Canada to build new vessels for coast guard fleet
Substantial renewal in $750 million investment

The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans today announced details of investments by Canada’s New Government in the renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet.

The March 2007 federal budget identified $324 million for the purchase and maintenance of six new vessels for the fleet. This brings the government’s total investments in Coast Guard to more than $750 million since February 2006, for a total of four new offshore vessels and 12 new mid shore patrol vessels. Coast Guard also has plans under way to acquire an air cushion vehicle for its fleet.

"This substantial investment is an indication of the government’s confidence in Coast Guard and its long record of providing quality service to Canadians," said Minister Hearn. "With these positive changes, the Coast Guard can continue to focus on what it does best: providing valuable services to mariners in Canadian waters."

Eight of the new mid-shore patrol vessels will be multi-tasked, and used primarily for fisheries conservation and protection duties in the Maritimes, Quebec and Pacific regions. The remaining four mid-shore patrol vessels are new additions to the fleet and will be used for maritime security duties on the St. Lawrence Seaway-Great Lakes system. These vessels will take part in a joint program with the RCMP, responding to the Government’s commitment to enhance the security of the nation’s coasts and waterways.

Three state-of-the-art offshore fishery science vessels will be based in the Pacific, Maritimes and Newfoundland regions, and a fourth offshore oceanographic science vessel will be based in the Maritimes.

Overall, five of the new vessels are additions to the Coast Guard fleet and 11 will replace existing vessels nearing the end of their life expectancies. Fleet renewal is a multi-year undertaking, with the first vessel scheduled to be delivered in August of 2009 and the last of these vessels targeted for some time in 2014. The new vessels will be deployed to their appropriate Coast Guard regions as they become available.

The high-speed air cushion vehicle is a replacement vessel and will be based in Quebec region and used primarily for search and rescue, maintenance to navigational aids and icebreaking for flood control and seaway operation.

"Renewing the country’s marine civilian fleet will also contribute to a revitalized Canadian shipbuilding industry," noted Minister Hearn, "and provide additional, reliable support for increasingly important marine scientific research and maintain Canada’s maritime presence."

Coast Guard provides marine services on behalf of the federal government, including search and rescue operations, maintaining aids to navigation, icebreaking, facilitating maritime commerce, and effective marine environmental response. The Coast Guard also supports its federal partners’ efforts to provide security along Canada’s maritime borders.

Minister Hearn also announced the redeployment of two Coast Guard heavy icebreakers. The CCGS Terry Fox will be deployed from Maritimes Region to Newfoundland and Labrador Region in April 2008, and the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent will follow in April 2009. These transfers are being made to avoid significant additional infrastructure costs which would be required if they stayed in the Maritimes Region. The infrastructure is already in place in Newfoundland to accommodate the vessels.

 

One Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel
This vessel was announced in Budget 2007 and is intended to replace CCGS Hudson.

Vessel Purpose:
 conduct multi-disciplinary physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic expeditions in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

 observe global and regional circulation and interactions

 contribute to the assessments of resources,　impacts to the various marine ecosystems of assorted fisheries and offshore marine activities, support for marine geology, the data required from hydrographic activities for chart production, engineering initiatives, military activities, and delimitation of internal and international marine boundaries.

Crew Size
crew of approximately 28
room to carry 31 scientists aboard
 

Vessel Specifications
about 90 metres in length (similar to the Hudson)
a beam of approximately 18 metres and a deep draft of not greater than 7.5 metres
capable of remaining at sea for several months before returning to port for stores and provisions
increased efficiencies aboard, such as automation in the machinery spaces, an integrated bridge, and a modern dynamic positioning system to allow scientific research within a given zone for prolonged periods
 

Expected Delivery
scheduled for 2014 (Maritimes Region)

Three Offshore Fishery Science Vessels
Two of these vessels were announced in Budget 2006, and one in Budget 2007 and are intended to replace CCGS Teleost, Templeman/Needler, and Ricker.

Vessel Purpose
conduct fishing and acoustic surveys of fish and invertebrates in the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

information collected on the distribution, abundance and biology of the species examined is used directly in stock assessments for new and existing fisheries, and in studies supporting the assessments

collect physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic data to monitor changes in marine ecosystems and their impact on fisheries resources and ecosystem health

Crew Size
crew of approximately 25
capable carrying 18 scientific staff and stay at sea for up to 40 days without reprovisioning
 

Vessel Specifications
approximately 67 metres in length
draft no greater than 6.5 metres
design speed of 14 knots
built with quiet operations in mind to conduct accurate assessment of fish stocks as well as have other modern considerations such as automation in the machinery spaces, a fully integrated bridge as well as ergonomically situated modern deck and trawl equipment
 

Expected Delivery
first vessel is scheduled for 2011(Pacific Region)
second vessel is scheduled for 2011(for Maritimes Region)
third vessel is scheduled for 2012 (for Newfoundland and Labrador Region)

12 Mid-shore Patrol Vessels
Eight of these mid-shore patrol vessels were announced in Budget 2006 and four in Budget 2007.
Seven are intended to replace CCGC Québécois, Cumella, Atlin Post, Sooke Post, Kitimat　II, Arrow Post, Comox Post, and one is new.

Vessel Purpose
to provide a platform for enforcement activities falling under the purview of the Criminal Code and / or the Fisheries Act primarily to monitor and patrol vast areas of ocean, the Great Lakes and Seaway, including coastlines and international boundaries in an expeditious and cost-effective manner

provide a Government of Canada presence in Canadian waters and discouraging threats and illegal activities used for enforcement of Fisheries Acts and Regulations, Aquaculture Regulations, including aboriginal, commercial sport fishing activities and habitat protection, as well as the provision of support to other Government Departments

to assist in the enforcement of their mandates

Crew Size
crew of approximately 8 to 10 capability to carry several RCMP Officers or Fisheries Enforcement Officers, depending on the program requirement or area of deployment

Vessel Specifications
not greater than 43 metres in length
top speed of 25 knots
capability to stay at sea for several days without reprovisioning

Expected Delivery
first of vessels is scheduled for 2009 (Central and Arctic)
remaining are scheduled for regular intervals thereafter until 2014 (Central and Arctic, Quebec, Maritimes, and Pacific regions)

 
One Air Cushion Vehicle

This air cushion vehicle is intended to replace the CGACV Waban Aki in the Quebec Region.

Vessel Purpose
to provide service delivery for the Coast Guard multi-tasks programs such as:
navigation aids servicing,
icebreaking for flood prevention,
search and rescue,
transport of personnel and equipment to tidal areas out of reach for conventional vessels

provide support to other agencies such as RCMP and other law enforcement agencies

operate from the CG hovercraft maintenance base in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on an annual basis

Crew Size
crew complement of four deck hands, two pilots and two maintenance engineers
accommodate up to 12 passengers

Vessel Specifications
AP1-88/400 series
28.5m in length and 12 m wide
maximum gross weight approximately 75 m.t with a 20 m.t. payload
larger than Waban Aki in order to handle 4500Kg buoys compared to 2000Kg for Waban Aki
fully amphibious and equipped with larger and more powerful diesel engines to enhance its icebreaking and sea keeping abilities
capable of staying in operation for 12 hours non-stop at an average speed of 45 knots with a maximum speed of 50 knots

Expected Delivery
scheduled for 2009 (Quebec Region)