One of Canada’s most storied naval architecture firms, Robert Allan Ltd., and Canada’s leading arctic and offshore engineering firm, Ausenco Sandwell, formed a joint venture -— Canada’s Arctic SAGE Team -— to bid for the design of the Canadian Coast Guard’s new flagship icebreaker.
“Canada’s Arctic SAGE Team brings together the most experienced, skilled and talented team in the world on ice breaker technology,” says Robert Allan Ltd.’s Executive Chairman, Rob Allan. “It includes the top people in Canada who were responsible for designing highly innovative icebreakers for the Beaufort Sea oil boom, those who designed the Polar 8 Icebreaker, and who are now internationally recognized authorities working on the leading edge of international icebreaker design.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the new icebreaker project in August of 2008. The ship, to be named CCGS John G. Diefenbaker, will replace CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. It is expected to take eight to 10 years to design and build at a total cost of $720 million.
To create Canada’s Arctic SAGE Team, Robert Allan Ltd. has partnered with Ausenco Sandwell, also based in Vancouver. Key subcontractors within the team include AKAC Inc., R.P. Browne & Associates, Ben Johannsen, Colin Reville, DC Maritime Technologies, and D.F. Dickins and Associates, all internationally acknowledged experts in icebreaker technology. The Glosten Associates of Seattle bring extensive recent experience on the Science Mission aspects of the icebreaker. A corps of highly experienced Canadian Ice Masters—men who have worked throughout the Canadian Arctic in a wide range of icebreaking ships—bring a practical operational perspective to the design group.
Allan says this team intimately knows the Canadian Arctic and the ice conditions there, conditions he says are harsher and totally different from any other region in the world.
“This team is simply the very best in the business,” saidAllan. “It is gratifying to see this international expertise is available in Canada today to design the flagship of the Canadian Fleet.”