The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the
coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
(SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and
icebreaking,
marine pollution
Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial waste, industrial, agricultural pollution, agricultural, and municipal solid waste, residential waste; particle (ecology), particles; noise; excess carbon dioxi ...
response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The Coast Guard operates
119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Ontario, and is a
special operating agency within
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; ) is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland ...
(Department of Fisheries and Oceans).
Role and responsibility

Unlike armed coast guards of some other nations, the CCG is a government marine organization without naval or
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
responsibilities. Naval operations in Canada's maritime environment are exclusively the responsibility of the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
. Enforcement of Canada's maritime-related federal statutes may be carried out by
peace officers serving with various federal, provincial or even municipal law enforcement agencies.
Although CCG personnel are neither a naval nor law enforcement force, they may operate CCG vessels in support of naval operations, or they may serve an operational role in the delivery of maritime law enforcement and security services in Canadian federal waters by providing a platform for personnel serving with one or more law enforcement agencies. The CCG's responsibility encompasses Canada's
coastline
A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
. Its vessels and aircraft operate over an area of ocean and inland waters covering approximately .
Mission and mandate
"Canadian Coast Guard services support government priorities and economic prosperity and contribute to the safety, accessibility and security of Canadian waters."
The CCG's mandate is stated in the ''
Oceans Act'' and the ''
Canada Shipping Act
The ''Canada Shipping Act'' () is legislation enacted by the Parliament of Canada, governing the powers of government to regulate the registration and operation of ships and pleasure craft, including personnel and navigation. The Act also estab ...
''.
The ''Oceans Act'' gives the
minister of Fisheries and Oceans responsibility for providing:
* aids to navigation;
* marine communications and traffic management services;
* icebreaking and ice-management services;
* channel maintenance;
* marine search and rescue;
* marine pollution response; and
* support of other government departments, boards and agencies by providing ships, aircraft and other services.
The ''Canada Shipping Act'' gives the minister powers, responsibilities and obligations concerning:
* aids to navigation;
*
Sable Island
Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
;
* search and rescue;
* pollution response; and
* vessel traffic services.
History
Predecessor agencies and formation (1867–1962)
Originally a variety of federal departments and even the navy performed the work which the CCG does today. Following
Confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
in 1867, the federal government placed many of the responsibilities for maintaining aids to navigation (primarily lighthouses at the time), marine safety, and search and rescue under the Marine Service of the
Department of Marine and Fisheries, with some responsibility for waterways resting with the Canal Branch of the
Department of Railways and Canals.
Lifeboat stations had been established on the east and west coasts as part of the Canadian Lifesaving Service; the station at
Sable Island
Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
being one of the first in the nation. On the Pacific coast, the service operated the Dominion Lifesaving Trail (now called the
West Coast Trail) which provided a rural communications route for survivors of shipwrecks on the treacherous Pacific Ocean coast off Vancouver Island. These stations maintained, sometimes sporadically in the earliest days, pulling (rowed) lifeboats crewed by volunteers and eventually motorized lifeboats.
After the Department of Marine and Fisheries was split into separate departments, the Department of Marine continued to take responsibility for the federal government's coastal protection services. During the inter-war period, the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
also performed similar duties at a time when the navy was wavering on the point of becoming a civilian organization. Laws related to customs and revenue were enforced by the marine division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A government reorganization in 1936 saw the Department of Marine and its Marine Service, along with several other government departments and agencies, folded into the new
Department of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
.
Following the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Canada experienced a major expansion in ocean commerce, culminating with the opening of the
St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. The shipping industry was changing throughout eastern Canada and required an expanded federal government role in the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
and the Atlantic coast, as well as an increased presence in the
Arctic
The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
and Pacific coasts for sovereignty purposes. The government of
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker (September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 an ...
decided to consolidate the duties of the Marine Service of the Department of Transport and on January 26, 1962, the Canadian Coast Guard was formed as a subsidiary of DOT. One of the more notable inheritances at the time of formation was the icebreaker , transferred from the Royal Canadian Navy.
Expansion years (1962–1990)
A period of expansion followed the creation of the CCG between the 1960s and the 1980s. The outdated ships the CCG inherited from the Marine Service were scheduled for replacement, along with dozens of new ships for the expanding role of the organization. Built under a complementary national shipbuilding policy which saw the CCG contracts go to Canadian shipyards, the new ships were delivered throughout this golden age of the organization.
In addition to expanded geographic responsibilities in the Great Lakes, the rise in coastal and ocean shipping ranged from new mining shipments such as Labrador iron ore, to increased cargo handling at the nation's major ports, and Arctic development and sovereignty patrols—all requiring additional ships and aircraft. The federal government also began to develop a series of CCG bases near major ports and shipping routes throughout southern Canada, for example
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
,
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth ( ) (Scottish Gaelic, Scottish-Gaelic: Baile nan Loch) is a Urban area, built-up community of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has 101 ...
, and
Parry Sound, Ontario
Parry Sound is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the eastern shore of the sound after which it is named. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is a single-tier government located in the territorial District ...
.
The expansion of the CCG fleet required new navigation and engineering officers, as well as crewmembers. To meet the former requirement, in 1965 the
Canadian Coast Guard College (CCGC) opened on the former navy base at
Point Edward, Nova Scotia
Point Edward (2001 pop.: 396) is a community in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of C ...
. By the late 1970s, the college had outgrown the temporary navy facilities and a new campus was opened in the adjacent community of
Westmount
Westmount () is a city on the Island of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is an enclave of the city of Montreal, with a population of 19,658 as of the 2021 Canadian census.
Westmount is home to schools, an arena, a pool, a public li ...
in 1981.

During the mid-1980s, the long-standing disagreement between the U.S. and Canada over the legal status of the Northwest Passage came to a head after transited the passage in what were asserted by Canada to be Canadian waters and by the U.S. to be international waters. During the period of increased nationalism that followed this event, the Conservative administration of
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993.
Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...
announced plans to build several enormous icebreakers, the
Polar 8 class which would be used primarily for sovereignty patrols.
However, the proposed Polar 8 class was abandoned during the late 1980s as part of general government budget cuts; in their place, a program of vessel modernizations was instituted. Additional budget cuts to CCG in the mid-1990s following a change in government saw many of CCG's older vessels built during the 1960s and 1970s retired.
From its formation in 1962 until 1995, CCG was the responsibility of the Department of Transport. Both the department and CCG shared complementary responsibilities related to marine safety, whereby DOT had responsibility for implementing transportation policy, regulations and safety inspections, and CCG was operationally responsible for navigation safety and SAR, among others.
Budget cuts and bureaucratic oversight (1994–2005)
Following the
1995 Canadian federal budget, the federal government announced that it was transferring responsibility for the CCG from the Department of Transport to the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; ) is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland ...
(DFO). The reason for placing CCG under DFO was ostensibly to achieve cost savings by amalgamating the two largest civilian vessel fleets within the federal government under a single department.
Arising out of this arrangement, the CCG became ultimately responsible for crewing, operating, and maintaining a larger fleet—both the original CCG fleet before 1995 of dedicated SAR vessels, Navaid tenders, and multi-purpose icebreakers along with DFO's smaller fleet of scientific research and fisheries enforcement vessels, all without any increase in budget—in fact the overall budget for CCG was decreased after absorbing the DFO patrol and scientific vessels.
There were serious stumbling blocks arising out of this reorganization, namely in the different management practices and differences in organizational culture at DFO, versus DOT. DFO is dedicated to conservation and protection of fish through enforcement whereas the CCG's primary focus is marine safety and SAR. There were valid concerns raised within CCG about reluctance on the part of the marine community to ask for assistance from CCG vessels since the CCG was being viewed as aligned with an enforcement department. In the early 2000s, the federal government began to investigate the possibility of remaking CCG as a separate agency, thereby not falling under a specific functional department and allowing more operational independence.
Special operating agency (2005–present)
In one of several reorganizations of the federal ministries following the swearing-in of Prime Minister
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
Th ...
's cabinet on December 12, 2003, several policy/regulatory responsibilities (including boating safety and navigable waters protection) were transferred from CCG back to Transport Canada to provide a single point of contact for issues related to marine safety regulation and security, although CCG maintained an operational role for some of these tasks.
The services offered by CCG under this arrangement include:
* Icebreaking and Arctic sovereignty protection

* Marine search and rescue: primary marine SAR vessels, personnel to staff
joint rescue coordination centres (JRCCs) trained and designated as maritime SAR co-ordinators per the ''Canada Shipping Act''
* Marine security: monitor vessel movements within Canadian waters, coordinate information to other government departments and agencies regarding 96-hour pre-arrival notification from vessels per the ''Marine Transportation Security Act'', personnel to staff marine security operations centres (MSOCs)
* Environmental response: spill containment and clean-up
* Marine navigation services including aids to navigation: buoy tending, light station keeping, beacon maintenance, publication of
notices to mariners (NOTMAR) annually and monthly, and notices to shipping (NOTSHIP) as well as broadcasting safety notices to shipping over marine radio frequencies; and the publication of ''Radio Aids to Marine Navigation'' (RAMNav) and the ''List of Lights, Buoys & Fog Signals'' (Lights List)
* Maritime mobile safety services: marine radio communications, electronic aids to radio navigation systems (e.g.
LORAN
LORAN (Long Range Navigation) was a hyperbolic navigation, hyperbolic radio navigation system developed in the United States during World War II. It was similar to the UK's Gee (navigation), Gee system but operated at lower frequencies in order ...
,
Differential GPS
Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPSs) supplement and enhance the positional data available from global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs). A DGPS can increase accuracy of positional data by about a thousandfold, from approximately to ...
)
*
Vessel traffic service
A vessel traffic service is a marine traffic monitoring system established by harbour or port authorities, similar to air traffic control for aircraft. The International Maritime Organization defines vessel traffic service as "a service implemente ...
s to co-ordinate vessel movement safety, monitoring vessel movements including 96-hour reporting protocol before vessels are permitted to enter Canadian waters
* Support to fisheries research (as a platform)
* Offshore, mid-shore and coastal fisheries enforcement (as a platform)
* Integrated border-enforcement teams (IBETs) with the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
(RCMP) and
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA; , ''ASFC'') is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border guard, border control (i.e. protection and surveillance), immigration enforcement, and Customs, customs services in Canada.
...
(CBSA) (as a platform)
* Marine support to other federal government departments (as a platform)
On April 4, 2005, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans designated the CCG as a "special operating agency"—the largest one in the federal government. Although the CCG still falls under the ministerial responsibility of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, it has more autonomy where it is not as tightly integrated within the department. An example is that all CCG bases, aids to navigation, vessels, aircraft, and personnel are wholly the responsibility of the commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, who is also of assistant deputy ministerial rank. The commissioner is, in turn, supported by the CCG headquarters, which develops a budget for the organization. The arrangement is not unlike the relationship of the RCMP, also headed by a commissioner, toward that organization's parent department, the
Department of Public Safety. On December 6, 2019, Mario Pelletier was appointed Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
The special operating agency reorganization is different from the past under both DOT and DFO, where regional directors general for these departments were responsible for CCG operations within their respective regions; this reportedly caused problems under DFO that did not occur under DOT. Now all operations of CCG are directed by the commissioner, who reports directly to the deputy minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Assistant commissioners are responsible for CCG operations within each region and they report directly to the commissioner. This management and financial flexibility is being enhanced by an increased budget for CCG to acquire new vessels and other assets to assist in its growing role in marine security.

CCG continues to provide vessels and crew for supporting DFO's fisheries science, enforcement, conservation, and protection requirements. The changes resulting in CCG becoming a special operating agency under DFO did not address some of the key concerns raised by an all-party Parliamentary committee investigating low morale among CCG employees following the transfer from DOT to DFO and budget cuts since 1995. This committee had recommended that CCG become a separate agency under DOT and that its role be changed to that of an armed, paramilitary organization involved in maritime security by arming its vessels with deck guns, similar to the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
, and that employees be given
peace officer
A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, ...
status for enforcing federal laws on the oceans and Great Lakes. As a compromise, the CCG now partners with the RCMP and CBSA to create IBETs, which patrol Canadian waters along the
Canada–United States border
The international border between Canada and the United States is the longest in the world by total length. The boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Canada' ...
.
Fleet modernization (1990–present)
In the 1990s–2000s, CCG modernized part of its SAR fleet after ordering British
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...
(RNLI)-designed high-endurance lifeboat cutters for open coastal areas, and the USCG-designed
47-foot Motor Lifeboat
The 47-foot MLB is the standard Lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The 47′ MLB is the successor to the 44-foot motor lifeboat, 44′ MLB, which were in service from 1963 until 2009.
Design
The 47′ MLB is de ...
(designated by CCG as the ) as medium-endurance lifeboat cutters for the Great Lakes and more sheltered coastal areas. The CCG ordered five motor lifeboats in September 2009, to add to the 31 existing boats.
[
] New vessels delivered to the CCG from 2009 onward included the hovercraft and the near-shore fisheries research vessels and .
Several major vessels have undergone extensive refits in recent decades, most notably in place of procuring the Polar 8 class of icebreakers.

In the first decade of the 21st century, CCG announced plans for the
Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project (a class of nine vessels)
[
][
][
] as well as a "Polar"-class icebreaker – since named – in addition to inshore and offshore fisheries science vessels and a new oceanographic research vessel as part of efforts to modernize the fleet.
In 2012, the Government of Canada announced procurement of 24 helicopters to replace the current fleet.
Modernizing the Coast Guard's icebreakers
The Coast Guard has acknowledged that it is not just ''Louis S. St. Laurent'' that is old, and needs replacing, all its icebreakers are old. Some critics have argued that with global warming, and the scramble for Arctic nations to document claims to a share of the Arctic Ocean seafloor, Canada lacked sufficient icebreakers. In 2018 the Coast Guard started to publicly search for existing large, capable icebreakers it could purchase. On August 13, 2018, the Coast Guard confirmed it would be buying and retrofitting three large, icebreaking, anchor-handling tugs, , and from Viking Supply Ships.
[
On 22 May 2019, it was announced two more s will be built for the Canadian Coast Guard, in addition to the six being constructed for the ]Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
. Additionally, $15.7B was announced for the production of 16 additional multi-purpose vessels.
Cooperation with the Department of National Defence
On 9 June 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney
Mark Joseph Carney (born March 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician and economist who has served as the 24th and current Prime Minister of Canada, prime minister of Canada since 2025. He has served as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, lead ...
announced that while the Canadian Coast Guard will remain with DFO, it will receive funds for capital purchases that will count towards Canada spending 2% of GDP on defence in accordance with the NATO target. There will be greater cooperation as 60 per cent of Coast Guard funding will go towards the GDP target, including $100 million announced in the briefing.
Organizational structure
CCG's management and organizational structure reflects its quasi-military nature. The CCG agency supports several functional departments as outlined here:
* Operations Directorate
* National Strategies Directorate
* Integrated Technical Services Directorate
* Major Projects Directorate
* Integrated Business Management Services
Quasi-military structure
The Canadian Coast Guard is a civilian organization that is managed and funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The enforcement of laws in Canada's territorial sea is the responsibility of Canada's federal police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
(RCMP) as all ocean waters in Canada are under federal (not provincial) jurisdiction. Saltwater fisheries enforcement is a specific responsibility of DFO's Fisheries Officers.
CCG does not have a conventional paramilitary rank structure; instead, its rank structure roughly approximates that of the civilian merchant marine.
In late October 2010 the Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He is to date the only prime minister to have come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ser ...
government tabled a report that recommended that arming Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers should be considered. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea presented the government's response to a December 2009 report from the Senate's Fisheries Committee, entitled ''"Controlling Canada's Arctic Waters: Role of the Canadian Coast Guard."'' The Senate Committee's report had also recommended arming Canadian Coast Guard vessels in the Arctic. Randy Boswell, of the ''Canwest News Service
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (also known as Postmedia Network, Postmedia News or Postmedia) is an American-owned Canadian-based media conglomerate consisting of the publishing properties of the former Canwest, with primary operations in Engl ...
'' quoted Michael Byers, an expert on the law of the sea, who used the phrase ''"quiet authority of a deck-mounted gun"''.[
]
Operational regions
CCG as a whole is divided into four operational regions: Atlantic, Central, Western, and Arctic. The newest region, the Arctic, was established in October 2018. Previously responsibility for the Arctic areas of Canada was split between the three existing regions. The new unit includes a mandate which ensures increased support for Inuit communities, including search and rescue, icebreaking and for community resupply. The new region is headquartered in Yellowknife.
Auxiliary
The CCG does not have a "reserve" element. There is a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA; , ''GCAC'') is a Canada-wide volunteer marine association dedicated to marine search and rescue (SAR) and the promotion of boating safety, through association with the Canadian Coast Guard under the auspi ...
(CCGA) which is a separate non-profit organization composed of some 5,000 civilian volunteers across Canada who support search and rescue activities. The CCGA, formerly the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary (CMRA), is made up of volunteer recreational boaters and commercial fishermen who assist CCG with search and rescue as well as boating safety education. CCGA members who assist in SAR operations have their vessel insurance covered by CCG, as well as any fuel and operating costs associated with a particular tasking. The CCGA enables the CCG to provide marine SAR coverage in many isolated areas of Canada's coastlines without having to maintain an active base and/or vessels in those areas.
Commissioner
The head of CCG is called the "Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard". The rank of "Commissioner" is used in other Canadian federal agencies, such as the RCMP. However, rank and associated insignia are viewed differently in the CCG than in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Facilities
Bases and stations
Lighthouses
CCG operates one of the largest networks of navigational buoys, lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mark ...
and foghorn
A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. ...
s in the world. These facilities assist marine navigation on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts as well as selected inland waterways. CCG represents Canada at the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).
CCG completed a large-scale program of lighthouse automation and de-staffing which began in 1968 and was largely completed in the 1990s. The result of this program saw the automation of all lighthouses and the removal of light keepers except for a handful of stations in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick.
Budget cuts and technological changes in the marine shipping industry, such as the increased use of GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...
, electronic navigation charts and the Global Maritime Distress Safety System
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a worldwide system for automated emergency signal communication for ships at sea developed by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of the SOLAS Convention. ...
, has led CCG to undertake several service reviews for aids to navigation in recent decades. Such reviews have resulted in the further decommissioning of buoys and shore-based light stations as well as a dramatic reduction in the number of foghorns.[Heritage Canada Foundation, Presentation to the Standing Committee of fisheries and Oceans, ]
Canadian lightkeepers were notified September 1, 2009 that upper management was once again commencing the de-staffing process. The first round, to be completed before the end of the fiscal year, was to include Trial Island, Entrance Island, Cape Mudge and Dryad Point. The second round included Green Island, Addenbroke, Carmanah Point, Pachena Pt and Chrome Island. The decision was taken without input or consultation from the public or user-groups in spite of the fact that during the last round of de-staffing the public and user-groups spoke vocally against cuts to this service. Once again a large outcry forced Minister of Fisheries Gail Shea to respond and on September 30, 2009, she suspended the de-staffing process pending a review of services lightkeepers provide.
Historic facilities
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, is the custodian of many significant heritage buildings, including the oldest lighthouse in North America, the Sambro Island Lighthouse. The department has selectively maintained some heritage lighthouses and permitted some alternative use of its historic structures. However, many historic buildings have been neglected and the department has been accused of ignoring and abandoning even federally recognized buildings. Critics have pointed out that the department has lagged far behind other nations such as the United States in preserving its historic lighthouses. These concerns have led community groups and heritage building advocates to promote the '' Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act'' in the Canadian Parliament.
Equipment
Navigational aid and services
The Canadian Coast Guard produces the Notice to Mariners (NOTMAR) publication which informs mariners of important navigational safety matters affecting Canadian waters. This electronic publication is published on a monthly basis and can be downloaded from the Notices to Mariners website. The information in the Notice to Mariners is formatted to simplify the correction of paper charts and navigational publications published by the Canadian Hydrographic Service
''Retired Canadian Hydrographic Service logo or crest''
The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is part of the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is Canada's authoritative hydrographic office. The CHS represents Canada in ...
.
Rank insignia and badges
Epaulettes
Military epaulettes are used to represent ranks. In the CCG they represent levels of responsibility and commensurate salary levels. The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary epaulettes are similar except they use silver braid to distinguish them from the Canadian Coast Guard.
Branch is denoted by coloured cloth between the gold braid. Deck officers, helicopter pilots, hovercraft pilots and JRCC/MRSC marine SAR controllers do not wear any distinctive cloth.
File:TRNG 2 Reg 1 Sm.gif, Training, royal blue
File:EL 2 Reg.gif, Electrical & Electronic, dark green
File:ENG 2 Reg.gif, Engineer, purple
File:IRB 2 Reg.gif, Incident Management & Vessels of Concern, orange
File:LOG 2 Reg.gif, Logistics & Supply, white
File:MED 2 Reg.gif, Medical, maroon
File:MET 2 Reg.gif, Meteorological, light blue
File:RAD 2 Reg.gif, Radio, emerald green
Auxiliary epaulettes
Cap badges
File:Officers Cap Badge.gif, Officer
File:Petty Officers Cap Badge.gif, Petty officer
File:Crews Cap Badge.gif, Crew
Qualification insignia
File:Deck.gif, Deck
File:Engine Room.gif, Engine room
File:Petty Officer.gif, Petty officer
File:Rescue Specialist.gif, Rescue specialist
File:Logistic.gif, Supply
Medals, awards, and long service pins
File:Exemlpary Service.jpg, Exemplary Service Medal
File:Comm Commendation.jpg, Commissioner's Commendation
File:Command at Sea Rosette Large Ship (33m or larger).png, Command at Sea Rosette Large Ship (33m or larger)
File:Command at Sea Rosette Small Ship (12m to 33m).png, Command at Sea Rosette Small Ship (12m to 33m)
File:Chief Engineer at Sea Rosette Large Ship (33m or larger).png, Chief Engineer at Sea Rosette Large Ship (33m or larger)
File:Chief Engineer at Sea Rosette Small Ship (12m to 33m).png, Chief Engineer at Sea Rosette Small Ship (12m to 33m)
File:10 Years.jpg, 10 Year Long Service Pin
File:15 Years.jpg, 15 Year Long Service Pin
File:20 Years.jpg, 20 Year Long Service Pin
File:25 Years.jpg, 25 Year Long Service Pin
File:30 Years.jpg, 30 Year Long Service Pin
File:35 Years.jpg, 35 Year Long Service Pin
Insignias and other representations
As a special operating agency within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the CCG uses generic identifiers imposed by the Federal Identity Program. However, the CCG is one of several federal departments and agencies (primarily those involved with law enforcement, security, or having a regulatory function) that have been granted heraldic symbols.
The CCG badge was originally approved in 1962. Blue symbolizes water, white represents ice, and dolphins are considered a friend of mariners. The Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
motto translates as "Safety First, Service Always".
In addition to the Coast Guard jack, distinctive flags have been approved for use by senior CCG officials, including the Honorary Chief Commissioner (the Governor General
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
) and the Minister of Transport.
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA; , ''GCAC'') is a Canada-wide volunteer marine association dedicated to marine search and rescue (SAR) and the promotion of boating safety, through association with the Canadian Coast Guard under the auspi ...
was granted a flag and badge by the Canadian Heraldic Authority
The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; ) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and gran ...
in 2012.
See also
* National Search and Rescue Program
The National Search and Rescue Program (NSP) is the name given by the Government of Canada to the collective search and rescue (SAR) activities in Canada. Until 2015, the NSP was administered by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS).
...
* North Pacific Coast Guard Agencies Forum
The North Pacific Coast Guard Forum (NPCGF) was initiated by the Japan Coast Guard in 2000 as a venue to foster multilateral cooperation through the sharing of information on matters related to combined operations, exchange of information, illega ...
* Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton (JRCC Trenton) is a rescue coordination centre operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). It is located on CFB Trenton in Astra, Ontario near Quinte West.
JRCC ...
* Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax
** successor to Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre St. John's
* Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria (JRCC Victoria) is a rescue coordination centre operated by the 1 Canadian Air Division (Canadian Armed Forces) and staffed by personnel of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Canadian Coast Gua ...
* Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre Quebec
References
External links
Official website
"Usque Ad Mare" A History of the Canadian Coast Guard and Marine Services
"Marinfo" Canadian Coast Guard homepage – Quebec Region
{{Authority control
Federal departments and agencies of Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Coast guards
Government agencies established in 1962
Uniformed services of Canada
1962 establishments in Canada
Coast_Guard, Canadian