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Canadian Coast Guard 2024 Levels of Service

Commissioner’s message

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has updated its national Levels of Services (LOS). The 2024 version represents CCG’s current operating environment and accurately describes CCG’s service delivery and standards. The LOS is a means of ensuring quality delivery of services to Canadians.

In 2010, the CCG introduced its LOS across six programs, Aid to Navigation, Marine Environmental and Hazards Response, Icebreaking Services, Marine Communications and Traffic Services, Search and Rescue, and Waterways Management.

An online survey was used to collect the public’s views and comments on our levels of service. People from across Canada, such as mariners, people working in the tourism industry, port authorities, law enforcement, recreational boaters, Indigenous People, traditional harvesters, and CCG personnel, to identify a few, provided their comments. Program experts also flagged sections within the LOS that required updating. This review process aligns with CCG’s mission to support economic prosperity, contribute to the safety, accessibility, and security of Canadian waters.

A notable addition to the 2024 version LOS is the “Coast Guard’s Commitment to Engaging with Indigenous Peoples” section. I am proud to have this be a part of CCG’s standards of service as it contributes to our commitment to develop and maintain a strong working relationship with Indigenous People across Canada.

The LOS will help provide high quality and consistent services to our clients in the maritime environment. Undoubtedly, we will continue to face changes in our operational environment whether in the form of technological advances, changes in the economy, or the changing demands and expectations of our clients. CCG services will endeavour to keep pace with these changes and continue to evolve. We will continue to engage Canadians to ensure we are meeting our LOS and seek feedback on how we can continue to improve.

Mario Pelletier
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard

Introduction

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is a national Special Operating Agency of Fisheries and Oceans Canada that provides essential marine safety and environmental protection services directly to Canadians. The CCG is mandated to provide services to support safe, economical and efficient movement of ships in Canadian waters, to deliver the marine component of the federal search and rescue program, and to ensure appropriate marine pollution response. CCG also provides the marine support needed by other sectors of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other federal government departments to support the protection of the marine and aquatic environment, public safety and security on the water, marine science and fisheries resource management, as well as other Government of Canada maritime objectives.

The services provided by the CCG can be grouped under six major programs: Aids to Navigation, Marine Environmental and Hazards Response, Icebreaking Services, Marine Communications and Traffic Services, Search and Rescue, and Waterways Management. Services are delivered through the management of Canada’s civilian fleet, a broadly distributed shore-based infrastructure, marine expertise, and in collaboration with public and private partners. As a national institution, the CCG strives to meet the expectations of a broad and varied client base including the general public, Indigenous People, commercial shippers, ferry operators, fishers, recreational boaters, and coastal communities.

Established levels of service (LOS) for the CCG’s programs are also integral to efficient planning and delivery. They are a cornerstone of the CCG’s business, alongside operational readiness and capacity. The LOS provide Coast Guard clients with a clear understanding of the services to be expected and ensure that services are delivered in a nationally consistent, integrated, predictable, measurable, and equitable fashion over time.

This document captures LOS for each CCG program by providing:

The 2024 Levels of Service represents Coast Guard’s current operating environment and corresponding service standards. The update was developed following the collection of the online survey results, and review by program experts and by industry stakeholders via the National Marine Advisory Board Sub-committee on Marine Navigation.

Disclaimer

The document is for planning purposes only. The levels of service statements in this document communicate the services and response levels clients can expect from CCG under normal conditions. In some circumstances, due to factors outside of the control of CCG such as weather, maritime traffic, unanticipated events, CCG may be unable to meet the levels of service and service standards included in this document.

Coast Guard’s Commitment to Engaging with Indigenous Peoples on Levels of Service

Indigenous Peoples in Canada, comprised of First Nations, Inuit and Métis People, are a vital and integral partner in marine safety and environmental protection. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) highly values its relationships with Indigenous Peoples and is committed to acknowledging the past, honouring their many contributions and working to build the future together in partnership.

The CCG is moving towards a transformative relationship with Indigenous Communities from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Coast Guard is taking a broad and proactive approach to advancing reconciliation, focusing on practical outcomes, healthy relationships and good communication to provide a partnered service that reflects Indigenous Communities’ contributions, knowledge, needs and priorities.

Coast Guard’s vision with respect to its relationship with Indigenous Peoples is to support self-determination, improve service delivery and advance reconciliation in matters related to Coast Guard's mandate of ensuring safe and accessible waterways in Canada and the sustainable use and development of Canada’s oceans and waterways, in a manner that fosters and maintains positive relationships. It is understood that this commitment should always be consistent with section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the federal Principles Respecting the Government of Canada's Relationship with Indigenous Peoples and recognize and implement Indigenous and Treaty Rights.

With this in mind, CCG strives to meet the expectations of a broad and varied client base through its established levels of service. Established levels of service for the CCG’s programs are integral to efficient planning and delivery. They provide clients and partners with a clear understanding of the services to be expected and they also contribute to ensuring that the CCG’s services are delivered in a nationally consistent, integrated, predictable, measurable and equitable fashion over time. Guided by Coast Guard’s Guidelines for Building Meaningful Relationships, CCG is committed to its continued engagement with Indigenous Peoples on its levels of service, and looks forward to continue building respectful, trust-based relationships and partnerships with Indigenous Communities across the entire Coast Guard spectrum of programs and services, fleet and related activities.

Aids to Navigation

Program description

Under the authority of the Oceans Act the Canadian Coast Guard provides marine aids to navigation systems and services.

The Aids to Navigation (AtoN) program provides marine aids to navigation numbering over 17,000, including: visual aids (fixed aids, lighthouses and buoys); audible aids (fog horns); and, electronic aids (radar reflectors and beacons). In addition, the program provides maritime safety information in a series of online publications on the Canadian Coast Guard website.

Objective:

Service: Provision of short-range visual, audible and electronic aids to navigation such as fixed aids, lighthouses, buoys, fog horns, and radar aids

Service 1. Consistent with program directives and procedures, an aids to navigation system, which can include one or more aids, is provided on a case-by-case basis, where the volume and type of traffic justify and the degree of risk requires aids.

Purposes

Aids to navigation may be established to:

Conditions for provision

Aids to navigation are provided under the following conditions:

Exclusions

Where no Conditions for Provision are met, aids to navigation will not be provided:

Standard for service 1:

Service: Provision of maritime safety information

Service 1. The Notices to Mariners (NOTMAR) website publishes updates to the following maritime safety information:

Standard for service 1:

Marine Environmental and Hazards Response

Program description

The Canadian Coast Guard is the lead federal agency responsible for ensuring an appropriate response to all ship-source and mystery-source pollution incidents in Canadian waters and waters under international agreements. As a key component of the Canadian Marine Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime, the Canadian Coast Guard maintains preparedness and response capacity in waters under Canadian jurisdiction; monitors and assess all reports of marine pollution in Canada in conjunction with other federal departments; and maintains communications with the Program’s partners, including Transport Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, to ensure a consistent, coordinated approach in response to marine pollution incidents.

Emergency towing is considered a key preventative action to manage risks from maritime casualties. The Canadian Coast Guard has established emergency towing capacity and capability, primarily to protect the environment from pollution resulting from disabled or damaged vessels. This initiative includes the deployment of emergency tow kits, the leasing of two emergency offshore towing vessels for the West Coast and enhancement of 24/7 Regional Operations Centres to assess and facilitate response to casualties.

The Canadian Coast Guard’s Fleet Operational Readiness and Integrated Technical Services sectors contribute to the delivery of the Program. The Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental and Hazards Response (MEHR) program coordinates with other federal departments for surveillance information and scientific advice and works closely with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Communities, commercial Response Organizations, oil handling facilities and ship owners in preparedness and response activities. The Program’s legal basis derives from the Oceans Act, the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the Emergency Management Act, 2007, the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act, and the Marine Liability Act. The Program is also a key component in fulfilling Canada’s obligations under international laws and agreements including the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990.

Objective:

Service: Provide response to ship-source marine/mystery-source pollution incidents

Service 1. Preparedness capacity for response to ship-source and mystery-source pollution incidents.

Standard for service 1:

Service: Response to reported cases of marine pollution

Service 1. Ensuring an appropriate response to ship-source and mystery-source marine pollution incidents in waters under Canadian jurisdiction.

Standard for service 1:

Icebreaking Services

Program description

The legal basis or authority for the provision of icebreaking services is the Oceans Act, 1996, Part III, Section 41

Objectives:

Service: Provision of information and advice

Service 1. Provision of recommended ice routes, ice charts, ice advisories, bulletins, briefings and advice to support safe navigation around difficult areas of ice. This information is obtained through ice reconnaissance and liaison with the Canadian Ice Service.

Service 2. Monitoring of ice conditions to anticipate the development of ice jams and flooding and to determine the need for icebreaker intervention.

Service 3. Assisting and providing guidance to Transport Canada (TC) by activating Ice Control Zones in Eastern Canada and assisting with the Arctic Ice Regime Shipping System, by monitoring the Ice Regime Routing Messages and TC’s acknowledgement to the vessel if the planned route appears appropriate.

Standard for services 1 to 3:

Service: Provision of icebreaking services

Service 1. Icebreaking for flood prevention and the clearing of ice jams in the St. Lawrence River, St. Clair River, and the Great Lakes (Winter season only)

Service 2. Track maintenance to allow shipping to transit without direct icebreaker support through shore fast ice.

Service 3. Escorting vessels through ice-covered waters.

Service 4. Assisting beset vessels.

Service 5. Breakouts of commercial and fishing harbours.

Standard for services 1 to 5:

Winter Season applicable priorities – in descending order:Footnote 4

  1. All distress and emergency situations take precedence, this includes flooding that poses dangers to life and property
  2. Ferry services provided on Cabot Strait, in accordance with the Terms of Union, will be given priority; other ferry services will receive priority as deemed appropriate by the CCG
  3. Vessels with vulnerable cargoes (e.g. pollution potential, dangerous goods, perishable) and vessels transporting vital cargo to the survival of communities
  4. Commercial traffic and commercial ports, other than spring breakouts
  5. Fishing vessels, beset in ice
  6. Spring breakouts of commercial and fishing harbours

Summer Season applicable priorities – in descending order:

  1. All distress and emergency situations take precedence
  2. Vessels with vulnerable cargoes (e.g. pollution potential, dangerous goods, perishable) and vessels transporting cargo vital to the survival of communities
  3. Community harbour breakouts
  4. Other commercial shipping to locations/ports in the Canadian Arctic
  5. Transiting tourism vessels
  6. Vessels transiting the North West Passage without a stop in Canada’s Arctic

Scenarios that can affect prioritization:

Target response times for icebreaker assistance are:Footnote 5

Conditions that can affect CCG’s response times:

Service interruptions:

Marine Communications and Traffic Services

Program description

The Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) program provides safety radio-communication services, vessel traffic services and manages an integrated marine information system on a 24/7 basis.

The safety radio-communication service is provided via a comprehensive system of terrestrial radio facilities which enables communications between ships and shore, in complement to the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and national regulations.

Vessel traffic services screen vessels intending to enter Canadian waters, regulate vessel traffic movements, and provide navigational information and assistance to encourage safe and efficient navigation and environmental protection. This service provides CCG with enhanced information on vessel transit.

Objectives:

Services: Provision of distress and safety communication

Service 1. Response to calls for assistance from suitably equipped ships as per the following coverage areas:

Standard for service 1:

Service 2. CCG publishes Radio Aids to Marine Navigation (RAMN) which presents information on radio communications and radio navigational aids services provided in Canada

Standard for service 2:

Service 3. Provision of a sail plan service for small craft operators unable to file a sail plan with a responsible person. Sail plans are accepted in person, by marine radio or via telephone only.

Service 4. MCTS Centres accept, free of charge, messages related to safety. Included are Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) reports, radio medicals, weather observation report, dangers to navigation reports, Canadian pilotage messages.

Service 5. The Mackenzie River Marine Safety Advisory System is provided from Iqaluit MCTS. Danger areas have been designated and reporting procedures have been established for vessels transiting the river from mile 0 to mile 1081 and for vessels entering or leaving restricted channels.

Standard for services 3 to 5:

Service 6. MCTS Centres broadcast maritime safety information through continuous, scheduled and unscheduled broadcasts to provide mariners with information such as weather bulletins, ice information, and Navigational Warnings (NAVWARNs) concerning the operational status of navigational aids and dangers to navigation.

Standard for service 6:

Service: Regulation of vessel traffic in selected Canadian waters

Service 1. Providing timely and relevant information on factors that may influence ship movements and assist onboard decision-making.

Service 2. Monitoring and managing ship traffic to ensure the safety and efficiency of ship movements.

Service 3. Responding to developing unsafe situations.

Service 4. The following are the established Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) zones:

Standard for services 1 to 4:

Service: Screening and clearance of vessels entering Canadian waters

Service 1. Screening and issuance of clearance following receipt of a complete report from a vessel:

Standard for service 1:

Service: Provision of marine information in support of activities

Service 1. Provision of marine information in support of activities of departments and agencies of the Government of Canada and marine industry.

Service 2. Notices to Fish Harvesters (NOTFISH) radio broadcasts notify persons on fishing activities such as openings, closings and changes to regulated fishing activities in designated fishing areas.

Standard for services 1 and 2:

Search and Rescue

Program description

The Canadian Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Services Program leads, delivers, and maintains preparedness and response for the maritime component of the federal SAR system with the support of stakeholders and partners, including the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Department of National Defence and Indigenous responders. Through communications, operational awareness, coordination, and the delivery of maritime SAR response, the program increases the probability of rescue of people in distress on waters within the federal maritime area of responsibility.

The Fleet Operational Readiness and Marine Communications and Traffic Services programs are integral contributors to the delivery of the SAR Program. The Program’s legal basis derives from the Constitution Act, 1867, the Oceans Act and the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. The Program is also a key component of fulfilling Canada’s obligations under international laws and agreements including the United Nation’s Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and the International Convention on Maritime SAR.

Objective:

Service: Provision of search and rescue services to mariners and to others in need of humanitarian aid

Service 1. Co-ordinating the response to maritime SAR incidents in Canadian and International waters.Footnote 8

Standard for service 1:

Service 2. Provision of SAR UnitsFootnote 11 during the normal local navigation season.Footnote 12

Standard for service 2:

Service 3. Engagement with partners including Indigenous communities and stakeholders will be conducted to inform risk-based analysis of maritime SAR delivery (RAMSARD) reviews and future program planning.

Standard for service 3:

Waterways Management

Program description

Waterways Management develops the guidelines for the safe design and use of shipping channels. This program also provides a variety of services across Canada that include providing mariners with channel bottom conditions, water depth forecasts, and maintenance dredging. Coast Guard Regions also provide their own suite of services to inform mariners to navigate in Canada’s waterways safely and efficiently.

Atlantic Region:

Central Region:

Western Region:

National:

Objectives:

Service: Maintenance and management of main commercial shipping channels

Service 1. Provision of national guidelines and directives for the design, safe use and maintenance, and channel risks management of main commercial shipping channels

Standard for service 1:

Service 2. Surveying, monitoring, and reporting of main commercial shipping channel bottoms

Standard for service 2:

Service 3. The CCG will issue NAVWARNs on hazardous situations (e.g., hazards in channel)

Service 4. Special assessment channel conditions are done based on identified need (e.g., significant change in usage, maintenance or incidents and accidents)

Standard for services 3 and 4:

Service 5. Maintenance dredging of the Canadian portions of the Great Lakes connecting Channels (St. Clair, Detroit and St. Mary’s Rivers)

Standard for service 5:

Service 6. Maintenance dredging of the St. Lawrence River ship channel on a cost recovery basis

Standard for service 6:

Service: Provision of information on channel bottom conditions, and available water level depths and forecasts

Service 1. Scheduled provision of St. Lawrence River expected minimum water levels forecast

Standard for service 1:

Service 2. Scheduled provision of the Fraser River water level forecast

Standard for service 2:

Service 3. Scheduled provision of the Mackenzie River water level forecast

Standard for service 3:

Service 4. Atlantic Region, channel bottom condition

Standard for service 4:

Information available to all clients within the year of survey, and within 48 hours of the Program receiving the processed survey data/information.

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