YELLOWKNIFE, NT, July 8, 2024
/CNW/ - The Canadian Coast Guard's (CCG) annual Arctic summer
operational season is underway. In total, seven CCG icebreakers are
scheduled to deploy from June into November to support northern
communities, operational and program commitments, and sovereignty
in the Arctic.
- June 16 – CCGS
Amundsen departed Quebec City,
QC, for icebreaking in Frobisher Bay and Hudson Strait, and
science led by Amundsen Science.
- June 20 - CCGS Des
Groseilliers departed Quebec City,
QC, for icebreaking, refueling the Killiniq communication
station and the remote Eureka weather station, commissioning aids
to navigation in the Hudson Strait, and Canadian Hydrographic
Service (CHS) surveys.
- July 1 – CCGS
Pierre Radisson departed
Quebec City, QC, for icebreaking,
science missions and Operation Pacer Goose, the annual
resupply of U.S. Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.
- July 10 – CCGS
Henry Larsen departs
St John's, N.L., for icebreaking
in the western Arctic and CHS surveys in Hudson Bay.
- July 10 – CCGS
Vincent Massey departs
Quebec City, QC, for icebreaking
in the eastern and central Arctic.
- July 13 – CCGS
Jean Goodwill departs
Dartmouth, N.S., for icebreaking
in the Low and High Arctic.
- August 14 – CCGS
Louis S. St-Laurent departs
St. John's, N.L., for icebreaking
and the Joint Ocean Ice Study scientific mission in the Beaufort
Sea.
CCG ships and their dedicated crews are ready to assist the
shipping industry during the annual Arctic resupply. Safe and
efficient navigation in Arctic waters is maintained throughout the
shipping season by providing daily updates on ice conditions and
operations, as well as ice escorts, when needed, to industry and
partners.
CCG's seasonal Marine Communication and Traffic Services (MCTS)
centre in Iqaluit, NU, opened on
May 17, 2024. In the Arctic, MCTS
officers play a crucial role in ensuring safe navigation in the
region; they respond to maritime distress calls, manage the
Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone Regulations (NORDREG),
broadcast weather and ice information, and provide navigational
warnings. MCTS Iqaluit will remain open until mid-December 2024, at which time NORDREG
services will be provided by the MCTS centre in Les Escoumins, QC, until the Iqaluit centre reopens in 2025.
Throughout the summer season, federal government and academic
researchers, scientists, and hydrographers will join CCG ships
to carry out new and ongoing scientific projects and hydrographic
surveys. CCG will also carry out joint training operations with
national and international Arctic partners.
As schedules and opportunities permit, crews will engage in
training and equipment familiarization with Canadian Coast Guard
Auxiliaries, such as search and rescue, and marine environmental
and hazards response activities. Such opportunities allow crews and
communities to build relationships and exchange maritime
knowledge.
The Government of Canada is
committed to maritime safety, providing essential services to
mariners, and ensuring the health and safety of all Canadians.
The CCG's annual Arctic icebreaking season allows the safe and
efficient movement of vessels and goods in northern waters, which
is key to community resupply. CCG's presence in Canada's North also provides key services,
such as search and rescue, support for scientific research, marine
communications and traffic services, aids to navigation, and marine
environmental and hazards response. The Compliance and Enforcement
program will continue to monitor vessels that may pose hazards and
will continue to work with owners to ensure risks are
mitigated.
Quick Facts:
- The CCG's Arctic Marine Response Station in Rankin Inlet, NU, reopened on June 21, 2024, to provide local maritime search
and rescue services during the summer season. The Arctic Marine
Response Station first opened in 2018 under the Oceans Protection
Plan, establishing it as the first Canadian Coast Guard search and
rescue facility in the Arctic.
- The CCG Marine Environmental and Hazards Response and
Compliance and Enforcement teams maintain a permanent, full-time
presence in the Arctic, with bases in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and Yellowknife and Hay
River, Northwest Territories.
- The CCG works closely and trains with communities and the
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary across the Arctic in search and
rescue efforts. The Auxiliary are an essential part of the search
and rescue system in the Arctic, with trained personnel who have
extensive knowledge of specific risks in local waterways and areas
across the region. Auxiliary units enhance capacity and capability
for search and rescue in the Arctic.
- Navigational products released by the CHS provide essential
maritime information to support safe and efficient navigation in
the Arctic. This year, CHS hydrographers will sail aboard four CCG
icebreakers to conduct survey work and increase the amount of sea
floor surveyed in the Arctic.
Related Products
Associated Links:
- Transport Canada's Safe
Boating Guide
- Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Start Your Career With the Canadian Coast Guard
- Protecting our coasts through the Oceans Protection Plan:
- Stronger partnerships with Indigenous and coastal
communities
Stay Connected:
- Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on
X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
SOURCE Canadian Coast Guard