Canada aims its new ships to be icebreaking superpower

At a massive shipyard in North Vancouver, Canadian workers grind metal beams for a powerful new icebreaker crucial to cementing the country's presence in the Arctic area.

During a visit in Canada's Northwest Territories earlier, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced nearly Canadian dollars $35 billion in Arctic funding dedicated to upgrading existing military infrastructure. Climate change is intensifying competition, with previously inaccessible minerals increasingly available for exploitation as the ice thaws and new shipping routes open. Because of that, icebreaker fleets are a key part of the defense innovation required to safeguard Canada's position.