Thanks to the excellence of our professional, dedicated workforce, 2008-2009 was another successful year for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). Despite the many challenges of the past 12 months, our Agency has continued to serve all Canadians with pride and distinction. That is the very reason that our employees are our most valuable asset.

An aging workforce that will see the retirement of our most experienced people, the need for greater computer literacy, improving diversity and finding skilled candidates capable of working in both official languages are all challenges the Agency faces. Last year’s release of the strategic human resources plan, a first for our Agency, provided a general framework for making systemic progress on our human resources challenges.

The Strategic Human Resources Plan 2009-2012 builds on the general framework and positions us to attract top candidates – even in a competitive global labour market – and ensures that we create a work environment where employees choose to stay and grow.

Our people have always been the cornerstone of our operations and as we navigate this period of demographic change due to many retirements, we will ensure that there are opportunities for development and promotion for them while addressing our most pressing human resources issues, now and for the future.

George Da Pont
Commissioner
Canadian Coast Guard