Question Period Note: Contract Extension for Emergency Towing Vessels

Contract Extension for Emergency Towing Vessels

We are committed to protecting mariners and the marine environment on the West Coast, including Indigenous coastal communities and surrounding waters.

As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, two emergency towing vessels have been strategically located in the waters off British Columbia since late-2018.

On November 5, 2021, we announced a one-year contract extension for the lease of the two emergency towing vessels, the Atlantic Eagle and Atlantic Raven.

The extension of this contract ensures the Canadian Coast Guard has the vessels it needs to respond to incidents involving large ships off the West Coast.

National Strategy on Emergency Towing
The Government of Canada is developing a long-term national approach for marine emergency towing known as the National Strategy on Emergency Towing, which will include recommendations on how to best meet emergency towing requirements on all coasts.

The strategy will consider regional needs, the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, partners and stakeholders, and lessons learned from the Atlantic Eagle and Atlantic Raven, which are the two emergency towing vessels leased by the government and currently stationed off the coast of British Columbia. 

• In 2018, through the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada awarded a three-year, $67-million contract to Atlantic Towing Limited of Saint John, New Brunswick, for the lease of the Atlantic Eagle and Atlantic Raven.
• The two vessels are tasked by the Canadian Coast Guard and increase capacity to respond to vessels in distress in the challenging conditions of deeper waters. The two vessels have been strategically located in the waters off British Columbia since November 2018, helping ensure the Canadian Coast Guard has the vessels it needs to respond to incidents involving large ships off the West Coast.
• On November 5, 2021, the Government of Canada announced a one-year contract extension for the lease of the two emergency towing vessels. The extension of this contract is an interim measure while the federal government determines how best to provide sustainable emergency towing capabilities. The extension is valued at $20 million.
• The Government of Canada is developing a long-term national approach for marine emergency towing known as the National Strategy on Emergency Towing, which will include recommendations on how to best meet emergency towing requirements on all coasts. The strategy will consider regional needs, the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, partners and stakeholders, and lessons learned from the Atlantic Eagle and Atlantic Raven.
• For example, the Atlantic Raven was on scene and played an essential role in the ongoing incident involving the M/V Zim Kingston off Greater Victoria, Vancouver Island.

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