Message from the DM/CDS/Commissioner: Welcoming the Canadian Coast Guard to the Defence Team 

September 2, 2025 - Defence Stories

Today marks an important milestone: the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and key personnel from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officially join the Defence Team, as a Special Operating Agency reporting through the Department of National Defence (DND). 

This historic step will strengthen our collaboration, enhance our capabilities, and improve Canada’s ability to respond to challenges at home and abroad. Together, we are laying the foundation for greater effectiveness, resilience, and readiness in our service to Canadians.

The CCG has long been a source of national pride, and its integration into the Defence Team as a civilian Special Operating Agency represents a generational opportunity to build an even more unified and capable team. With the Canadian Armed Forces, the CCG will help the Defence Team deliver on its vital mandate to protect and defend Canada’s security and sovereignty while continuing to deliver essential maritime programs and services on which Canadians rely. 

For now, the CCG will carry on its important work with minimal changes while detailed planning for the full transfer into the Defence Team progresses. Over the coming months, teams across Defence, the CCG, and DFO will work diligently on fully integrating the CCG and key employees and systems from DFO into the Defence Team.

Our priority is enabling a smooth and transparent transition. For some, a change of this scale brings questions and, for others, uncertainty. We are committed to keeping you informed and providing you with up-to-date information throughout this transition.

We encourage you to speak with your managers and to continue to support one another through this period. Additional supports and resources are available to help you.

Thank you for your professionalism, dedication, and agility as we take this important and exciting step forward as a unified Defence Team in service to Canada and Canadians.