HALIFAX The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister responsible for Nova Scotia, today announced on behalf of the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the transfer of the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Arcadie to Dalhousie University. The vessel will be used to help carry out important oceanographic research work by the university's science faculty.
"As Minister responsible for Nova Scotia, I am thrilled to see that the Arcadie will continue its valuable service to Canadians here in Nova Scotia," said Minister MacKay.
Coast Guard declared the vessel surplus to its needs in 2005. Dalhousie University subsequently requested if it could take ownership of the Arcadie, noting it would be a valuable asset for a number of programs.
In particular, the university's Department of Oceanography will use the vessel for its multi-institutional program launched in 2002 to develop a made-in-Canada capacity to deliver real-time predictions in the marine environment. Such information could prove valuable in reaching important decisions about events such as search and rescue operations, marine oil spill cleanups, storm surges, and harmful algae blooms.
The field research is being carried out by Dalhousie University's Centre for Marine Environmental Prediction (CMEP) at an ocean observing system situated in Lunenburg Bay, Nova Scotia. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Environment Canada and two private sector companies (Satlantic and Marset) are partners in the research program.
The Arcadie will be used for deploying the observatory in the spring, carrying out maintenance throughout the year, and recovering the system at the onset of winter.
"This program demonstrates the value of strong partnerships among federal agencies, academia, and industry," noted Minister MacKay. "It's an excellent example of a shared stewardship approach to the marine environment."
More information on the Canadian Coast Guard can be found at www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca.
-30-
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Communications Branch
Fisheries & Oceans Canada
Maritimes Region
902-426-3550
