A huge investment from the federal government in search and rescue training as part of the Ocean’s Protection Plan.
Over $65 million over the next nine years will increase community-based search and rescue and support coast guard units with training and exercise.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier announced $24.29 million in funding, with $3.37 million ongoing, to expand Indigenous search and rescue training and exercising on all coasts, and a $34.1 million investment in the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, with $4.85 million ongoing, through the Oceans Protection Plan over the next nine years.
“Today’s funding demonstrates our commitment to strong partnerships with communities across our coasts. Together, we can ensure a safe and reliable search and rescue services on the water for all, “The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Ottawa has spent over $3.5 billion on the Ocean’s Protection Plan since its launch in 2016, making it the largest investment Canada has ever made to protect its coasts and waterways.
“Through the Oceans Protection Plan, we are developing strong partnerships to improve marine safety and protect the environment. Thanks to the investments in these partnerships, we are creating new opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities
to train and participate in marine safety, search and rescue missions, environmental monitoring, and emergency spill response,” The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport.
Since its launch, the Oceans Protection Plan has:
- provided funding to 40 Indigenous communities to buy search and rescue boats and equipment, improving their ability to participate in marine emergency response as members of the Canadian Coast Guard
Auxiliary; - co-launched the Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary, the first Indigenous led Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary chapter, that now has units in eight First Nations communities along the British Columbia
coast. Increased financial support and spending flexibility for the Canadian Coast Guard to allow them to continue building search and rescue capacity in the North; - expanded Auxiliary units in now 40 Arctic communities operated by more than 460 Auxiliary volunteers with access to 68 vessels; and
- established new Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue stations in:
- Victoria, Hartley Bay, and Tahsis, British Columbia
- St. Anthony, Old Perlican, and Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador.
- The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary is a national non-profit organization of 4,000 volunteer members with access to 1,100 vessels that boost the Government of Canada’s maritime search and rescue response
capacity. - Members of Indigenous coastal communities play a key role in marine safety. They are often the first to arrive on the scene when incidents happen in remote coastal areas.
- providing funding to 40 Indigenous communities for search and rescue equipment and expanding the Coast guard in 40 arctic communities
