Book 1, Tab A4 - Canadian Coast Guard Overview and Programs
“Safety first, service always.”
March 2025
On this page
- What we do
- Canadian Coast Guard Overview
- Canadian Coast Guard Personnel
- The Fleet: Present and Future
- Asset Management
- Partnerships
- Canadian Coast Guard Priorities
- Key Takeaways
- Annex
What We Do
- The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) was established as a Special Operating Agency within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in 2005.
- The CCG operates Canada's civilian fleet to deliver on-water safety, security, sovereignty, science, and environmental protection 24/7.
- The CCG oversees Canada's 243,000 km of coastline with the help of 12 Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centres, 3 Joint Rescue Coordination Centres, 2 Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres, and 3 Marine Security Operations Centres.
- The CCG supports Canada's ocean economy by enabling the safe and efficient flow of $251B in marine trade annually, handling more than 342M tonnes of critical goods, and supporting tens of thousands of jobs across Canada.
- The CCG's mandate is derived from the Oceans Act, the Canada Shipping Act, and the Wrecked,
Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, giving the CCG the authority to provide essential services, including:
- Aids to Navigation and Waterways Management
- Icebreaking Operations
- Marine Communications and Traffic Management
- Marine Search and Rescue
- Marine Environmental & Hazards Response
- Support for Maritime Security
- Compliance and Enforcement
- Support to Other Government Organizations
Canadian Coast Guard Overview
The CCG operates on all three coasts, as well as on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Waterway. It is also present on inland waters such as Lake Winnipeg and the Mackenzie River. The CCG is organized in four regions: Western, Central, Arctic, and Atlantic. Each region is led by an Assistant Commissioner, who reports to the Commissioner and is responsible for directing the day-to-day delivery of CCG programs and services in that region.
On an average day, the CCG:
- Coordinates 19 Search and Rescue (SAR) incidents.
- Manages 1,100 vessel movements.
- 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 Personnel
CCG Workforce
National Capital Region/College: Approx.1,400 employees
Atlantic: Approx. 2,110 employees
Western: Approx. 1,400 employees
Central: Approx. 1,670 employees
Arctic: Approx. 120 employees
CCG College
The CCG College in Sydney, Nova Scotia plays a pivotal role as the CCG's national, bilingual, Centre of excellence in operational training:
- Trains and develops future CCG Ship Officers and Marine Communication and Traffic Services Officers.
- Focuses on specialized learning development, design and delivery of educational services to provide critical services for Canadians.
- Supports the development and delivery of continuing education for operational personnel.
- Serves as the national training centre for curriculum design, quality assurance, and certification.
- Offers a modern learning environment that incorporates state-of-the-art simulators and practical training, as well as country-wide online learning.
- Offers a controlled testing facility for alternative fuels to meet greening initiatives within the CCG.
The Fleet: Present and Future
The CCG fleet of red and white ships, helicopters, and air cushion vehicles is an iconic symbol of maritime safety and sovereignty of Canadian waters.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) includes the renewal of the CCG's fleet of large and small vessels over the next 20 years, taking delivery of 88 vessels by 2045. The new polar icebreakers will enable a year-round presence in the Arctic.
Current Fleet
- The fleet consists of:
- 45 x Large Vessels
- 16 x Small Vessels
- 61 x SAR Motor Lifeboats
- 4 x Air Cushion Vehicles
- 23 x Helicopters
- In addition, the fleet is supplemented by two leased Emergency Towing Vessels on the West Coast.
Fleet Renewal
Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel x1
Artic and Offshore Patrol Vessels x2
Polar Icebreakers x2
Up to 16 Multi-Purpose Vessels
Up to 6 Program Icebreakers
Small Vessels x61
Asset Management
While the CCG's vessels are its most recognized assets to be maintained, the CCG is also responsible for the varied and complex shore-based equipment and systems used by its programs.
Shore-Based Asset Readiness
- Ensures Coast Guard shore-based assets are available, capable, and reliable to support the delivery of programs by managing the following assets throughout their life cycle:
- 12 Marine Communications and Traffic Services 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 the CCG's vessels, air cushioned vehicles, and small craft are available, capable, and reliable to deliver programs, through life cycle management process (including maintenance, in-service engineering, and disposal services).
- Sustains operational capabilities through a comprehensive Vessel Life Extension Program pending delivery of new vessels under the Fleet Renewal Plan.
Partnerships
The CCG maintains strong, collaborative relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, organizations, and governments as well as with industry, other governmental departments, international bodies, clients, and academia.
Partners and stakeholders
- Our partnerships leverage existing assets, expertise, and local capabilities to improve interoperability, information-sharing, and extend capacity across the Canadian coastline:
- Collaboration and partnerships on-the-water with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities, governments, and organizations to support marine safety response capacity.
- Coordination with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, a network of over 4,000 volunteers and 1,100 vessels, to support maritime search and rescue.
- Coordination with federal departments and agencies, including the Department of National Defence, Transport Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Natural Resources Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, and other levels of government (provinces, territories, municipalities) to support public safety and security needs, including responding to emergencies like wildfires and flooding, as requested.
- Support for relationships with the shipping industry through regional and national advisory boards, and maintaining close relationships with shipping federations, ports, chambers of shipping, etc., to discuss issues related to operations, planning, and services.
Clients
- Canadians/Mariners
- Recreational boaters
- Fish harvesters
- Local and Indigenous communities
- Commercial marine operators
International
- International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation
- International Maritime Organization
- International Hydrographic Organization
- Multilateral Coast Guard Fora (e.g., Arctic, North Atlantic, North Pacific)
- Emergency Prevention Preparedness and Response Working Group - Arctic Council
- Five Eyes Maritime Domain Awareness Stakeholders Forum
- Bilateral cooperation and collaboration with the United States, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and South Korea
Canadian Coast Guard Priorities
Recruiting and training an operational workforce to meet the needs of tomorrow
Recruiting and retaining the skilled and diverse workforce the CCG needs to deliver essential services to Canadians, amid labour shortages, evolving demographics, and technological changes in the maritime industry.
Preparing to welcome and operate a new and modern Fleet
Renewing shore-based assets, infrastructure, and upskilling personnel to prepare for a future fleet that is technologically sophisticated, while securing interim measures to maintain operational capacity until new assets are delivered.
Long-term planning to keep delivering in a changing operational context
Planning for the future while considering the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Inuit Nunangat Policy, increasing requirements for a strong presence in the Arctic, climate change adaptation, complex national security and geopolitical risks, and a demand for more Maritime Domain Awareness.
Optimizing Marine Navigation Services through Digitalization
Ensuring competitiveness of the Canadian maritime sector and protecting a strong Canadian supply chain in the face of growing international interest in Canadian waters, increased traffic in the Arctic, the need to protect sensitive ecosystems and marine mammals, and demand for more CCG services due to climate-related disasters.
Delivering the Ocean Protection Plan and beyond
Ensuring the safety of mariners and Canada's preparedness to respond to marine pollution incidents as vessel traffic continues to increase by supporting Ocean Protection Plan initiatives which strengthen the federal marine response system and foster an integrated community of responders in remote coastal areas.
Key Takeaways
The CCG is Canada's eyes and ears on the water and delivers essential services related to marine safety, environmental protection, security and sovereignty, science, and economic prosperity.
People are the heart of the organization and the CCG's most important resource. Recruitment efforts recognize the uniqueness of CCG operations, and retention efforts prioritize the importance of safety, health and wellness, career development, and employee engagement.
The CCG operates in an evolving environment and is preparing for the future by mapping out goals and key actions along four strategic pillars: Services, People, Assets, and Governance.
The future fleet will open new doors to enhanced Arctic presence, Maritime Domain Awareness, and delivery of programs and services to meet evolving Government of Canada priorities.
Annex
Aids to Navigation and Waterways Management
Coast Guard facilitates safe navigation through Canadian waters
- Ensures smooth and uninterrupted flow of goods along waterways
- Manages over 17,000 aids to navigation
- Provides navigational safety information to mariners
- Surveys channel conditions, informing mariners of water depths/levels and maintaining a guaranteed minimum depth in specific navigation channels
Looking into the Future
Virtual AToNs and e-Navigation create resiliency for efficient management of marine traffic, provides foundational digital infrastructure to welcome autonomous vessels in Canadian waters, and opens new doors of opportunities to support safe shipping in the vast Arctic.
Icebreaking Operations
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
- Escorts ships through ice covered waters
- Conducts channel maintenance and harbour breakouts
- Clears ice from harbours and wharves
- Supports Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic, Arctic economic development, and resupply operations to Northern communities
- Provides ice information and routing advice
- Works closely with the United States Coast Guard in transboundary waterways
Looking into the Future
The new Polar icebreakers will provide year-round presence in the Arctic, and offer new capabilities not found anywhere else in the federal fleet.
Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS)
The CCG has 184 Remote Communication Sites which include 11 in the Arctic to support CCG services and 12 MCTS Centres.
- Monitor radio frequencies and respond to calls for assistance
- Broadcast maritime safety information
- Regulates marine traffic in designated waterways 24/7/365
- Provides navigational information and assistance
- Screens vessels and issue clearance to ships prior to entry into Canadian waters
Looking into the Future
The CCG's investments in innovation and modern navigation services will ensure resilient and integrated communication channels to support future trade and shipping.
Marine Search and Rescue (SAR)
The CCG is the federal lead for marine search and rescue in Canada.
- 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.
- The CCG Auxiliary covers all three coasts and the Great Lakes, saving lives on the water and promoting boating safety.
- SAR incidents are coordinated by three Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCC) and two Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres. The JRCCs are managed by the CAF, who are responsible for aeronautical SAR, and jointly staffed with the CCG and CAF personnel.
- SAR resources across Canada:
- 46 Search and Rescue Stations
- 3 JRCCs
- 2 Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres
- 1 Arctic Marine Response Station
- 25 seasonal In-shore Rescue Boat stations
- 2 hovercraft stations
- 1 dive team
Looking into the Future
The CCG is exploring innovative technologies to deliver efficient and effective search and rescue services.
Marine Environmental and Hazards Response
The CCG protects the marine environment from spills and hazardous vessels.
- Leads the national network of marine environmental and hazards responders to ship-source and mystery source marine pollution and hazardous vessels.
- Works with ship-owners, industry, Indigenous groups and stakeholders.
- Takes a unified approach to preparedness and response activities that includes working in collaboration with response partners and integrating science and local knowledge.
- Maintains the National Inventory of Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels on behalf of the Government of Canada. There are currently over 1,300 vessels in the inventory, with vessel remediation prioritized based on risk.
Looking into the Future
In collaboration with Transport Canada, the CCG will refine the marine pollution, preparedness, and response regime to ensure a seamless approach in collaboration with Indigenous partners and coastal communities.
Support for Maritime Security
The CCG plays a critical role in supporting Canada's maritime security, at both a national and global level.
- Creates national maritime domain awareness by contributing sensor information and expert analysis in Canada's three Marine Security Operations Centres.
- Provides patrol vessels, helicopters, and personnel to support the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
- Engages with federal and international partners to ensure a coherent approach to national and allied maritime security.
- Contributes to global maritime security and supports Canada's overseas priorities.
- Provides and manages intelligence and information to support the CCG's decision-making and operations.
Looking into the Future
New capabilities on CCG vessels, enhanced considerations for cybersecurity threats, strengthened relationships with allies in the Arctic, and updated security training for personnel will support Canada's long- term national security objectives.
Compliance and Enforcement
Owners are responsible for addressing hazards created by their vessels in Canadian waters.
- Verifies compliance and enforces the obligations of owners in the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the
Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA) and implements the Marine Liability Act.
- Applies a graduated approach to enforcing the CCG’s legislated mandate such as:
- Education, Stewardship and Engagement.
- Monitoring and Verification.
- Enforcement actions including Administrative Monetary Penalties of up to $50,000 for individuals and $250,000 for companies.
- Cost recovery of response costs from owners, insurers or with Ship and Rail Compensation Canada.
Looking into the Future
The CCG will continue to play a key enforcement role, issuing fines to address abandoned vessels and ensure owner accountability under the WAHVA.
Support to Other Governmental Departments
The CCG’s ships, aircraft, and other services support other governmental departments, boards, and
agencies in fulfilling their mandates.
- Provides platforms for scientists to conduct fish stock assessments, seafloor charting, and oceanographic and freshwater research.
- Provides vessels, aircraft, and personnel for enforcement, thereby safeguarding communities, marine fisheries, aquatic species, and habitats.
- Delivers marine navigational services and shares maritime domain awareness to support Canada’s security interests.
Looking into the Future
The CCG’s enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness will be key for OGDs in a context of increasing maritime traffic, expanding marine protected areas, and a changing Arctic landscape.
- Date modified: