September 24, 2012
ARGENTIA, NL – The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada the Honourable Keith Ashfield, today announced that the Canadian Coast Guard will host a multi-disciplinary response exercise on the water, in the air and along the shoreline in Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, September 24-26, 2012.
Operation Marquise is an exercise that will showcase interdepartmental cooperation among Government of Canada partners: the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Personnel and equipment will be deployed displaying capacities in oil spill response, search and rescue and maritime security.
“Our government’s unprecedented investments into the Canadian Coast Guard are helping to make sure our waterways remain open and safe” said the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. “This exercise highlights how we cooperate with our partners to handle emergency situations in the marine environment.”
“I am proud to see this kind of demonstration of our capacity to respond to emergency situations in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said the Honourable Peter Penashue, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador. “We have a robust network of responders in our province who continue to improve on their abilities to handle emergency situations.”
Operation Marquise will include a search and rescue exercise that involves a helicopter evacuation of a crewmember injured at sea. A CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter from Canadian Forces 103 Search and Rescue Squadron, 9 Wing Gander and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell will participate.
The maritime security exercise will showcase a marine tactical intervention of a target vessel by an Emergency Response Team from RCMP “B” Division.
Operation Marquise will also include a two-day scenario of a simulated oil pollution incident in coastal waters that will demonstrate the capability and resources of the Coast Guard in environmental response and preparedness. This scenario includes a cooperative exercise of shoreline clean-up with local Newfoundland and Labrador Canadian Army units.
