Mr. Speaker, the top priority of our Canadian Coast Guard is the safety of mariners, recreational boaters, and fishers.
The Canadian Coast Guard marine communications and traffic services centres monitor for distress calls and safety calls and broadcast maritime safety information such as weather and navigational warnings. They also provide information and advice to regulate vessel traffic movement, and take the appropriate action to ensure the safe and efficient movement of vessels.
The modernization and consolidation of our marine communications and traffic services centres has brought our Coast Guard communication control equipment into the 21st century alongside other developed nations.
The Government of Canada invested in the Coast Guard's infrastructure to take advantage of today's technology in order to deliver marine communications and traffic services at strategic locations across the country.
Navigational and communications technologies have changed a lot over the past decade. Even though the control equipment at the marine traffic centres was still working, it had become outdated.
The services provided by the centres are now more reliable thanks to the new technology that replaced the 1980s technology, which had become too difficult to maintain.
These investments help optimize resources while ensuring offshore safety.
Although there are fewer centres, coverage remains exactly the same, but is now supported by the 21st century communication control equipment. At present, we have successfully consolidated nine of 10 marine communications and traffic services centres.
The centres do not need to be physically located near the coast, since officers at these centres collect information through radio and radar rather than line of sight.
The consolidation efforts and the marine communications and traffic services operations are moving along as planned, and officers at the centres are more effective. Marine communications and traffic services officers are certified professionals with a high level of training. Before they begin monitoring, officers go through a rigorous six-month training course at the Canadian Coast Guard College and study different geographic areas of responsibility. They then receive intensive training on the ground and must demonstrate their professional expertise, skills, and knowledge before moving on to active service.
The Canadian Coast Guard increased staffing levels at many of the modernized centres, which are all staffed by professionals who provide rescue services to mariners 24 hours a day.
I would like to thank the professionals for the incredible and difficult jobs they do each and every day.
We are also pleased that the committee will carry out a study of the marine services centres.