Canada awards Heddle Shipyards contract to refit CCGS Griffon

CCGS Griffon [Canadian Coast Guard photo]

Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, has awarded a contract worth CA$4 million (a little over US$3 million) to Heddle Shipyards, Hamilton, Ontario, for refit work on the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Griffon.

Commissioned in 1970, the CCGS Griffon is a high-endurance multi-tasked vessel that performs light icebreaking and buoy-tending operations.

The refit work will include regulatory inspections and certifications; maintenance of structural items and various equipment, including propulsion; as well as the replacement and repair of various compartments, decks, and communication and navigation equipment.

The work under this contract is expected to run from August 17, 2020, to October 16, 2020.

The CCGS Griffon supports the delivery of several programs, including icebreaking and flood control, and provides a platform for the Canadian Hydrographic Service for mapping of shoreline and water depth. It also aids navigation by servicing, placing and removing navigational buoys.

The vessel provides icebreaking services primarily on Lake Ontario, on Lake Erie and along the St. Lawrence River to Montréal, Quebec. It is homeported at the Canadian Coast Guard Base in Prescott, Ontario.

The Canadian Coast Guard fleet has a maintenance plan for each of its vessels, which respects Transport Canada inspection requirements, to keep its vessels in safe, reliable working condition.