Federal plan calls for more northern coast guard auxiliaries

The Canadian Coast Guard is looking to expand its auxiliary programs across the North and theideawas announced this week as part of the Oceans Protection Plan.

The agency doesn't know where exactly the new volunteer organizations will be, or how many, but says it is consulting with communities.

"It really has to do with where we're likely to have enough volunteers, where there's an interest in doing this," says deputy commissioner Jeffery Hutchinson.

"Then we'll look at it also from a risk perspective in terms of where traffic is happening and where we get the greatest number of search-and-rescue calls."

Hutchinson says volunteers respond to about a quarter of the coast guard's search and rescue calls in southern Canada, and that they're especially important in remote areas where the agency may not be able to respond quickly.

"The coast guard auxiliary really builds on the maritime history of mariners coming to the aid of mariners," he says.

"It's the law of the sea, it's marine culture, and it's the only truly effective way to provide the kind of coverage we need."

Increased shipping

At the moment there are nine coast guard auxiliaries north of 60, and seven in the Arctic. But shipping is expected to increase steadily as the sea ice retreats each summer.

The Northwest Passage has already seen exponential growth in the number of ships passing through each year, from none or one per year until the early 1970s to a record 30 vessels in 2012.

Larger ships bulk carriers such as the Nordic Orion andcruise vessels such as the Crystal Serenity are also starting to make the journey.

That means an increased likelihood of accidents presenting a danger to crews and the environment.

A statement provided to CBC News from Transport Canada suggests that monitoring shipping is a major motivator for the Arctic elements of the Oceans Protection Plan.

New airplane hangar

"The Oceans Protection Plan will improve the northern operations of Canada's National Aerial Surveillance Program by building a new hangar for planes, allowing for an increased presence in the North," the statement reads.

It did not specify how many planes will be stationed in the new hangar or where it will be located.

"This will improve local marine pollution reporting, search and rescue capacity and satellite monitoring of vessels offshore, which also supports Canadian sovereignty," the statement continues.

The coast guard is also increasing the amount of time its icebreakers spend in the Arctic each year. It currently sends five to seven of its ships up north, depending on the season.

"We're going to expand the time that the icebreaker fleet is in the Arctic because shipping is starting earlier, and it's running later," says Hutchinson.

But he says shipping did not motivate the idea of an increased coast guard presence.

"Rather it's about being able to provide the best response possible across a very large area."