Canadian Coast Guard - Photography, aviation and flight simulation

A day of photography in extreme weather in Quebec City

Federal Trident sailing through the ice in front of Quebec City 2026

Days with temperatures of -25 °C and below are becoming increasingly rare in Quebec City. With the wind chill factor, the temperature today feels like -36 °C. This is a golden opportunity to try to capture the sea smoke on the St. Lawrence River.

Photography technique

Sea mist between Île d'Orléans and Quebec City, winter 2026 — Sea mist between Île d’Orléans and Quebec City, winter 2026

Night photography in these weather conditions remains difficult. The low light requires a tripod, which itself vibrates in the gusty wind. This means increasing the ISO and decreasing the depth of field to achieve a faster shutter speed, which slightly reduces image quality. In addition, using a 300 mm telephoto lens increases the risk of blurry photos. Photography is all about compromise!

Canadian Coastguard icebreaker Des Groseillers at work near Quebec City winter 2026

Above is a photo of the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Des Groseillers at work. It is not surprising to see this type of vessel in the area, as the Seaway must remain ice-free in its centre to allow ships to navigate year-round. And this year, there is ice!

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec on my blog.

The Canadian Coast Guard breaking the ice in front of Quebec City.

Canadian Coast Guard Amundsen icebreaker on the St.Lawrence river near Quebec City 2026

The freezing weather of winter 2025-2026 in Quebec requires frequent interventions by the Canadian Coast Guard to open passages on the St. Lawrence River. In the photo above, the icebreaker Amundsen, clears the way in front of Quebec City.

This ship occasionally works in the Canadian Arctic on research projects. It also ensures a Canadian presence in Canada’s northernmost territories.

Note the helicopter parked at the rear of the ship. Other larger icebreakers are under construction at various shipyards across the country, including the one in Lévis. Some of them are intended to strengthen Canadian territorial sovereignty in the Arctic.

Ferries at work in the ice in front of Quebec City winter 2026

Ferries make their way through the ice in January 2026. They ensure the crossing for pedestrians and vehicles between Quebec City and Lévis.

Ship moving through the ice on a winter night in front of Quebec City

For this nighttime photograph, I used a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. It requires very little light and allows the photographer to take a picture of the Ocean tugboat and the merchant navy ship as they pass in front of Quebec City. I took the photo from the Dufferin Terrace and cropped it to enlarge the image.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec and Canada on my blog.