Arctic

Halifax – Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, was  today at Irving Shipbuilding Inc. in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to celebrate significant construction milestones for the Canadian Coast Guard’s two new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and to announce their selected names.

A keel laying ceremony was held for the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the CCGS Donjek Glacier. The keel laying marks the moment when the first constructed module, or block, is placed in position and the ship begins to take form. Additionally, a ceremony to signify the start of construction was held for the second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the CCGS Sermilik Glacier.

The Canadian Coast Guard’s new versatile and ice-capable ships will support fisheries enforcement and surveillance missions on Canada’s east coast, including Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization patrols. They will also support offshore search and rescue and icebreaking operations in Arctic and southern waters, strengthening Canada’s presence in the Arctic.

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Ocean going vessels are considered a significant contributor to climate change pollution. Starting July 1, some ships in Arctic waters will no longer be allowed to burn or carry heavy fuel oils (HFO), which are the dirtiest fuels on the planet.

However, HFO use and carriage will not be completely banned in the Arctic after 1 July 2024, according to the Clean Arctic Alliance.

A regulation will allow a significant number of ships to continue burning HFO until 1 July 2029 through two separate mechanisms. One regulation includes an exemption for ships that comply with specific fuel tank design requirements. These fuel tank design provisions  essentially require that the fuel tank be separated from the outer shell of the ship by a particular distance.

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This chapter seeks to outline the three functions required to ensure safe shipping in Canada’s Arctic; namely, safety, security and defence. Departments and their personnel ensure safe shipping via information, education and aids to navigation (safety function), enforcement of shipping laws (the constabulary or security function) and providing credible deterrence and defence against threats (the defence mandate). Thus, when it comes to safe shipping in Canada’s Arctic, Transport Canada, Canadian Ice Service (CIS), Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) as well as others, ship operators, and Indigenous governments, organizations, local communities and territorial governments, work to ensure that shipping in Canada’s Arctic is safe. Other agencies, including the CAF, contribute to safety to be sure, but the main agencies of note are mainly civilian and local agencies. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Transport Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and others ensure Canadian laws are respected. To deter and prosecute armed conflict, the CAF, especially the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), seek to deter, deny and defeat State and non-State-based threats, such as a sea-launched missile, and monitor the movement of other military vessels.

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