Canadian Coast Guard

(www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca)

Who We Are

The Canadian Coast Guard owns and operates the federal government’s civilian fleet, and provides key maritime services to Canadians.

As a Special Operating Agency of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard helps DFO meet its responsibility to ensure safe and accessible waterways for Canadians. The CCG also plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable use and development of Canada’s oceans and waterways.

Canadians expect the federal government to:

• protect the marine environment;

• support economic growth;

• ensure public safety on the water; and

• ensure Canada’s sovereignty and security by establishing a strong federal presence in our waters.

The Canadian Coast Guard helps the government meet the public’s expectation of clean, safe, secure, healthy and productive waters and coastlines.

For more information on who we are, go to:

Mission, Vision and Mandate — for more on how the CCG supports Canada to control and protect the nation’s maritime resources.

Mission, Vision and Mandate

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) owns and operates the federal government’s civilian fleet, and provides key maritime services to Canadians.

As a Special Operating Agency of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the CCG helps DFO meet its responsibility to ensure safe and accessible waterways for Canadians. The CCG also plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable use and development of Canada’s oceans and waterways.

Mission

Canadian Coast Guard services support government priorities and economic prosperity and contribute to the safety, accessibility and security of Canadian waters.

Vision

Through innovation and excellence, a recognized leader in maritime services and safety.

Mandate

The Canadian Coast Guard’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:

• 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;

• search and rescue;

• pollution response; and

• vessel traffic services.

Organizational Values

Teamwork

Professionalism

Integrity

Quality service

Innovation

Careers with the Canadian Coast Guard

“Saluti Primum, Auxilio Semper”, the Latin motto for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), translates to “Safety First, Service Always”. From coast to coast to coast, the women and men of our agency provide the people of Canada with essential services on our lakes and oceans, as well as on land. The CCG provides services such as aids to navigation, icebreaking, search and rescue missions, science expeditions, environmental response and managing traffic in our waters.

Exciting career opportunities are available throughout our organization. Our 116 vessels are staffed by our seagoing personnel, who are comprised of ships’ officers and ships’ crew. We proudly offer competitive salaries, as well as many openings for career advancement.

While our most visible employees are those at sea, our shore-based personnel (who make up half of all CCG staff) play an equally important role in promoting safety and providing services in marine communications, electronic technology, engineering and administration.

The CCG provides services in Canadian waters and is located in five regions: Pacific, Central & Arctic, Quebec, Maritimes, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Our National Headquarters is located in Ottawa. We also have a College in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

On any given day, the Canadian Coast Guard:

Saves 13 lives;

Assists 58 people in 25 search and rescue cases;

Services 55 aids to navigation;

Handles 1,547 marine radio contacts;

Manages 2,135 commercial ship movements;

Escorts 4 commercial ships through ice during the ice season;

Carries out 11 fisheries patrols;

Supports 3 hydrographic missions;

Supports 8 scientific surveys;

Deals with 3 reported pollution events; and,

Surveys 5 kilometres of navigation channel bottom.

History

The Canadian Coast Guard was created in 1962 to address the need to provide services to mariners in Canadian waters. This included three main responsibilities:

offering dedicated search and rescue services;

maintaining Arctic sovereignty; and

responding to technical advances and increasing vessel traffic.

Prior to 1962

Following several shipwrecks, the first lifeboat and light stations were established on Canada’s east coast during the 1700s. There were no formal safety measures prior to this time.

Patrol vessels first appeared along the eastern seaboard and in the Great Lakes Region during the 1800s, in response to an urgent need for protection and regulation of fishing and shipping vessels.

At Confederation, in 1867, the federal government acquired elements of marine infrastructure, including:

navigational aid systems;

life-saving stations;

canals and waterways;

regulating organizations and enforcement vessels; and

supporting shore infrastructure.

The Department of Marine and Fisheries, established in 1868, was given responsibility for this marine infrastructure.

In 1930, the Department of Marine and Fisheries became two separate departments, and in 1936 the responsibility for marine transportation shifted to the Department of Transport (DOT).

The DOT maintained a fleet of 241 vessels, which would become the basis of the Coast Guard. This fleet had several uses that now fall under the CCG mandate, including maintaining navigation aids and icebreaking.

Between 1941 and 1961, demand for a national coast guard came from many organizations and communities, and the Canadian Coast Guard was officially created on January 26, 1962.

Since 1962

Five Canadian Coast Guard regions were created soon after the CCG was established. These are still in effect and include:

Central and Arctic;

Maritimes;

Newfoundland and Labrador;

Pacific; and

Quebec.

The Canadian Coast Guard College was established in 1965. Located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the college trains young men and women for service in the CCG.

The federal government has restructured the Canadian Coast Guard twice:

In 1995, the CCG amalgamated with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

In 2005, the CCG became a Special Operating Agency of DFO. This restructuring allowed the CCG to focus on service delivery.

Today, the Canadian Coast Guard continues to play a vital role in marine safety, environmental protection and promoting maritime commerce. In addition, the CCG also plays an important support role in maritime security and Arctic sovereignty.