The federal government said new money to build dozens of small boats for the Canadian Coast Guard is part of a renewal drive and will help keep Canada’s seas navigable and safe.
The ministries said the new small vessels, which include small boats, boats and dinghies, will allow them to operate better in shallow coastal waters, as well as inland lakes and rivers where larger boats cannot navigate.
This is a crucial investment that will modernize Canada’s Coast Guard fleet of small boats, said federal Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard Joyce Murray.
We’re making sure the Canadian Coast Guard has the equipment it needs to keep Canada and Canada’s rivers safe, while creating good paying jobs across the country.
Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Isabella Larose
Murray said the investment will provide the Canadian Coast Guard with dozens of different types of vessels, including maritime science vessels, patrol boats and search and rescue boats, thus completing the renewal of the fleet of small vessels.
Speaking in Vancouver, Captain Susan Pickrell, director of the West Coast Guard fleet, mentioned that the government wants to build one of the boats now in use.
If you’ve ever worked on the water, with a vessel like the Laredo Sound you can feel it’s the best in the world, he said, referring to a search and rescue vessel based on the Kitsilano Coast.
As part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, smaller shipyards in the country will be able to build vessels to order. To date, the Canadian navy has provided maritime protection with some 16 vessels, including 14 search and rescue vessels and two channel survey and survey vessels.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy is a long-term, multi-billion dollar program to renew the fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy and Coast Guard.
Davie Shipbuilding in Levis, Quebec, Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax and Seaspan Shipbuilding in Vancouver will not be eligible to build small ships because they already participate in the program to build larger ships.
Source: CBC
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