[9][10] The construction was awarded to Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards on 19 October 2019, followed by a design contract for a team led by STX Canada Marine in 3 February 2012.

[11] In May 2013, the Vancouver Sun reported that the polar icebreaker and the Royal Canadian Navy's new joint support ships faced a scheduling conflict and that the Harper government would have to choose which project had priority.

[14] Design updates since have included changing the propulsion layout and substituting the extra high tensile steel that was previously identified as a potential major risk item.

[17] The vessel is in Construction Engineering (CE) phase and the shipyard also cut steel for the so-called "prototype block" in May 2023.

Her facilities will include laboratories and modular mission spaces, a moon pool, general purpose cargo hold and garage, multiple cranes, and a helideck and hangar for two medium-lift helicopters.

Furthermore, the class notation Icebreaker(+) will result in additional structural strengthening based on analysis of the vessel's operational profile potential ice loading scenarios.

[4] For maneuvering at ports as well as stationkeeping capability in Sea State 5 and currents of up to 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) in open water, Arpatuuq will also be fitted with two 1,900 kW (2,548 hp) Steerprop bow thrusters.