Locator Beacons Help Take the “Search” Out of Search and Rescue
Above: Crewmembers from the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue station in Burgeo on board the CCGS Cape Edensaw. CCG submitted photos
In July, 2021, two men found themselves in distress while sailing from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and Labrador.
They were 30 nautical miles south of La Poile, on Newfoundland’s south coast, when their 38-foot sailboat began taking on water.
Mark Gould remembers that July afternoon very well. Gould is the regional supervisor ...
Marine Search and Rescue Takes a Team
Above: The MRSC St. John’s is located at the Canadian Coast Guard Atlantic regional headquarters
On Monday, Sept. 23, 2019 at 1:52 a.m., Howard Power got a call that lasted only minutes, but will stay with him for a long time.
Power could hear the panic in the voice on the other end. It was a distress call from a vessel taking on water.
“I could tell from his voice there was something wrong. You get the tone of their voice after a while. He started yelling ‘Mayday ...
Close to Home
Coast Guard Investments Bringing More than Just Safety to Coastal Communities
Canada has one of the most effective search and rescue (SAR) systems in the world.
The Canadian Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary respond to about 13 search and rescue calls, assisting 43 people and saving 13 lives a day across the country.
The Canadian Coast Guard is responsible for maritime SAR, including the coordination, control and conduct of SAR operations in addition to prevention ...
2020 Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Mandate Letter
The following is the departmental mandate letter sent to Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Thank you for agreeing to serve Canadians as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
On election day, Canadians chose to continue moving forward. From coast to coast to coast, people chose to invest in their families and communities, create good middle class jobs and fight climate change while ...
PFDs: A Regulatory Disconnect
On September 5, 2015, the fishing vessel Caledonian capsized 20 nautical miles west of Nootka Sound, British Columbia.
At the time, the vessel was trawling for hake with four crew members onboard. Following the capsizing, the master and mate climbed onto the overturned hull and remained there for several hours.
When the vessel eventually sank, the master and mate abandoned it and the mate swam toward and boarded the life raft. The Canadian Coast Guard subsequently rescued the mate and ...
When You’re in Peril on the High Seas — What Happens Behind the Scenes?
Above: A Canadian Armed Forces CH-149 Cormorant helicopter conducts the rescue of a four-person crew in a 15-metre sailboat about 240 nautical miles southeast of Halifax on December 18, 2018. Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships Summerside and Glace Bay were sailing home from deployment when the rescue call came in. Photo: © 2018 DND-MDN Canada
Something has gone wrong on your vessel in the North Atlantic.
The seas are rough, the weather is uncompromising. You call for help over Coast ...
Abandoned and Wrecked Boats A Marine Hazard
The federal government estimates there are more than 600 abandoned vessels, ranging from commercial ships to recreational boats, littering Canada’s waterways and harbours.
Each of them can pose a safety risk to recreational boating and commercial vessel operators, become navigational hazards, pollute marine environments or cause significant removal costs and clean up.
The Marine Institute is working with Transport Canada, as part of its $1.3-million commitment to remove abandoned boats, ...
Protecting Atlantic Canada’s Waters
Maritime Safety and the Marine Environment Get a Major Boost from the Oceans Protection Plan
Canada has the longest coastline of any nation in the world.
At more than 243,000 kilometres, that’s almost 50 times the distance between St. John’s and Vancouver. For the people who live and work on this coastline, the Canadian Coast Guard is an important part of the communities they call home. Coast Guard crews operate across Canada in an area of about 2.3 million square nautical miles, and ...
Possibility for a Busy 2019 Ice Season
Navigating the ice-filled water of Atlantic Canada is no easy task.
However, keeping the shipping lanes open to commercial and fishing traffic is not exactly a walk in the park either.
One of the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) primary roles in this region is icebreaking.
The CCG recently provided its annual technical briefing outlining the upcoming ice season.
Brad Durnford, superintendent of ice operations for the Atlantic Region, said it is possible the 2019 ice season could be a ...
Senate Report Calls for Sweeping Changes to Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) should be made a separate statutory agency, reporting to the Minister of Transport.
This was one of the major recommendations in a report by the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, entitled When Every Minute Counts.
The Committee undertook its study on maritime search and rescue (SAR) because gaps had been identified over the past decade regarding coverage, capacity, prevention and governance.
Canada’s maritime search and rescue workers ...
