Canadian Coast Guard Information Kit

Central and Acrtic Region

Coverage

Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Central and Arctic (C&A) Region is bounded by 71% of Canada’s coastline, encompassing approximately 65% of Canada’s marine waters. The region covers the Arctic seas, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway west of Beauharnois, and inland and coastal waters of Nunavut, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and the North Slope of Yukon.

Coast Guard services in C&A Region are provided by a fleet of 24 vessels and two helicopters including six large vessels greater than 33 metres, five small vessels less than 33 metres, ten search and rescue lifeboats, and three maritime security vessels.

C&A Region has a total of 580 employees in shoreand ship-based positions, providing essential services to mariners, the general public and other government departments. Regional headquarters is located in Sarnia, Ontario.

Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS)

There are five MCTS centres in Central and Arctic Region located in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Prescott, Sarnia and Thunder Bay, Ontario providing distress and safety communications and coordination. These centres operate on a 24/7 basis year round with the exception of two Arctic sites which operate on a seasonal basis.

Aids to Navigation

C&A Region is responsible for over 7,100 fixed and floating aids to navigation, serving a mix of commercial and recreational users, in an environment that covers a vast area with diverse climates. The main international shipping channels on the Great Lakes have a mix of Canadian Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard (USCG) aids to navigation as the many of the channels cross the international boundary.

Waterways Management Services

C&A Region manages channel maintenance dredging services in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes where Canada has an international agreement with the United States. The Waterways Management Program conducts hydrographic surveys on the Red River in Manitoba, on the Hay River in the Northwest Territories and monitors the condition of the Canadian sections of the Detroit River, St. Clair River and St. Mary’s River.

Environmental Response Services (ER)

As the primary responder or federal monitor to all reported ship-source and mystery spills on the Great Lakes, ER maintains and operates an inventory of marine pollution countermeasures equipment located in numerous sites around the region. South of 60º north latitude, the First Response Unit equipment is road transportable. In the Arctic, ER maintains Rapid Air Transportable equipment in Hay River.

Icebreaking Services

The icebreaking program in C&A supports international and domestic shipping in the St. Lawrence Seaway system and on the Great Lakes in partnership with the USCG offering the marine industry a fully integrated, bi-national service.

Search and Rescue (SAR)

C&A Region maintains a fleet of nine primary search and rescue vessels and six Inshore Rescue Boat stations and is supported by 839 volunteers and 123 vessels from the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary throughout the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg and the Arctic. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) is staffed jointly by Coast Guard and Canadian Forces officers coordinating response to Search and Rescue incidents throughout the region. In an average year, JRCC Trenton responds to 2,000 maritime SAR cases, of these, 20% are classified as distress or potential distress incidents in which, on average, 300 lives are saved.

Maritime Security

C&A operates three security vessels in support of the federal government’s Marine Security Enforcement Team (MSET) program. CCG and Royal Canadian Mounted Police deliver the program jointly. The vessels are divided into three patrol zones focusing on the security of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway system. The MSET program is transferred to icebreakers in the winter season.