Notes from the Desk of the Commissioner: CCG's transition to the Defence Team – Official steps

September 2, 2025 - Defence Stories

Colleagues, 

Earlier this August, we hosted an Update meeting (This content is accessible only to DFO/CCG employees.) to share important developments, including the news about the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) transition to the Department of National Defence (DND). At that time, we committed to keeping you informed as more details became available. Following the Message from the DM/CDS/Commissioner: Welcoming the Canadian Coast Guard to the Defence Team, I am pleased to tell you that the Order in Council has officially been made, which means we are now, officially, part of the Defence Team.

While we will now report through DND, I want to reaffirm that the CCG, as a Special Operating Agency, will remain a civilian organisation and will maintain operational autonomy over its missions, personnel and assets. There will also be no immediate changes to your typical day at the office. Your devices, network access, and core applications will continue to work as usual. Everyone will report to the same work location and continue using the same employee identification and access cards. You’ll be informed when any changes are coming.

I would like to thank the Minister of National Defence, David McGuinty, Deputy Minister, Stefanie Beck, and Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jennie Carignan, for the warm welcome. We look forward to building on the existing relationships with our DND and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) colleagues and making new connections. I am confident that this change will be a good fit for the CCG as our commitment to service is well aligned with DND and the CAF’s operational and mission-focused mandate. This will strengthen our collective ability to serve Canadians. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) colleagues who will be joining DND to continue to provide us with internal services — your ongoing contributions are deeply appreciated and will remain essential as we move forward.

Transitions of this scale involve many moving parts, and we are committed to sharing resources and highlighting changes as they unfold. We will also continue to celebrate our accomplishments as a CCG family and support one another through this exciting new chapter.

We encourage you to visit the new CCG-specific intranet page (accessible only on the Canadian Coast Guard network) for general information on the transition to DND. You can also explore the external transition portal on Canada.ca, which is accessible to all CCG, DND, and DFO personnel. It includes answers to common questions and other helpful resources. As things progress, additional materials will be shared to support you throughout this transition. 

While change can be overwhelming, I assure you that we are all on the same ship navigating our course to a successful transition. Thank you for your support, and for supporting each other during this time of change.

Safety first, Service always. 

Mario Pelletier
Commissioner
Canadian Coast Guard