Government of Canada Accepts New Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard 

From: Canadian Coast Guard

News release

Ottawa, Ontario — The Government of Canada is making our oceans healthier, cleaner and safer than ever, thanks to the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan. The Canadian Coast Guard’s two new Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels (CSSVs) will support the ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of mariners in Canada as they serve as the platform for the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s Channel Survey Program. The program collects information about channel conditions and water depth of the St. Lawrence waterway to assist in safe navigation.

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard has accepted two new CSSVs, called the CCGS Jean Bourdon and CCGS Helen Irene Battle, into the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. 

Under the Coast Guard’s ship-naming policy, Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels are named after Canadian scientists, hydrographers, and explorers who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. In this case, Jean Bourdon carried out the first hydrographic studies of the St. Lawrence River, and Helen Irene Battle was an award-winning scientist and first woman in Canada to earn a PhD in marine biology. Both were important citizens whose contributions helped shape Canada. 

These new CSSVs were made in Canada by Kanter Marine of St. Thomas, Ontario, as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. These vessels will enhance the capability of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as other departments and agencies, to monitor and observe marine and environmental conditions. In addition, the new CSSVs will be able to assist with a number of activities related to search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement, emergency response, and natural disasters, as well as supporting ecosystems and fisheries science in the region.

Quotes

“This investment by the Canadian Coast Guard under the National Shipbuilding Strategy is a priority of the federal government. The new Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels will enable the Canadian Hydrographic Service to collect important data, while contributing to the safety of mariners through safe and efficient navigation on the St. Lawrence.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard 

Quick facts

  • The Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels (CSSV), built by Kanter Marine of St. Thomas, ON, are a catamaran design of 11.95m in length. They will have a maximum speed in excess of 20kts and have a crew of four.

  • The home port for the new CSSVs will be in Mont-Joli, Quebec; however, they will operate within the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Isle-aux-Coudres.

  • The new CSSV class reflects the advancements and new standards existing in the field of hydrographic surveys, such as multi-beam sonars, highly accurate positioning systems and modern data acquisition and processing technologies.

  • The new CSSVs will allow hydrographic surveys to be conducted with better accuracy while reducing data gathering time. They will also be able to assist with a number of activities related to search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement, emergency response, natural disasters as well as supporting ecosystems and fisheries science in the region.

  • These two new vessels will replace the two current Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels (CCGS F.C.G. Smith and CCGS GC 03) operational in the St. Lawrence waterway, which have been in operation for an average of 37.5 years and are nearing the end of their lifespan. 

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Contacts

Jocelyn Lubczuk
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard
(343) 548-7863
Jocelyn.lubczuk@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Media Relations
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
613-990-7537
Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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