Book 1, Tab A4 – Canadian Coast Guard overview and programs
“Safety first, service always.”
On this page
- What we do
- From Coast to Coast to Coast
- Canadian Coast Guard regions
- Canadian Coast Guard priorities
- Our People and the Canadian Coast Guard College
- Asset management
- Fleet renewal
- First Nations, Inuit, Métis partnerships
- Partnerships
- Annex
What we do
- Coast Guard is the lead federal agency responsible for ensuring marine safety and security throughout Canadian waters, including engaging in search and rescue operations
- Coast Guard supports Canada’s ocean economy by enabling: the safe and efficient flow of $251B in marine trade; the handling of more than 342M tonnes of critical goods; and supporting tens of thousands of jobs across Canada
- in recognition of its specific mandate, Coast Guard was established as a Special Operating Agency (SOA) within Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2005
The Canadian Coast Guard’s mandate is derived from the Oceans Act, the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, and the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act giving Coast Guard the authority to provide essential services. With this mandate, the Canadian Coast Guard delivers the following services:
- Marine Search and Rescue
- Aids to Navigation and Waterways Management
- Marine Communications and Traffic Services
- Vessels of Concern
- Icebreaking Operations
- Marine pollution response
- Key Partner for Other Government Departments
From Coast to Coast to Coast
- The Canadian Coast Guard’s responsibility covers 243,000 km of Canada’s coastline, the longest in the world
- our vessels and aircraft operate over approximately 5.3 million km2 of ocean and inland waters
On an average day, the Coast Guard:
- coordinates 19 search and rescue incidents
- assists 43 people in search and rescue responses
- manages 1,100 vessel movements
- The Canadian Coast Guard College in Sydney, NS, focuses on specialized learning development, design, and delivery of educational services to provide critical services for Canadians.
- carries out 11 fisheries patrols in collaboration with DFO
- supports 11 scientific surveys in collaboration with federal partners and academia
- responds to three pollution events
- surveys 3.5 km of navigational waters
Canadian Coast Guard Regions
124 Vessels
22 Helicopters
- 28 x Large Vessels
- 33 x Small Vessels
- 59 x SAR Lifeboats
- 4 x Air Cushion Vehicles
- 22 x Helicopters
(as of May 2023)
* In addition, the fleet is supplemented by two leased Emergency Towing Vessels on the West Coast, and three icebreakers in Atlantic and Central regions, to backfill while existing large ships undergo refits.
Canadian Coast Guard Priorities
Advancing reconciliation commitments: Furthering cooperation and collaboration with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, organizations, and governments. Honouring the Crown’s obligations and adhering to principals-based decision making (Canadian Coast Guard National Indigenous Relations Strategic Framework)
Operationalizing the new fleet: Ensuring the foundational elements such as infrastructure, and a skilled and diverse workforce, are in place to support the future fleet. In 2019, the Canadian Coast Guard secured funding for an additional 24 large vessels, in addition to the renewal of the small fleet, which is already underway.
Delivering the National Shipbuilding Strategy: Renewing the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet to include new vessels, air cushioned vehicles, and helicopters, as well as securing interim measures as required to maintain operational capacity until new assets can be delivered. Five Large vessels were approved under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (3 Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels, 1 Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, and 1 Polar Icebreaker).
Delivering the Oceans Protection Plan: Supporting the expansion of the Oceans Protection Plan to deliver a world-leading marine safety system through enhanced marine emergency prevention, preparedness and response, as well as improved incident response via new tools, equipment, and infrastructure. Advancing partnerships and training opportunities for Indigenous and coastal communities to incorporate their knowledge and experiences in the marine safety system via advancement of the Coastal Marine Response Network.
Optimizing marine navigation services through digitization: Supporting a strong supply chain and ensuring Canada remains globally competitive and a port of choice through the digitalization of marine navigation services, including e-navigation, smart vessel traffic services, and increased predictability of marine traffic information. Implementing modern navigation systems ensures the safe and efficient movement of goods, facilitates on-water emergency response, decreases emissions, and further protects marine mammals and ecosystems.
Increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change: Developing a Roadmap to Climate Resilience to guide adaptation and mitigation measures, including the decarbonization of assets and operations, while also continuing to deliver critical maritime services as we face extreme weather events, sea ice loss, changes in marine ecosystems that impacts shipping routes, flooding, and risks to infrastructure.
Developing and implementing the long-term strategy: Engaging in a dialogue with employees, stakeholders, International partners, Indigenous partners, and all people living in Canada to discuss what is needed for the Canadian Coast Guard to operate in an evolving environment, meet the needs of Canadians and the communities we serve, and support Government of Canada priorities to 2050 and beyond.
Updating prevention and response authorities: Reviewing authorities related to pollution prevention and response to change the marine pollution regime to a system determined by where the pollution exists (instead of pollution source). Examining opportunities to co-develop and formalize active roles for Indigenous partners in the marine pollution preparedness and response regime that are sustainably supported for the future.
Our People and the Canadian Coast Guard College
- Coast Guard is home to approximately 6,500 employees, with 87% working outside of the National Capital Region
- we are committed to recruiting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population we serve
- The Canadian Coast Guard College is a national, bilingual training facility, that:
- trains and develops our future Coast Guard Ship Officers through the four-year degree program offered in both Marine Engineering and Navigation
- trains Marine Communication and Traffic Services Officers
- supports the development and delivery of professional continuing education for operational personnel
- serves as the national training centre for curriculum design, quality assurance, and certification
- we offer a modern learning environment that incorporates state-of-the-art simulators and practical training, as well as coast to coast to coast online learning delivery via OnCourse and soon to be Regional Learning Centres
Asset management
Shore-based asset readiness
- Ensure Coast Guard shore-based assets are available, capable, and reliable to support the delivery of programs:
- Marine Communication and Traffic Services (MCTS)
- Aids to Navigation (AtoN)
- Environmental Response (ER)
- manage the following assets throughout their life cycle:
- 12 MCTS centres and 184 remote communication sites (including radios, radars, towers, buildings, and operational systems)
- 17,000 fixed and floating aids to navigation (including buoys, day marks, range lights, beacons, lanterns and fog systems)
- environmental response specialized vehicles, incident command trailers, booms, oil skimmers, and other equipment
Fleet maintenance
- ensure Coast Guard vessels, air cushioned vehicles, and small craft are available, capable, and reliable to deliver Coast Guard programs, through life cycle management process (including maintenance, in-service engineering, and disposal services)
- sustain operational capabilities through a comprehensive Vessel Life Extension Program pending delivery of new vessels under the Fleet Renewal Plan
Fleet renewal
Ongoing fleet sustainability requires building new ships, air cushion vehicles, helicopters, and securing interim measures, as required, to maintain operational capacity until new assets can be delivered.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) includes the renewal of Coast Guard’s fleet of large and small vessels.
Large vessels
Five large vessels were approved and funded when the NSS was announced in 2010:
- three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels have been delivered from Vancouver Shipyards
- one Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel is under construction at Vancouver Shipyards
- one Polar Icebreaker is in progress at Vancouver Shipyards. A second Polar Icebreaker was approved in 2021, to be built at Chantier Davie
In 2019, DFO secured funding for an additional 24 CCG large vessels:
- up to 16 Multi-Purpose Vessels, to be built by Vancouver Shipyards
- two Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship variants, are in progress at Irving’s Halifax Shipyard
- six Program Icebreakers, to be built by Chantier Davie
Small vessels
Renewal of the small fleet is also underway:
- 28 small vessels delivered as part of the current recapitalization cycle
- another six Search and Rescue lifeboats and one Near-Shore Fishery Science Vessel in progress
First Nations, Inuit, Métis Partnerships
Coast Guard maintains strong, collaborative relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners across its four regions and in the National Headquarters.
- as one of its key priorities, Coast Guard engages and collaborates with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities and governments to advance shared and reconciliation related priorities
- CCG has developed an implementation plan and reporting framework for the recently endorsed Inuit Nunangat Policy under Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee
- DFO-CCG Reconciliation Strategy: A Roadmap and internal change tool for advancing reconciliation commitments, including concrete actions responding to the need for employees to understand what reconciliation means in the context of their work
The Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary (CN-CGA) is Canada’s first Indigenous-led Coast Guard Auxiliary with a purpose to protect both mariners and citizens through the forging of strong and lasting partnerships between maritime First Nations and Coast Guard.
Partnerships
Partners
- Industry
- Federal Departments (e.g., DFO, DND/CAF, TC, RCMP, ECCC, NRCan, CBSA, Public Safety)
- Indigenous Governments and Organizations:
- Indigenous and coastal communities
- Regional and national Indigenous groups/associations (e.g., First Nations Emergency Management Network)
- The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Other levels of government (provinces, territories, municipalities)
Clients
- Canadians
- Mariners
- Fish harvesters
- Local communities
- Recreational boaters
- Ferry operators
Think Tanks/Academia
- Clear Seas
- Universities and colleges across Canada
- CCGS Amundsen/Science
- ArcticNet
- MEOPAR
International
- International bodies
- International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
- Regional Fora (e.g., Arctic, North Atlantic, North Pacific)
- Bilateral cooperation and capacity-building
- US; Norway; Denmark; United Kingdom; Chile; Costa Rica; South Korea
Annex
Aids to Navigation and Waterways
Coast Guard facilitates safe navigation through Canadian waters
- ensuring smooth and uninterrupted flow of goods along waterways
- managing over 17,000 aids to navigation
- providing navigational safety information to mariners
- surveying channel conditions, informing mariners of water depths/levels and maintaining a guaranteed minimum depth in specific navigation channels
Icebreaking and Ice-Management
During winter, 18 icebreakers and two air cushioned vehicles operate in southern Canada. During the summer, an average of seven vessels operate in the Arctic.
- enables commerce on the east coast, St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes
- assists ferries as required
- escorts ships through ice covered waters
- conducts essential operations to prevent flooding
- clears ice from harbours and wharves
- supports Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic
- supports resupplying of remote communities
- supports Arctic economic development
- provides ice information and routing advice
- works closely with the United States Coast Guard in transboundary waterways
Marine Communications and Traffic Services
184 remote communication sites which include 11 in the Arctic to support Coast Guard services.
12 Marine Communications and Traffic Service Centres:
- monitor radio frequencies and respond to calls for assistance
- broadcast maritime safety information
- regulate marine traffic in designated waterways 24/7/365
- provide navigational information and assistance
- screen vessels and issue clearance to ships prior to entry into Canadian waters
Marine Search and Rescue (SAR)
Coast Guard is the federal lead for marine search and rescue in Canada.
- Coast Guard provides 24/7/365 SAR services in partnership with National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF), and over 4,000 volunteer members of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
- SAR incidents are coordinated by three Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCC) and two Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres. The JRCC's are managed by CAF and jointly staffed with Coast Guard and CAF personnel
- SAR resources across Canada:
- 3 Joint Rescue Coordination Centres
- 2 Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres
- 42 Search and Rescue stations
- 26 seasonal In-shore Rescue Boat stations
- 2 hovercraft stations
- 1 dive team
Marine Pollution Response
Environmental Response (ER)
- Coast Guard ensures an appropriate response to all reports of ship-source pollution and mystery-source spills
- public-private partnership that adheres to the Polluter Pays Principle
- integrating science and local Indigenous knowledge into preparedness and response activities
- 94 ER equipment depot sites across Canada
- Coast Guard assumes on-water presence when the polluter is unavailable, unable, or unwilling to do so
Hazardous vessels
Vessels of Concern (VOC)
- the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA), which came into force on July 30, 2019, gives Coast Guard new authorities and provides strict liability to hold vessels owners accountable
- Coast Guard is responsible for ensuring hazards posed by vessels in Canadian waters are appropriately addressed
- the implementation of the program will help prevent the occurrence of new problem vessels and make progress in cleaning up existing problem vessels
- TC and Coast Guard are working together to establish a long-term fund to remove the burden from the taxpayers
- Coast Guard established a national inventory that is used to prioritize vessels based on risks. There are currently 1,500 vessels of concern identified nationally
Maritime Security
Coast Guard is often the only federal presence in Canada’s waters, most notably in the Arctic. This presence contributes to security and promotes Canadian sovereignty.
Coast Guard plays a critical role in supporting Canada’s maritime and national security by:
- creating national maritime domain awareness by contributing sensor information and expert analysis in Canada’s three Marine Security Operations Centres
- providing patrol vessels, helicopters and personnel to support DFO and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- contributing to global maritime security and safety, and supporting Canada’s overseas priorities
- providing and managing intelligence and information to support Coast Guard decision-making and operations
- engaging with federal and international partners to ensure a coherent approach to national and allied maritime security
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