Cost of Used Icebreakers Ottawa Is Buying From Quebec Shipyard Approaches $1B Mark

A ship sits in drydock at the Davie shipyard, Dec. 14, 2018 in Levis, Que. The federal government is awarding Davie Shipyards a contract worth more than $7.1 million to refit the Canadian Coast Guard's largest icebreaker. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot

OTTAWA—The cost of three second-hand icebreakers that the federal Liberal government is buying from Quebec shipyard Chantier Davie is inching closer to the $1-billion mark as Ottawa keeps quietly adding money to the controversial deal.

The most recent cash infusion came last week as the government handed Davie another $68.9 million to continue converting and upgrading the icebreakers, bringing the total cost for the three vessels to more than $912 million.