Sep 18, 2021 | International
Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Media are invited to view, with the option for pooled media coverage to attend, the ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Britain at Beechwood National Military Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario on September 19, 2021.
When:
Sunday, September 19, 2021 from 10:30 a.m. until noon.
Where:
Live stream via the RCAF Facebook page.
Veterans Section 27, Beechwood National Military Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario.
What:
A small number of Royal Canadian Air Force members, veterans and Air Cadets will gather to remember Canadian and Allied sacrifices during the Battle of Britain. Weather permitting, the ceremony will feature a fly-past by vintage Second World War aircraft.
To protect the health and safety of participants, the ceremony will be conducted in accordance with Ottawa public health guidelines, including physical distancing, masks, screening and capacity limits.
Notes to editor:
If media are interested in covering the ceremony at Beechwood National Military Cemetery, we ask they pool coverage through one photographer and one videographer and register in advance no later than Saturday September 18, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Arrival on the day of the ceremony should be no later than 10:15 a.m.
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Contacts
Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 614-904-3333
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca
Sep 17, 2021 | International
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) enforces laws that protect Canada’s air, water, and natural environment.
On September 15, 2021, Canadian National Railway Company (CN Rail) pleaded guilty in Prince Rupert Provincial Court to a charge of violating subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act in relation to the deposit of pesticides in or around waters frequented by fish. The company was fined $2.5 million, which will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
On August 28, 2017, ECCC enforcement officers observed a spray truck discharging a mist as it travelled along the rail corridor between Terrace and Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Because the rail corridor runs along the Skeena River and over many tributaries and wetlands, officers conducted an inspection to verify compliance with the Fisheries Act. The subsequent inspection and investigation confirmed that the pesticides sprayed along the rail line were deleterious (harmful) to fish.
As a result of this conviction, the company’s name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. The Registry contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws.
ECCC has created a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current with what the Government of Canada is doing to protect our natural environment.
Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
media@ec.gc.ca
Sep 9, 2021 | International
The safety of Canada’s Arctic waters and those who use them is a top priority for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). As traffic increases in this vast region, so does the demand for essential coast guard services, including search and rescue.
September 8, 2021
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – The safety of Canada’s Arctic waters and those who use them is a top priority for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). As traffic increases in this vast region, so does the demand for essential coast guard services, including search and rescue.
The Coast Guard crew recently carried out a joint search and rescue exercise with partners from the United States Coast Guard and Canadian Rangers, while respecting COVID-19 protocols, near Resolute Bay, Nunavut on September 6th, 2021.
The exercise involved Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen, and United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Healy searching the area for missing persons at sea, using multiple techniques and methods.
The joint exercise allowed crews from both coast guards to exchange best practices and experiences, and build working relationships in Canada’s unique Arctic environment.
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz, Canadian Coast Guard Commissioner Mario Pelletier, and Canadian Coast Guard Assistant Commissioner Arctic Region Neil O’Rourke were on deck to observe the joint exercise and further discuss collaborative efforts in the Arctic.
The USCGC Healy is a medium icebreaker currently transiting the Northwest Passage. The timing of its transit coincided with the Canadian Coast Guard’s annual Arctic operational season, allowing the two coast guards to plan and carry out this joint exercise.
The Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic operational icebreaking season lasts annually from June to November. This year, 8 CCG icebreakers are scheduled to be deployed throughout the Arctic season to support northern communities re-supply activities and operational and program commitments, including search and rescue, aids to navigation, and marine environmental response. CCG icebreakers support scientific research, such as the Joint Ocean Ice Study (JOIS), an international collaboration between Canada, the United States, and Japan that monitors oceanographic conditions in the Arctic via an annual month-long, scientific expedition aboard the icebreaker CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. The CCGS Amundsen is also supporting a multidisciplinary expedition allowing a contingent of scientists from national and international research teams to study the marine and coastal environments of the Canadian and Greenlandic waters.
“We share close ties with our partners at the United States Coast Guard. From our on-water cooperation in day-to-day operations, to annual meetings, it is always a pleasure to work with our U.S. Coast Guard colleagues. The planning, coordination, and execution of this joint exercise is a great example of our interoperability, and I look forward to future joint training exercises between our two coast guards.”
Mario Pelletier, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard
“This joint Arctic training exercise has been a positive experience for all involved. The Canadian Arctic is a vast and challenging environment, and through joint training exercises with our U.S. Coast Guard partners, we continue to strengthen our ties and ensure the safety of Arctic waters across the region. Bravo Zulu to all who made this exercise such a success.”
Neil O’Rourke, Assistant Commissioner Arctic Region, Canadian Coast Guard
“Training alongside our Canadian partners while underway in the Arctic during a historic circumnavigation of North America is a great example of enhancing our interoperability and mission capabilities. Healy is supporting oceanographic research with the science community during this deployment to the critically important Arctic region.”
Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Olivia McMackin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
343-571-9193
Olivia.Mcmackin@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Sep 8, 2021 | International
The Canadian Coast Guard’s Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) stations in Ontario are wrapping up their seasonal maritime search and rescue service.
September 7, 2021
Sarnia, Ontario – The Canadian Coast Guard’s Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) stations in Ontario are wrapping up their seasonal maritime search and rescue service.
IRB stations at Britt, Hill Island, Port Lambton, and Long Point will be operational until Wednesday, September 8, 2021.
Due to increased water traffic, Brebeuf Island and Thames River stations will remain open on weekends (Friday to Sunday) until Monday, October 11, 2021.
The Inshore Rescue Boat program employs post-secondary students to provide additional maritime search and rescue service during the busy summer season. The Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue lifeboat stations across the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay are staffed by Coast Guard personnel and will remain in service until November/December, and re-open in the spring.
Marine emergencies can be called into the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 1-800-267-7270; to a Canadian Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre by VHF radio (channel 16); or, by dialing *16 on a cell phone. For additional information on the Canadian Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue services, please visit: http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/index-eng.html.
For more information on the Inshore Rescue Boat program, please visit: http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/irb-esc/index-eng.html.
Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard
Central and Arctic Region
204-984-4715
XCA.Media@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Sep 5, 2021 | International
The safety of mariners is one of the Canadian Coast Guard’s top priorities. We work alongside domestic and international partners to provide effective search and rescue services in the Great Lakes.
August 13, 2021
Sarnia, ON – The safety of mariners is one of the Canadian Coast Guard’s top priorities. We work alongside domestic and international partners to provide effective search and rescue services in the Great Lakes.
The Canadian and United States (U.S.) Coast Guards do not condone the annual Port Huron Float Down event, which is on August 15, 2021. As first responders, the Canadian Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard recommend that people do not take part in this event. It is an inherently dangerous activity, due to factors including the fast moving current, large number of participants, lack of lifejackets, alcohol consumption, potentially challenging weather conditions, water temperature, and limited rescue resources These factors combined create difficult emergency response scenarios that can result in serious injuries or fatalities. Large crowds of people in close proximity also increases the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Although we don’t recommend participating, if you choose to participate, you are strongly encouraged to take several precautions:
Wear a properly fitting, approved life jacket or personal floatation device. Not wearing a life jacket is one of the leading causes of drowning-related deaths in Canada.
Bring a paddle. The St. Clair River’s fast moving current isn’t suitable for uncontrollable crafts. Paddles will help you steer and can also be used as a signaling device.
Be prepared with a float plan. Tell people where you’re going and have a way to contact people.
Don’t go alone. It’s important to have someone with you. Time is of the essence in a drowning situation.
Don’t drink alcohol. Floats can collapse in an instant; you need full faculties if your float capsizes.
Bring a communications device, like a cell phone, and secure it in a waterproof container.
Mark your float with your name and cell phone number in waterproof ink to help first responders track you down. An empty floatation device signifies to first responders that someone may be missing. Take your float with you when you exit the River.
If you see another person who needs help or is in distress, notify a first responder as soon as possible.
Wear a face mask if physical distancing is not possible.
Both Coast Guards will be on-site and are working closely with local first responders to ensure a co-ordinated response to emergencies throughout this year’s event. Canadian on-water response partners are the Sarnia Fire Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Transport Canada, and the Ontario Provincial Police. Sarnia Police, RCMP, and Canada Border Services Agency will also be on-shore for standby assistance.
Vessel traffic restrictions will be in effect on the day of the event from noon to 8 p.m. due to the risk of a motorized vessel colliding with a floater.
Regional Communications Branch
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Central and Arctic Region
204-984-4715
XCA.Media@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Lauren Solski
Communications Advisor
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
519-383-1909
Lauren.Solski@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
