Amundsen icebreaker back in Arctic service

The Canadian Coast Guard research vessel Amundsen is on its way back to the Arctic afterspending last year in dry-dock for repairs.

The ship was launched on Friday in St. Catharines, Ont. There were significant repairs to its engines and new generators were installed.

A news release said it was a $6 million contract for Seaway Marine and Industrial.

"This is great news for ArcticNet," said Keith Levesque, a co-ordinator with thenetwork of researchers studying climate change.

"It's great news for the Canadian science community and international science community that does research up in the Arctic just because the Canadian icebreaker ship Amundsen has been the flagship of Canadian Arctic Research for the past 10 years."

Levesque said the Amundsen will head to Labrador at the end of July before continuing northwest through the Arctic.

Research this summer will cover everything from phytoplankton to the atmosphere.