Fisheries Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2016

[Mario Pelletier]

We have a standard operating profile for every search and rescue station across Canada. We have 40 search and rescue stations across Canada. Some are seasonal and some are year round, but they all operate 24-7. There's a station where the staff lives. They provide service and are available to respond within 30 minutes to any call 24-7.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

So you're saying there will be staffing for 24 hours then?

[Mario Pelletier]

There will be staff at the station 24 hours and they will respond within 30 minutes. That's our standard across the country.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

That's good news, and will there be a cutter?

[Mario Pelletier]

As I mentioned earlier, with regard to the cutter, we're looking at what we have available across the country and we'll reassign the most suitable cutter for that place. There will be what we call the 733, the inflatable vessel, which was there before. We're also looking for a larger cutter which is available somewhere else.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

In terms of timing, you said “as soon as possible”. Can you give us a little more clarity on what you mean by “as soon as possible”?

[Mario Pelletier]

As Mr. Hutchinson said earlier, the work is ongoing at the station. It has been vacated for two years. There's some work that was due to be done at the time the service was suspended, so we are catching up on that work, plus we need to redo some internal work at the station.

We've already located floating docks that have been transferred there. It's a work in progress. I don't have any definite timeline right now, but we're working, as our minister has announced, to reopen the station.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Will it be open before the summer?

[Mario Pelletier]

By all means, our intention is to have presence in Vancouver harbour for the summer.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Is the Canadian Coast Guard working with the province and the City of Vancouver to look at how you could increase capacity for search and rescue using their resources?

[Mario Pelletier]

Well, it's similar to what we've done in the past and what we're doing everywhere. I did talk about area response planning for an environmental response earlier. We have a similar approach to risk assessment for search and rescue. We call it the risk assessment methodology for search and rescue. Basically, we're looking at all resources available, their capacity, the risk, and we define what we need from this analysis.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

I'll switch gears to the MCTS stations. You were talking about closing centres and relying on technology. I'm wondering if you have heard about the quality of the communication that some of the operators have been dealing with in terms of their communications with shipping.

I'm understanding that some of this has been echoey and completely garbled in terms of understanding what it is the ships are communicating. Has this been your experience, or can you comment on what the operators are talking about?

[Mario Pelletier]

I can certainly comment. First of all, I'd like to make a clarification. When we say we're closing centres, we are consolidating operations into centres. Basically, the same network of communication towers, radar, and everything else still exists, except instead of going into two separate centres, it's going into one centre in some cases.

When we acquired the new software system for communication control, there were some issues with echos as you've mentioned, and that's why we were delayed in some of the consolidation and modernization of the centres, because we did not accept the software. We were not satisfied with the product. The company came back with another version, and we did very extensive testing of the software to make sure it met our needs.

Once the software was deployed, there was some echo, but it was mostly in only a few centres around the configuration of the console. We developed what we call a patch for adjacent console sound attenuation. Basically, it makes sure there is no echo from one console to another.

As soon as that problem was identified, we worked on the solution and had it implemented. I'm happy to report that it's been implemented in all the centres and it's working well.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Okay. My understanding is there is still some concern about that.

You did mention you still have the same resources available, but my understanding is satellites are still part of that equation and that you are looking at future growth, so it will take some time before those are in place.

I'm going to move on, because I know we have limited time. We have a study coming, and we'll be able to talk more in depth about the modernization or closure of these centres.

In the remaining time I want to ask about the oil spill you mentioned from the Marathassa, in Vancouver. There was a review done on the Marathassa oil spill in English Bay last year. I'm wondering if those recommendations have been implemented. If so, what were the most significant changes that were made?

[Mario Pelletier]

Those recommendations were based around three themes: notification, communication, and command structure. We took that very seriously, and we went public saying we accepted all the recommendations. We actually started working on this even before they were made, where we knew of some gaps.

I'm happy to report that we have completed about 40% of those recommendations as we speak, and the implementation of the other 60% is ongoing as per the timeline that we've agreed upon. Basically, we corrected notification protocols right away. Communication among stakeholders and partners is a work in progress, and it's not something we intend to stop at any given time, because that consultation and communication has to be ongoing.

We're developing what we call the greater Vancouver response plans, where we are engaged with all the communities and partners and stakeholders to make sure everybody speaks the same language, everybody understands their roles and responsibilities and when it's time to step in. It's a work in progress. I'm happy to report that the partners' feedback that we're getting is very positive as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Thank you, Mr. Pelletier.

I'm sorry, Mr. Donnelly. I have to leave it at that.

Now we'll go to the Liberals for seven minutes.

Go ahead, Mr. Finnigan.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Thank you.

If you don't mind, I am going to speak in French.

Welcome, Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. Pelletier.

My first question will bear mostly on your activities in the Arctic.

The 2015-2016 supplementary estimates (C) tabled on February 19, include almost $1.8 million in new voted appropriations to enhance the safety of marine transportation in the Arctic.

Could you describe the Canadian Coast Guard's projects designed to enhance the safety of marine transportation in the Arctic?

[Mario Pelletier]

These funds allocated to the Coast Guard are from different envelopes.

The purpose of one of these envelopes is to expand our search and rescue coverage in the Arctic. The contributions to the Coast Guard Auxiliary will be increased to ensure an expanded presence of the Coast Guard in the Arctic.

We are also going to use part of these funds to carry out a risk analysis. We are going to try to determine which locations are most at risk, in order to ensure that adequate resources can be sent to the right locations, particularly to the Coast Guard Auxiliary. I spoke about the new search and rescue risk assessment methodology we are going to use to carry out that assessment.

Other amounts will be used to revise our Arctic navigation aid systems, which we have provided for several years. This destination is becoming increasingly popular, be it for mining or the exploitation of natural resources. So there is more and more traffic in the Arctic, in areas where people did not use to go. Over the years, we have developed aid systems for this traffic. Since this is an evolving situation, we have to revise these systems and project ourselves into the future in order to ensure that our services are adequate.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Thank you.

Will the requested funds be used to implement necessary projects that needed more funding, or will they be used to absorb unforeseen additional costs?

[Mario Pelletier]

Our funding will be used to expand our search and rescue presence and to study existing systems in order to make informed decisions regarding future investments.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

You cooperate with National Defence. As we know, neighbouring countries are taking a growing interest in the Canadian North.

In your opinion, are we going to need much more resources and support over the next decade, or the next 25 to 50 years?

[Mario Pelletier]

On this, I had the pleasure of being a part of the Canadian delegation that recently went to Boston to sign an agreement with other coastal Arctic countries. I am referring here to the Arctic Coast Guard Forum. Through this agreement, all of the signatory countries have committed to working together to assess operational needs or gaps in services, and also to share best practices.

If, for instance, we carry out an environmental intervention exercise in a given location and another country feels it must do the same a few hundred kilometres way, we can do a joint exercise that will be more effective, as well as share the lessons learned and benefit from them.

You also mentioned the navy and the patrol vessels in the Arctic. Every additional ship in the Arctic is important. We have already begun talks with our National Defence colleagues to optimize the presence of Canadian government vessels in the Arctic. When these ships are put into service, we are going to see to it that they are deployed in strategic locations in order to ensure the best possible coverage and the best return on those investments.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

I believe I heard you say earlier that you work closely with first nations on the coast of British Columbia and that they have their own search and rescue system.

[Mario Pelletier]

The Coast Guard Auxiliary system covers the entire country. In the Pacific region, it is called the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. These are all independent companies to which we contribute. They simply have different names.

We are also currently conducting a mobilization exercise with the first nations. They have excellent resources and local knowledge we want to capitalize on. By working with them, we can provide training and we can also benefit from their local knowledge. This program is being studied at this time.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Will you do the same thing in northern communities and established Inuit communities? Have you already begun talks with them to ask them to participate in safety-related activities?