Business Plan - Canadian Coast Guard

Section 4: What We Do Every Day36Icebreaking ServicesGiven the harsh challenges the extremes of Canadiangeography and climate bring to maritime traffic,icebreaking services are essential to ensure that shippingmoves safely and efficiently through and around icecoveredwaters in Eastern Canada and the Great Lakesthroughout the winter, as well as during the summernavigation season in the Arctic. Icebreaking operationsfacilitate the informed, safe, and timely movementof maritime traffic and2008-2009 AccomplishmentsIcebreaking Services• Escorted 394 ships in southernCanada between April 1 and theend of the winter season.• Escorted 29 ships in the Arcticbetween June and November, for atotal of 1,350 hours of assistance.What we do…contribute to keepingmost Canadian ports openfor business year-round,preventing flooding onthe St. Lawrence Riverand supporting fishers,the marine industry,and numerous coastalcommunities.• Respond to requests for icebreaking support;• Provide route assistance and information on icereconnaissance;• Monitor the resupply of isolated Northernsettlements;• Manage flood prevention on the St. Lawrence Riverthrough the monitoring, prevention, and breakingup of ice jams;• Support harbour breakouts; and• In partnership with the Canadian Ice Service, provideice charts to marine shipping to ensure the safemovement of vessels in the winter.The Icebreaking Services program is delivered with thesupport of…• CCG Fleet, which operates 6 icebreakers in the Arcticbetween June and November and 17 icebreakingvessels for winter operations on the East Coast ofCanada, the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakesbetween December and May.• A partnership agreement with Environment Canada’sCanadian Ice Service, to provide CCG with essentialmarine weather and ice information.• Ice Operations Centres, which ensure that iceinformation is disseminated to vessels by radio,Internet, fax, etc., and that icebreakers are strategicallypositioned. Ice Operations Centres are located in St.John’s, NL; Dartmouth, NS; Quebec City, QC; andSarnia, ON.• An agreement with the United States Coast Guardfor joint icebreaking operations on the Great Lakes,to maximize icebreaking support capability andeffectiveness for both nations.Looking Forward…Climate change and economic development have led todemands for extended periods of navigation throughice both in the South and in the Arctic. Given the needto maximize resource utilization, the program needs tobe constantly aware of innovations in technologies andmanagement practices that can support more efficientoperations. Quality and readily available ice informationis of particular importance to vessels navigating throughand around ice-covered waters. Satellite imagery andenhanced marine radars, for example, can support thetimely detection and recognition of dangerous ice, therebyreducing navigation times. Well-managed partnershipsare also essential for the efficient coordination of activitieswith internal and external partners. The IcebreakingServices program is continually integrating new initiativesto improve the information it provides to its clients.In 2009-2010, the program intends to participate inan economic analysis of the impacts of its services onEastern and Central Canada and the Arctic.Canadian Coast Guard — www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca