Canadian Coast Guard

"Leading the way in marine safety, service, and protection of the marine environment."

Coast Guard Activities

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) undertakes programs and activities to achieve its long term objectives and, as a result, contribute to one or more of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' (DFO) Business Lines. In the case of the Coast Guard, these programs can be viewed as its major service lines and include the following:

* Marine Navigation Systems

o provides, operates and maintains a system of aids to navigation; and waterways development and maintenance, as well as ensuring protection of the public right to navigation and protection of the environment.

* Marine Communications and Traffic Services

o provides distress & safety communications and co-ordination, vessel screening to prevent the entry of unsafe vessels into Canadian waters, regulation of vessel traffic movements, and management of an integrated marine information system and public correspondence service.

* Icebreaking CCGS Des Groseilliers

o provides route assistance for vessels operating in ice-infested waters, ice routing information, support to harbours and facilities, and flood control services.

* Rescue, Safety and Environmental Response

o provides marine search and rescue and emergency preparedness capabilities; promotes boating safety to the marine public; and responds to pollution incidents from shipping through oversight of private-sector cleanup, or in certain cases direct spill response management.

* Technical and Operational Services

o provide engineering, technical, and operational services to program branches and the operators in the regions for CCG ships, systems and CCG sector specific facilities.

Coast Guard Clients

The clients of the CCG are well defined and include the following:

* the Canadian public, which expects the provision of preventative measures to minimize the possibility of marine pollution, and an emergency response capacity to deal with environmental issues of local, regional, national and international concern. It depends on the federal government to play a lead role in ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to prevent and reduce the adverse effect of pollution incidents on the marine environment. All Canadians also require assurance of marine systems that provide for the safety of all types of marine activity, and an effective search and rescue capability;

CCG Hovercraft

* the fishing industry, which expects reliable distress and safety communications, efficient navigation systems and an effective communications network. Increasing emphasis is also being placed by this group on the importance of the CCG's environmental protection mandate. Marine pollution, particularly from large source spills, can have a devastating impact on their ability to earn a living;

* the marine commerce sector, for example, commercial shipping, ferry traffic,