Seaspan Shipyards has laid the keel for CCGS Imnaryuaq, the largest polar icebreaker ever built in Canada, at a ceremony held at its North Vancouver yard. Construction began in April 2025 with the cutting of steel for the ship's first polar block, and the keel-laying event brought together government officials, Canadian Coast Guard representatives and more than 2,500 Seaspan employees. The vessel will have Polar Class 2 capability, enabling it to operate farther north, in harsher ice conditions and for longer periods than any previous Canadian icebreaker. Measuring 158 metres long and 28 metres wide, with a design displacement of 26,036 tonnes, Imnaryuaq will accommodate up to 100 personnel and feature diesel-electric propulsion, ice-classed azimuthing propulsion and 47 MW of installed power. Its design includes scientific laboratories, a moon pool for equipment deployment, a helicopter flight deck and hangar, a vehicle garage and provision for a future remotely piloted aircraft system. Missions will range from supporting northern communities and scientific research to maritime emergency response and search and rescue. Named to honour Inuit placenames and culture, Imnaryuaq is the seventh vessel Seaspan is building under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy, which includes up to 21 icebreaking vessels for the Coast Guard. Seaspan said its supply chain under the strategy now involves more than 800 Canadian companies and contracts worth over $3 billion, contributing more than $5.7 billion to Canadian GDP since 2011. The ceremony opened with Squamish Nation members performing a traditional Coast Salish cleansing ritual, brushing the keel with cedar boughs and singing a blessing song. Two coins designed by Indigenous artists from the Squamish and Inuit nations were placed near the hull, where they will remain for the ship's lifetime.