Fisheries and Oceans Canada investing in science capacity at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute and creating new jobs  

News Release

Mont-Joli, Quebec – The Government of Canada has committed to making science the cornerstone of public policy. By restoring funding for ocean and freshwater research, we are rebuilding our research capacity to reinforce our science-based approach to marine management.  This research will be to the benefit of protecting the oceans that so many Canadians take pride in.

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, confirmed today in Mont-Joli that federal funding is supporting scientific programs conducted at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute. This reinvestment in science, combined with the investments announced under the Oceans Protection Plan, will make it possible to recruit more researchers, biologists and technicians at the research centre.

The Minister also announced an investment of $27 million to update and improve the Institute’s research infrastructure so that scientific teams can continue to conduct world-class scientific research for many years to come. 

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, accompanied by Rémi Massé, Member of Parliament for Avignon–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia and Serge Gosselin, Acting, Regional Science Director at Maurice Lamontagne Institute in Mont-Joli.

Additional multimedia

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quotes

“It is my pleasure to be here to celebrate the Maurice Lamontagne Institute's 30th birthday.  Our strategic investments in the Institute make it possible to hire scientific personnel and to update the ocean sciences research infrastructure. We are taking concrete measures to respect our commitment to rebuilding the Department’s scientific capacity.”

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“For 30 years, the Maurice Lamontagne Institute has been a pillar of our community and of the scientific community at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and it is one of the world's major francophone marine sciences centres. The investments that have been announced today will enable the Institute to pursue its exceptional work today and in the coming years.”

Rémi Massé, Member of Parliament for Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia

Quick Facts

  • The Government of Canada has invested $197.1 million in ocean and freshwater sciences, announced in May 2016 and $1.5 billion under the Oceans Protection Plan announced in November 2016.

  • Under the Oceans Protection Plan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada intends to hire 176 new biologists, oceanographers, hydrographers and other professionals across the country to restore and protect ecosystems and marine habitat, as well as to study new and effective methods of cleaning up oil spills. Twenty-five of these new employees will be based at the Institute.

  • The new investment of $27 million in the Maurice Lamontagne Institute’s infrastructure will make it possible, in particular, to renovate the laboratories to meet new research needs, update the wet laboratory facilities – tank room, correct the building’s structure, update the mechanical systems and rearrange rooms and workspaces to accommodate new personnel.

  • As part of the Government of Canada’s new investments in science, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has established a Partnership Fund, which provides $5 million per year in support of collaborative research and to increase collective understanding of our oceans and freshwater.

  • The business partnership (1,65 million $)  between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Multi-Électronique to design and manufacture four automatic oceanographic buoys continues with an additional $800,000 grant to manufacture two more buoys to collect oceanographic data off the Pacific coast.

  • The Department also acquired two unmanned surface vehicles (catamaran type) that will support Canadian Hydrographic Service operations across the country. The crews at Mont-Joli will test and prepare these vehicles to increase the quality and quantity of data collected to improve the safety of navigation in Canadian waters. Importantly, these vehicles are a nation-wide acquisition and can be deployed from Mont-Joli (Quebec), Burlington (Ontario), Dartmouth (Nova Scotia) and Sidney, (British Columbia). The nearly $ 1 million contract has been awarded to an American company called Sea Robotics Corporation and includes an option to purchase five additional vehicles between now and 2020.

Related Products

Associated Links

Contacts

Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
media.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
418-648-5474

Laura Gareau
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-992-3474
Laura.Gareau@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

NR-QC-17-26E

Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Follow us on Twitter!   http://twitter.com/DFO_CCG_Quebec

Follow us on Twitter!   https://twitter.com/DFO_Science

Page details

Date modified: