Finland’s provider of Arctic and icebreaking services Arctia has entered into a charter agreement for the operation of one multipurpose icebreaker in the Canadian Arctic in late 2026.

The services will be delivered in Canada through Qikiqtaaluk Horizon Arctic Services (QHAS), an Inuit-owned joint venture. Horizon Naval Engineering acts as Arctia’s contractual counterparty.

The end customer under the arrangement is the Canadian Coast Guard.

Under the agreement, Arctia will provide maritime services supporting the Coast Guard’s civilian operations, such as icebreaking, assistance, and ice management services.

Arctia said it will not be involved in any governmental, law enforcement, or defence-related activities.

“Through a charter with QHAS, an Inuit-owned company, the MSV Nordica will support our icebreaking, search and rescue, and environmental response operations in the Arctic,” the Canadian Coast Guard said in a statement on X. “This additional capacity will support our new maritime security mandate.”

The assignment takes place in the autumn, and the vessel will return to the Baltic before the start of the icebreaking season.

According to Arctia, the charter arrangement will have no impact on its special public service mission in Finland or on securing winter navigation in the Baltic Sea.

The contract is initially for one year and includes options for extension.

“The cooperation with the Canadian partners offers opportunities for a long-term partnership and for further developing expertise in an international operating environment,” Arctia said in its statement.