The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, met today with Commandant Admiral Linda L. Fagan at the United States Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., to discuss the close partnership between the two coast guards on maritime safety and protection. This visit comes on the heels of the Canadian and United States Coast Guards signing an updated Memorandum of Understanding on February 15, 2024, renewing the two organizations’ coordination of icebreaking and buoy tending operations on the Great Lakes, connecting waterways, and the shared portion of the St. Lawrence River.
The Canadian Coast Guard advises residents and visitors along the Saguenay Fjord that the CCGS Amundsen will begin spring icebreaking operations as early as Monday, March 11, 2024. The date is subject to change with no notice, as activities could begin before or after that period, depending on operational requirements or weather conditions.
The Government of Canada is working in partnership with Indigenous communities across the country to improve safety on the water through the Oceans Protection Plan. Indigenous communities are often the first to respond to marine incidents in remote areas and are an instrumental partner in our search and rescue system.
The Canadian Coast Guard will begin its spring icebreaking operations on the St. Lawrence River between Montréal and Québec on the morning of February 26. These activities could start earlier due to the increased risk of shore fast ice break-up caused by the warmer weather. Icebreaking will continue thereafter on several streams, rivers, and river mouths in Quebec.
Ensuring that Canadian Coast Guard personnel have reliable equipment to keep Canada’s waterways safe and open for business is a key priority for the Government of Canada.
The Canadian Coast Guard advises residents in Thessalon, Ontario that the CCGS Samuel Risley will carry out icebreaking operations in the area on or around February 18, 2024.
Quebec City, Quebec - The Canadian Coast Guard, Central Region, and the Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec want to remind the public that it can be very dangerous to venture out on the ice of the St. Lawrence River. We are experiencing a particularly mild winter with prolonged above normal temperatures which has delayed the consolidation of the fast ice. The ice is too thin to allow for safe activities, so we recommend that you do not go out on the ice.
Ensuring that Canadian Coast Guard personnel have the equipment they need to keep Canada’s waterways safe, clean and navigable is a top priority for the Government of Canada.
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has successfully completed its 2023 Arctic operational season, now that all eight icebreakers deployed this year have returned from the Arctic. The CCG plays a crucial role in supporting Canada’s Arctic sovereignty across the region. Through its presence, operations, and marine traffic monitoring, CCG’s annual Arctic operations continue to demonstrate and reinforce Canada’s long-standing, well-established sovereignty in the North.