Proposals 2001-2002

• Provision of Marine Radio Safety Services – Inukitut
• SAR Response to a Tsunami, Pacific Region
• Water Incident Research Alliance (WIRA)
• Establishment of CCGA in the Arctic
• SAR Prevention & Training Material – Labrador Coast
• Testing/Monitoring of VHF Marine Distress System

Provision of Marine Radio Safety Services – Inukitut

Establish a marine safety radio service for Inukitut speaking boaters in Nunavut.  Radio safety services presently provided from the Iqualuit Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) Centre are mostly focussed on commercial boaters and are provided in English and French.  Because of the language barrier, the local boaters do not have access to those marine safety services.  The proposal would provide the local boaters with the marine safety information, promote the prevention of SAR incidents, injury and loss of life, would allow to perform all SAR functions in a more effective, efficient and economic way, and would help in forging better links with the Territory of Nunavut in the delivery of emergency services to the local population.  This service would be provided during the months of July through September for a trial period of 3 years.  The initiative is fully supported by the Department of Community Government & Transportation Emergency Service of the Government of Nunavut.

SAR Response to a Tsunami, Pacific Region

We propose to develop numerical models of tsunami currents and heights to be expected as part of the next Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake. These models will use CHS high-resolution bathymetric data in harbors vulnerable to tsunamis to provide accurate simulations of currents in entrances to harbors, and estimates of heights in harbors. We will collaborate with Coast Guard Staff to provide guidelines for SAR staff to operate safely during such an event, and advice for mariners to avoid death.

The Cascadia Subduction Zone will generate a severe earthquake and tsunami within the next few hundred years. The earthquake will be magnitude 7 to 8 or more, and the tsunami height along the west coast of Vancouver Island will be about 5 meters, and higher in some embayments. The last such earthquake, in A.D. 1700, set up a major tsunami that may have wiped out a native village in Pachena Bay.

Water Incident Research Alliance (WIRA)

Over 600 people drown annually in Canada. There is no systematic recording of water incidents in Canada. Presently, there is no timely, publicly accessible data to describe the causes of water related injuries or fatalities. This lack of information affects the ability to develop effective prevention strategies.

Establishment of CCGA in the Arctic

The Canadian Arctic coastline represents approximately one third of Canada’s coast. Residents of communities within this area depend on subsistence hunting and fishing. There is considerable seasonal use of boats and because of shifting ice it is not uncommon for “land-based” hunters to become stranded by open water. As a result boats are often used to provide a SAR response to community based SAR requirements. These water-based responders rely on experience and local knowledge to resolve incidents. External resources, such as the federal air/marine SAR system, only become involved if the incident escalates beyond the capacity of the community-based response system. Response time for the formal federal resources ranges from hours to days.

The need exists to provide the community responders with the tools they require to provide a safe and effective water-based rescue capability. A very effective and proven means of achieving this end exists in southern waters, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary also offers the potential for community members, under the global umbrella of territorial government and Coast Guard initiatives, to develop and tailor safe boating programs directly aimed at the specific requirements of their particular community.

SAR Prevention & Training Material – Labrador Coast

There is a lack of boating safety material both print and visual that is suitable for the people on the Labrador Coast. The material that is used for the rest of Newfoundland is too technical in nature , difficult to translate and often misunderstood.

It is proposed to consult with the aboriginal community on the Labrador Coast and to collaboratively produce SAR prevention and training material that addresses issues particular to the culture and environment. Furthermore, coordination and training volunteer organizations and aboriginal community groups will ensure local knowledge necessary to deliver a community based SAR prevention program, focussed on small boat safety with further reach and the highest impact.

Testing/Monitoring of VHF Marine Distress System

Southern Lakes portion of the Yukon Territory boasts more of the finest boating areas in Canada. However, due to the remoteness and lower traffic densities than that of the more populated areas of Canada, boaters in the Yukon Territory must be more self-sufficient to be prepared for marine emergencies. If a boater gets into difficulty here, help is unlikely to be close by. If a boater broadcasts a call for assistance on a marine VHF radio, it may not be heard, because there is a strong possibility that there will be nobody within VHF range to intercept the call.

A few years ago, an ambitious group of volunteers (Yukon Amateur Radio Association – YARA) decided that this did not have to be so. With a little ingenuity, cooperation between volunteers, private industry and government agencies, as well as, a great deal of donated parts and labour, a remote VHF distress-monitoring system was developed.

The system has been engineered, installed and maintained through a cooperative effort involving volunteers, industry and various government agencies. The system is technically operational, but requires funding to run it on a pilot project basis, to test its practicability. The system consists of a Channel 16 remote base and hub located on Montana Mountain at 7,200 feet. This site serves most of the Southern Lakes area, including parts of the Yukon River, Lake Laberge and Atlin BC. In addition, two peripheral sites (Mt. Archibald, near Haines Junction and Hayes Peak, near Teslin) have been added to the system. These provide coverage to the Kluane park area and theTeslin area. A local security company in Whitehorse will carry out monitoring.