National Defence Committee on Oct. 30th, 2025

[Marc Mes]

No. It is about security. It's about the collection and sharing of information for security purposes with our defence partners, as well as surveillance, but it's nothing beyond that.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Security, in the Coast Guard's definition, just to confirm, is just monitoring and nothing beyond that.

[Marc Mes]

Yes, it's the collection of information. Providing maritime domain awareness provides that level of understanding—

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Thank you.

I would define that as surveillance. I just want to get clarity on the security part, because it says “security and surveillance”. What is your definition in terms of the role, as far as security patrols beyond monitoring?

[Marc Mes]

Right now, we collect information for the purposes of safety, and we share it for the purposes of safety.

The new authorities will allow us to collect information and share it for the purposes of security. We will be able to use new capabilities, including drones underwater, on surface and above water, to be able to provide better domain awareness to our defence security intelligence partners.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Those all sound to me like surveillance. We'll talk about surveillance in a bit.

As far as security goes, would you envision having to intercept another vessel?

[Marc Mes]

No, we will not. Our vessels are not designed for that kind of combat.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Do you envision having to board a foreign vessel, outside of the excellent fishery work that you do?

[Marc Mes]

Coast Guard does not board for purposes of enforcement. We do have RCMP on board some of our vessels, as well as conservation fisheries officers, as you have mentioned. We provide the platforms for that enforcement.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Without any outside agency assistance, are you capable of boarding another vessel?

[Marc Mes]

We do not board other vessels.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Thank you.

Now that the Coast Guard is under National Defence, despite the red hull this vessel would be classified by foreign nations as a valid surface combatant. What steps are going to be taken to give a defensive capability to Coast Guard vessels?

[Marc Mes]

I think it's the same thing. We remain a civilian fleet and a civilian agency under the umbrella—

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

I appreciate that they are civilian crews, but now that it's under National Defence, a foreign nation would classify Coast Guard as a valid surface combatant or a valid enemy vessel in a time of conflict, or even in peacetime operations.

My question is, what steps is the Coast Guard going to take, now that the department has shifted and now that the role has shifted, to defend those vessels and keep the civilian crews safe?

[Andy Smith]

I think a helpful clarification at this point is that by definition, Coast Guard ships are non-combatant ships. Just by virtue of the fact that we're under National Defence, we're going to have a security role, not a defence role. Our ships will remain unarmed and not part of the Canadian Armed Forces—

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

I appreciate that they're unarmed and that they're civilian, but foreign nations such as China will not see that. For example, they regard American coast guard ships as valid surface combatants or targets.

[Andy Smith]

That's because the U.S. Coast Guard ships are armed and, notwithstanding that they're under the Department of Homeland Security, they're clearly part of the armed forces of the United States. The Canadian Coast Guard will not form part of the Canadian Armed Forces. I would respectfully submit that to classify Coast Guard ships as “combatants” is somewhat speculative.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

This is what other countries will see, now that they are reporting to National Defence and fall under National Defence, despite being unarmed, as you're indicating is the plan.

Surveillance is also a new role, and the Coast Guard has some surveillance capability with navigation radars and such. What expanded equipment will be required? I appreciate that you mentioned drones as one example.

[Marc Mes]

Yes, so we will be looking and working with our colleagues at National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces to look at synergies between sensor suites and communication suites, including secure communications, whereby we will assist in the interoperability of the two forces on the water.

[The Chair, Liberal, Charles Sousa]

Thank you, commissioners.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Thank you both, Mr. Smith and Mr. Mes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Charles Sousa]

Chris Malette, you have six minutes.

[Chris Malette, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Through you to the deputy commissioners, thank you for being here today. Some couple of weeks ago, as I discussed earlier, I had the honour to be in Cobourg to take part in the opening of the new search and rescue station there. I'll tell you, it's a pretty good-looking facility, and the men and women who work there are very pleased to have that base.

Can you elaborate on how new and upgraded search and rescue stations, such as what I was privileged to see in Cobourg, are vital to local communities to help ensure that crews have adequate facilities and tools to support them in such crucial search and rescue efforts. In particular, in this case on the Great Lakes, in my riding of the Bay of Quinte, we do have an awful lot of.... Lake Ontario is very busy and very dangerous at times.

[Marc Mes]

The search and rescue program is a critical mandated program that we deliver on behalf of Canadians to ensure the safety of Canadians on the waters. We have spent a lot of money. Deputy Commissioner Smith, through a fleet renewal plan, is also upgrading all of our search and rescue boats. We just received or are receiving the 20th search and rescue boat that we're putting across.

It's also about training and interoperability, so we continue to engage with the community auxiliaries; we communicate with first nations that are also engaging in these response programs to ensure a level of safety. It's this continuous learning, continuous training and upgrading stations, as well as the vessels that deliver, that are critical for the safety of Canadians on the water.

[Chris Malette, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Deputy Commissioner Smith, last week I was speaking to one of those auxiliary units Mr. Mes just referenced, based out of Picton in Prince Edward County. These auxiliary units, as we know, are staffed by volunteers in a lot of cases. They were expressing to me the desire to have upgraded kits, if we can, for equipment on some of these vessels.

Are there any plans in the expanded role and the subsuming, if you will, of the Coast Guard into National Defence, to upgrade any of those auxiliary units?