SOURCE: The Canadian Coast Guard Dan Bate, a communications officer for the Canadian Coast Guard's Pacific Region, said the majority of coast guard vessels are not armed. "I feel much better equipped and much more confident in performing my duties as an officer," one guard said. An example is that now all CCG bases, aids to navigation, vessels, aircraft, and personnel are wholly the responsibility of the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, who is also of assistant deputy ministerial rank. The Department has selectively maintained some heritage lighthouses and permitted some alternative use of its historic structures. This show was conceived with the name Search and Rescue but debuted as The Guard and was filmed in and around Squamish, British Columbia. Just sliding along... Army.ca Veteran; 255; Rate Post ; Posts: 3,169; Daylight in the swamp; Re: Should the Canadian Coast Guard be armed? Canadian Coast Guard. To boost coastal security and protect Canada from possible terrorists, it may be time Canadian Coast Guard crews carry guns, some members of a Senate defence committee say. From its formation in 1962 until 1995, CCG was the responsibility of the Department of Transport. Military epaulettes are used to represent ranks. The authorization to carry weapons in the Coast Guard is not dependent on rating, but as designated by the Commanding Officer in accordance with your job and his/her demonstrated confidence in you. During the mid-1980s, the long-standing disagreement between the U.S. and Canada over the legal status of the Northwest Passage came to a head after USCGC Polar Sea transited the passage in what were asserted by Canada to be Canadian waters and by the U.S. to be international waters. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, is the custodian of many significant heritage buildings, including the oldest lighthouse in North America, the Sambro Island Lighthouse. The coast guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 22 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. I was wondering, should the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) be armed as the US Coast Guard. One of the more notable inheritances at the time of formation was the icebreaker Labrador, transferred from the Royal Canadian Navy. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The services offered by CCG under this arrangement include: On April 4, 2005, it was announced by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans that the CCG was being designated a "special operating agency"—the largest one in the federal government. The Harry DeWolf class of navy boats will be armed with a single, remote controlled MK38 25mm machine gun. Canadian Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has transitioned to the .40 S&W caliber SIG-Sauer P229R DAK, completing the changeover as of April 2006. Following the Second World War, Canada experienced a major expansion in ocean commerce, culminating with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. Natural Resources Canada was excluded. CCGA members who assist in SAR operations have their vessel insurance covered by CCG, as well as any fuel and operating costs associated with a particular tasking. Laws related to customs and revenue were enforced by the marine division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. To understand the Canadian Coast Guard, it is important to dispel some commonly held myths, based on the United States Coast Guard [USCG], from which it is very different. As of December 6, 2019, Mario Pelletier has been appointed the current Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard. Canada is to invest up to C$15.7 billion (about US$11.7 billion) to add up to 18 new large ships to the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. The Oceans Act gives the minister of Fisheries and Oceans responsibility for providing: The Canada Shipping Act gives the minister powers, responsibilities and obligations concerning: As a special operating agency within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the CCG uses generic identifiers imposed by the Federal Identity Program. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) maintains a fleet of sea and lake going vessels, hovercraft, and aircraft.The variety of equipment allows the CCG to perform its mandated functions of navaids and sea-going transportation management, search and rescue, marine pollution response and the support of other Canadian federal authorities. The ships will be built at the two shipyards designated to build large ships under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards and Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax, Nova Scotia. In January 2006, dozens of unarmed Canadian guards walked off the job at the Peace Arch crossing after they heard that heavily armed men were heading their way from the U.S. One man was wounded in a shootout at the border with U.S. officers, and the men were only arrested after a U.S. deputy sheriff rammed their car about a metre south of Canadian soil. (The rank of "commissioner" is awarded to the head of the RCMP. Branch is denoted by coloured cloth between the gold braid. Saltwater fisheries enforcement is a specific responsibility of DFO's Fisheries Officers. "[5], The CCG's mandate is stated in the Oceans Act and the Canada Shipping Act.[5]. The Canadian Coast Guard is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario and is a Special Operating Agency within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Arming the CCG would not only allow them to do there job better, but would also free up the Navy, for other duties. The Coast Guard employs various small arms including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and machine guns. There were valid concerns raised within CCG about reluctance on the part of the marine community to ask for assistance from CCG vessels since the CCG was being viewed as aligned with an enforcement department. Previously responsibility for the Arctic areas of Canada was split between the three existing regions. police of all manner) carry firearms legally. Please note that all salary figures are approximations based upon third party submissions to Indeed. The CCG ordered five 47-foot (14.3 m) motor lifeboats in September 2009, to add to the 31 existing boats. 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