Coast guard spending $12M to refurbish icebreaker Edward Cornwallis

The coast guard is announcing it will spend $12.1 million to refurbish a light icebreaker at a shipyard on Nova Scotia's South Shore.

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan was in Shelburne today to say the government will be funding repair work on the Canadian Coast Guard ship Edward Cornwallis, supporting 55 jobs at the Irving-owned Shelburne Ship Repair.

The work is expected to begin in April and last until January 2021.

A release says the repairs include the replacement of main engines, a new heavy-lift crane, a new bow thruster and hull coating.

The vessel will also undergo regulatory work such as inspecting the tail shafts, seals, stern tubes, propellers and rudder.

The 34-year-old icebreaker was launched in 1986. It was built by Marine Industries in Quebec.

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