April 30, 2013
Ottawa, Ontario – The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today issued the following statement in response to Chapter 7 of the Office of the Auditor General Report, Federal Search and Rescue Activities:
The Canadian Coast Guard is already taking the necessary steps to address the recommendations of the Auditor General.
Our Government is providing the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard with the vessels, helicopters and training they need to do their jobs keeping Canada’s waterways safe and open.
In the past 3 years alone, we have welcomed more than 100 new and more capable vessels to the fleet, including: 3 Hero-class Vessels on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes; the hovercraft CCGS Mamilossa in Quebec; and at strategic locations in all corners of Canada - five Search and Rescue Lifeboats, two Specialty Vessels, three Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessels, 30 environmental barges and 60 small craft.
Training and recruitment are essential to maintain a highly-specialized Canadian Coast Guard team and over the last seven years our government has also invested in the training of the men and women of the Coast Guard, including investments in the Canadian Coast Guard College in Nova Scotia and training facilities in British Columbia.
We are proud of the Canadian Coast Guard and of the men and women who provide critical services and I am confident that the Canadian Coast Guard will continue to fulfill its duty to Canada as a maritime nation and to the ongoing economic prosperity of our country.
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