, and has a beam of 18 metres. It is classified as a medium icebreaker, and can maintain a speed of 3 knots through ice up to 1 metre thick.
- In addition to icebreaking, the ship will support other Coast Guard programs, such as Search and Rescue and Environmental Response
- Icebreakers are crucial to Coast Guard services, the safety of mariners, protection of coastal waters, and efficient transport of people and goods through Canada's waterways.
Related Products:
- Backgrounder – Captain Molly Kool
- Backgrounder- Icebreaker specifications
Associated Links
- Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Procurement
- National Shipbuilding Strategy
- Canadian Coast Guard Navigation Officer Program
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Backgrounder
Captain Molly Kool
Captain Myrtle 'Molly' Kool (1916-2009) was a pioneer in Canada's maritime history. The first woman in North America to become a licensed ship captain, Kool helped pave the way for future generations of women in her field. Born into a family of mariners in Alma, New Brunswick, Kool was on the water since her early days, where she built her career and reputation as a courageous and fearless mariner.
Kool spent most of her childhood aboard her father's vessel Jean K, where she delivered cargo from ships anchored in deep waters to ports along the Bay of Fundy coastline. Kool was interested in obtaining her marine certifications, and applied to the merchant Marine School in Saint John, only to be turned down. Nonetheless, she persevered, and earned her mate's certificate in 1937. Kool continued to pursue additional certifications, and was awarded her coastal master's certificate in 1939, from the Merchant Marine Institute, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Her certification enabled the formal addition of the prefix "she" to the Canada Shipping Act; up to that point, all mariners were referred to as "he".
Now entitled to operate as a captain in coastal waters, Kool's father handed her the Jean K, which she captained for the following five years. It was then that Kool built her legacy as a courageous and fearless mariner. She spent years sailing the treacherous waters of the Bay of Fundy, notorious for having the world's highest tides. Kool dealt with rain, fog, and ice as her vessel hauled cargo up and down the East coast, sometimes making it as far south as Boston. Through her hard work, leadership, and determination, Kool earned the respect of her male colleagues, who, at that point, made up the vast majority of the maritime and shipping community.
After her life at sea, Kool moved to Maine, where she married and spent the rest of her life. Her ashes were scattered over the Bay of Fundy, near her birthplace and where she grew up.
December, 2018
Backgrounder
Icebreakers
The Canadian Coast Guard has a wide range of responsibilities across Canada, including Icebreaking, Search and Rescue, Aids to Navigation, and Environmental Response, and relies on having the necessary equipment to carry out its work year-round. In August 2018, Chantier Davie of Levis, Quebec was awarded a $610 million dollar contract for the acquisition of three interim icebreakers for the Coast Guard.
Icebreakers are an essential component of the Coast Guard fleet, and provide icebreaking services to ensure safe navigation, prevent ice jams and flooding, and maintain shipping routes. From December to May, icebreakers operate in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakes, and in the Arctic from May to November. They are equipped to support multiple Coast Guard programs, including Search and Rescue, Aids to Navigation, and Environmental Response.
The first of three new icebreakers has been named CCGS Captain Molly Kool after the first female master mariner in North America. Myrtle Kool, known by everyone as Molly, was born in 1916 in Alma, New Brunswick. In 1937, she was the first woman in North America to become a licensed ship captain, and in 1939, was awarded her coastal master's certificate.
The CCGS Captain Molly Kool's home port will be in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. This vessel will help ensure the continuation of Coast Guard services while other ships in the fleet undergo refits and vessel life extensions. The second and third vessels will further complement the fleet upon their acceptance in fall 2019 and summer 2020, respectively.
About the CCGS Captain Molly Kool
- The vessel measures 93.7 metres in length, and 18 metres in width. It is classed as a medium icebreaker, and can maintain a speed of 3 knots through ice up to 1 metre thick.
- CCGS Captain Molly Kool has a total of 18,278 horsepower, and is equipped with twin propellers and twin rudders behind, providing the vessel with a high degree of manoeuvrability.
- The ship has a cruising speed of 12 knots and a maximum speed of 16 knots.
- CCGS Captain Molly Kool can operate continuously without refueling for approximately 25 days, and has a crew of 19.
December, 2018
SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada
For further information: Jocelyn Lubczuk, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-548-7863, [email protected], Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]
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