DARTMOUTH, NS, Dec. 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Following an illustrious 59 years of service supporting ocean science work in Canada and around the world, the CCGS Hudson is taking its final voyage and is set for deconstruction and environmentally-responsible disposal. 

On November 28, 2022, after an open competitive process, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), awarded the contract for the vessel's deconstruction to Antigonish-based marine contracting company R.J. MacIsaac Construction Ltd (RJMI). The cost for this environmentally-responsible disposal contract is $1.6 million.

In the coming weeks, the Canadian Coast Guard will sign over the care and custody of the decommissioned vessel to RJMI. The vessel will then be towed from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to a temporary storage site in Halifax Harbour for a few months.

In Spring 2023, RJMI will tow the vessel to their Sheet Harbour facility where the hazardous material remediation and disposal process will be performed. By Fall 2023, the vessel will be removed from water and the hull and superstructure will be disassembled. The overall project is expected to be completed by the end of Fall 2023.

RJMI will ensure that any steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or other recyclable materials onboard the vessel are recycled while non-recyclable materials are disposed of in an environmentally-responsible manner, in compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal regulations. As well, the contractor will salvage and return the CCGS Hudson's hull transducers and propellers to the CCG.

Quotes

"Today is a bittersweet day as the Canadian Coast Guard responsibly disposes of the CCGS Hudson, a trailblazing vessel that has served Canadians and Canadian scientists for nearly 60 years. The Canadian Coast Guard taking this step serves as a reminder to all vessel owners across the country to have a plan to dispose of their ships in an environmentally responsible way to protect our lands and oceans."

The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"For over half a century, the CCGS Hudson has proudly served our country. As this vessel retires, I'm thrilled to see a local company in Sheet Harbour receive the contract to deconstruct the vessel which will create jobs in Sheet Harbour and support the local economy."

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

"As we mark the final chapter of CCGS Hudson's illustrious history, I'm reminded of all of the Canadian Coast Guard personnel that sailed on the ship and left their mark on Canadian ocean science. I am particularly proud that some of the CCGS Hudson's history will be preserved as a reminder to celebrate the past as we navigate the future in oceanographic science missions."

Mario Pelletier, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick Facts

• Prior to the handover of the ship to R.J. MacIsaac Construction Ltd., Canadian Coast Guard personnel removed a number of items including the ship's bell, the wheel, chronometer, anchors, and photographs from the CCGS Hudson which are currently being safely stored. The historic items will be archived or donated to maritime museums, installed on the future Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel currently under construction at Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyard, installed on other CCG vessels where appropriate, or placed as historical decorative pieces at departmental sites. 
• The CCGS Hudson was a key platform for Fisheries and Oceans Canada's oceanographic science program. The yet to be named Offshore Oceanographic and Science Vessel, isn't expected to be delivered until 2025. The Canadian Coast Guard continues to work closely with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to mitigate the impacts on science programming.
• The future Offshore Oceanographic and Science Vessel is being built as part of the Government of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). 
• The Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV), the second class of Canadian Coast Guard vessels being built by Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards, is a critical step in the renewal of the Coast Guard Fleet. The OOSV will support the Government of Canada's next 30 plus years of cutting edge scientific research that will help inform decisions about protecting our fisheries, oceans and coastal areas.

Associated Links

• Disposal of the CCGS Hudson - CanadaBuys 
• Offshore oceanographic science vessel
• The Canadian Coast Guard at 60

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SOURCE Canadian Coast Guard