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65-407: Lama Passage extends from Seaforth Channel to Fitzburgh Sound with Dryad Point across from Saunders Island at the junction. "Wood Island and Ark Island are close offshore at the junction of Seaforth Channel and Troup Passage. Newby Island, Munsie Point and Christiansen Point lie 0.5 to 2 mi (0.80 to 3.22 km) WNW of Ark Island. Nose Island, 0.6 mi (0.97 km) west of Christiansen Point,

130-643: 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 and the Atlantic coast, as well as an increased presence in the Arctic and Pacific coasts for sovereignty purposes. The government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker decided to consolidate

195-491: 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 motto Saluti Primum, Auxilio Semper 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

260-514: 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: On April 4, 2005, it was announced by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans that the CCG was being designated a "special operating agency"—the largest one in the federal government. Although

325-565: A total of 2,500 feet of boom" were on site. The tugboat "settled under nine metres of water in Seaforth Channel." By October 26 the tanks of fuel on the submerged tug had been pumped out and "110,131 litres of an oil-water mixture" were recovered but oil was discovered in at "least three coves in Seaforth Channel." Bad weather prevented the salvage operation. Resolve Pioneer, a salvage vessel arrived in Bella Bella on November 8. and

390-560: A variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in Ottawa , Ontario, and is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Department of Fisheries and Oceans). Unlike armed coast guards of some other nations, the CCG is a government marine organization without naval or law enforcement responsibilities. Naval operations in Canada's maritime environment are exclusively

455-600: Is a U.S. vessel under 10,000 gross tonnage was allowed to operate by the Pacific Pilotage Authority, "without a local pilot on the West Coast of Canada." This is a common practice "if the crew meets a minimum standard of experience and licensing." None of the seven-member crew of the Nathan E Stewart were injured. The fuel spill was about 20 km (12 mi) west of Bella Bella, the core community of

520-603: 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. CCG operates one of the largest networks of navigational buoys , lighthouses and foghorns in the world. These facilities assist marine navigation on

585-683: 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

650-461: Is not as irregular as the north side. After Athlone, Dufferin , Horsfall and Campbell islands the channel makes a sharp turn to the passage between Campbell Island and Denny Island. It extends along Denny Island to the junction with Lama Passage between Hunter Island and Denny Island. The tug/barge that ran aground on Edge Reef off Athlone Island at the entrance to the Seaforth Channel in October 2016

715-708: 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 . 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

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780-621: Is steep-to on its south side and has a conspicuous tree about 60 m (200 ft) high." Ivory Island with its lighthouse is the northwest entrance point to Seaforth Channel. Since the nineteenth century, it was well-known that the "north shores of Seaforth Channel [were] much more irregular in outline than the southern shores." The area surrounding the Beazley Islands which lie southeast of Dearth Island and north of Nose Island, "is encumbered with numerous small islets and drying and below-water rocks." The south shore of Seaforth Channel

845-457: Is the coast guard of Canada . Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking , marine pollution response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The Coast Guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters , along with

910-526: Is the responsibility of Canada's federal police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (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

975-658: Is unacceptable...It's time for a change." 52°24′N 128°29′W  /  52.400°N 128.483°W  / 52.400; -128.483 Lama Passage Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 209698873 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:57:13 GMT Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard ( CCG ; French: Garde côtière canadienne, GCC )

1040-469: The Heiltsuk Nation . The fuel spill threatens "dozens of species that are harvested in the area, including manila clam beds that provide income of up to $ 150,000 per year for the community." A shellfish harvesting ban was imposed on October 14. The fuel spill is in the environmentally sensitive Great Bear Rainforest - the largest intact old-growth forest in the world. The operator responsible for

1105-573: The Stephen Harper 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

1170-560: The United States Coast Guard , and that employees be given peace officer status for enforcing federal laws on the oceans and Great Lakes . As a compromise, the CCG now partners with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to create what are known as integrated border-enforcement teams (IBETs), which patrol Canadian waters along the Canada–United States border . In

1235-697: The 1990s–2000s, CCG modernized part of its SAR fleet after ordering British Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)-designed Arun -class high-endurance lifeboat cutters for open coastal areas, and the USCG-designed 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (designated by CCG as the Cape class ) as medium-endurance lifeboat cutters for the Great Lakes and more sheltered coastal areas. The CCG ordered five 47-foot (14.3 m) motor lifeboats in September 2009, to add to

1300-463: The 31 existing boats. New vessels delivered to the CCG from 2009 onward included the hovercraft CCGS  Mamilossa and the near-shore fisheries research vessels CCGS  Kelso and CCGS  Viola M. Davidson . Several major vessels have undergone extensive refits in recent decades, most notably CCGS  Louis S. St-Laurent in place of procuring the Polar 8 class of icebreakers. In

1365-523: The Arctic. Randy Boswell, of the Canwest News Service quoted Michael Byers , an expert on the law of the sea, who used the phrase "quiet authority of a deck-mounted gun" . 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

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1430-485: 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

1495-470: The CCG from the Department of Transport to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (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

1560-423: The CCG headquarters which develop a budget for the organization. The arrangement is not unlike the relationship of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , also headed by a Commissioner, toward that organization's parent department, the Department of Public Safety . As of December 6, 2019, Mario Pelletier has been appointed the current Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard. The special operating agency reorganization

1625-442: 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 now 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

1690-617: 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

1755-579: 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. 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

1820-683: 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. The head of CCG

1885-493: The Coast Guard confirmed it would be buying and retrofitting three large, icebreaking, anchor-handling tugs, Tor Viking , Balder Viking and Vidar Viking from Viking Supply Ships . On 22 May 2019, it was announced two more Harry DeWolf -class offshore patrol vessels will be built for the Canadian Coast Guard, in addition to the six being constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy . Additionally, $ 15.7B

1950-437: 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

2015-639: The Inside Passage. On November 6 in Bella Bella Federal Minister of Transportation Marc Garneau met briefly with Heiltsuk hereditary and elected chiefs and on November 7 in Vancouver Prime Minister Trudeau announced a $ 1.5B ocean protection plan which will "creating a marine safety system, restoring marine ecosystems and research into oil spill cleanup methods." "The ongoing incident at Bella Bella

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2080-581: 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

2145-540: The October incident, the Pacific Pilotage Authority revoked the barge's waiver. The Canadian Coast Guard who were leading the cleanup, arrived on scene at 2:19 a.m. at CCG Station Bella Bella. They called in the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) at 4:30 am and their vessels and crew from Vancouver and Prince Rupert arrived on site at 5:30 pm. A "mobile skimming vessel, boom skiff, work boat, and tug, along with

2210-536: The current fleet. 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,

2275-515: The damaged Nathan E. Stewart was raised from the sea floor on November 14. It was hauled to Surrey, B.C. on November 19 but cleanup continued. The Heiltsuk, B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the oil spill response as "inadequate" and "unacceptable." The incident highlighted concerns about lack of capacity of existing response teams as on the eve of proposed pipelines which would lead to even more tanker traffic on

2340-579: 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 202,080-kilometre-long (109,110  nmi ; 125,570  mi ) coastline . Its vessels and aircraft operate over an area of ocean and inland waters covering approximately 2.3 million square nautical miles (7.9 million square kilometres). "Canadian Coast Guard services support government priorities and economic prosperity and contribute to

2405-401: 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. Following the 1995 Canadian federal budget , the federal government announced that it was transferring responsibility for

2470-695: 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. 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

2535-443: 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

2600-417: 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 Labrador , transferred from the Royal Canadian Navy. A period of expansion followed the creation of the CCG between the 1960s and the 1980s. The outdated ships the CCG inherited from

2665-401: 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 also performed similar duties at a time when

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2730-538: 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. In one of several reorganization moves of the federal ministries following the swearing-in of Prime Minister Paul Martin '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

2795-712: The east and west coasts as part of the Canadian Lifesaving Service; the station at Sable Island 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

2860-509: The entrance to Seaforth Channel in the Heiltsuk Nation 's traditional territorial waters. contaminating the Seaforth Channel area with "more than 100,000 litres of fuel." The Nathan E Stewart held approximately 200,000 L (44,000 imp gal; 53,000 US gal) of industrial oils including diesel. Although the Seaforth Channel is part of the Voluntary Tanker Exclusion Zone, the Nathan E. Stewart which

2925-583: 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 CCGS  Arpatuuq – 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

2990-482: The former requirement, in 1965 the Canadian Coast Guard College (CCGC) opened on the former navy base HMCS  Protector at Point Edward, Nova Scotia . By the late 1970s, the college had outgrown the temporary navy facilities and a new campus was opened in the adjacent community of Westmount in 1981. During the mid-1980s, the long-standing disagreement between the U.S. and Canada over

3055-509: The further decommissioning of buoys and shore-based light stations as well as a dramatic reduction in the number of foghorns. 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

3120-407: 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

3185-649: The legal status of the Northwest Passage came to a head after USCGC  Polar Sea 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 announced plans to build several enormous icebreakers, the Polar 8 class which would be used primarily for sovereignty patrols. However,

3250-460: 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 , Dartmouth, Nova Scotia , and Parry Sound, Ontario . The expansion of the CCG fleet required new navigation and engineering officers, as well as crewmembers. To meet

3315-585: 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 . Following the Second World War , Canada experienced

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3380-491: The northern end of Campbell Island. Marine traffic on the central coast prefer Seaforth Channel especially "when weather makes travel difficult further offshore." On October 13, 2016, just after 1 a.m, a Texas-owned articulated tug/barge—a 28 m (92 ft) tugboat, the Nathan E Stewart, secured to the stern of an empty 90 m (295 ft) petroleum barge DBL 55—ran hard aground on the Edge Reef off Athlone Island at

3445-682: The open Pacific Ocean more challenging. It is now a marine highway with cruise ships, freighters, tugs with tows, fishing craft and ships of the Alaska Marine Highway , BC Ferries , and Washington State Ferries . British Columbia's portion of the Inside Passage has up to 25,000 miles (40,000 km) of coastline including the Strait of Georgia the Johnstone Strait , the Hecate Strait and Fitz Hugh Sound . By 1880,

3510-467: 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

3575-431: 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

3640-598: 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 , electronic navigation charts and the Global Maritime Distress Safety System , has led CCG to undertake several service reviews for aids to navigation in recent decades. Such reviews have resulted in

3705-405: The responsibility of the Royal Canadian Navy . 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

3770-540: The safety, accessibility and security of Canadian waters." The CCG's mandate is stated in the Oceans Act and the Canada Shipping Act . The Oceans Act gives the minister of Fisheries and Oceans responsibility for providing: The Canada Shipping Act gives the minister powers, responsibilities and obligations concerning: Originally a variety of federal departments and even the navy performed

3835-406: The shipping route that was "usually adopted by steamers and others desiring to make the inland passage from Queen Charlotte Sound to Dixon Entrance, is by way of Fitzhugh Sound, Lama Passage, Seaforth Channel, Milbank Sound, Finlayson and Grenville channels, and Chatham Sound tn Dixon Entrance." Lama Passage connected Seaforth Channel with Fisher Channel . The Seaforth Channel and Lama Passage meet at

3900-422: The tug and barge are Kirby Offshore Marine, a Texas-based operator. In 2011 when the Nathan E Stewart lost power and was set adrift in rough waters of Alaska, journalists at the time drew attention to the Pacific Pilotage Authority waiver that exempted the barge which makes routine weekly runs "between Vancouver and Alaska through the Inside Passage" "from the requirement of having Canadian pilots on board." Following

3965-525: The work which the CCG does today. Following Confederation 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

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4030-412: Was announced for the production of 16 additional multi-purpose vessels. CCG's management and organizational structure reflects its quasi-military nature. The CCG agency supports several functional departments as outlined here: 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

4095-517: Was heading south. Denniston Point on Dufferin Island, Idol Point on the south side of the channel and Bush Point are located on Seaforth Channel. The inland passage refers to a coastal shipping route along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Washington. Marine traffic prefers to use the inside passage when weather makes travel on

4160-568: 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. The CCG does not have a "reserve" element. There is a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (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

4225-452: 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. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of

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