The vessel is named after Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (1618–1669) a close associate of Pierre-Esprit Radisson in explorations west of the Great Lakes and the founding of the British Hudson's Bay Company.

[3] The vessel can carry 2,464 m3 (542,000 imp gal) of diesel fuel and has a range of 30,600 nautical miles (56,700 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h) and can stay at sea for up to 108 days.

[4] The third vessel in the class, Des Groseilliers was ordered in December 1979 as part of the Canadian government's efforts to stimulate shipbuilding in Canada.

During the summer the icebreaker sails to the Canadian Arctic to escort commercial vessels, maintain navigation aids in the region, search and rescue, and support scientific missions.

[11] In April 1984, after the opening of the navigation season on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes, the area froze up, driving six cargo ships ashore and a further eighteen became stuck in the ice.

[9][13] Landing strips were constructed on the ice and throughout the winter the vessel was visited by Twin Otter aircraft bringing equipment and replacement personnel and scientists.

[13]In spring 2008, Des Groseilliers collided with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel, Farley Mowat, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, during the annual seal hunt.

[14] In January 2019, Des Groseillers and CCGS Pierre Radisson were both deployed to the Saint Lawrence River after large ice jams closed the shipping lane, trapping merchant vessels in Montreal and Trois-Rivières, Quebec.