The Canadian Coast Guard is ready for the upcoming icebreaking season.
On the Great Lakes, icebreaking services are provided by the Canadian Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard working together as one team.
All ice surface users should plan their ice activities carefully, use caution on the ice and avoid the shipping lanes and icebreaking operations. Broken and fragmented ice tracks and ridging left behind by passing icebreakers or commercial vessels may not freeze over immediately. This can result in hazardous conditions for ice users. In addition, newly fallen snow will obscure ship tracks. Unsafe ice conditions can persist long after icebreakers have left the area.
Icebreaking is an important government service that helps the Canadian and United States economies. In this region, the Canadian and United States Coast Guards work as one team, providing assistance to commercial cargo vessels to move through ice-covered waters, and re-supplying industry with much-needed goods. By assisting ships both Coast Guards have an important role in providing communities the security, supplies, energy and emergency resources needed throughout the winter.
In addition to icebreaking for district businesses, both the Canadian and the United States Coast Guard work to prevent the formation of ice jams and flooding in coastal communities. Problems can occur when ice accumulates and blocks the flow of a river. Obstructions such as ice jams or ice plugs can cause flooding as water builds up and overflows the banks. Coast Guard ships are also at the ready to respond to environmental incidents or other urgent or humanitarian emergencies.
Icebreaking requests are coordinated with the United States Coast Guard Sector Detroit and Sector Sault Ste. Marie. Industry representatives meet with Coast Guard officials daily via operational conference calls. During the calls, Ice Service Specialists from Environment and Climate Change Canada provide information to shippers from both countries about ice extent, concentration, and thickness. Further information about ice conditions in the region is also gathered from the air during ice reconnaissance missions using Canadian and US Coast Guard helicopters.
Important refit and maintenance work on the CCGS Griffon and CCGS Samuel Risley were recently completed and both Great Lakes-based ships are ready for the upcoming icebreaking season. CCGS Griffon was dry-docked at Verrault Navigation in Les Mechins, Quebec Work included an overhaul of the four main propulsion engines, overhauls of two ship service electrical generators and certification of the ship’s propulsion control system.
CCGS Samuel Risley was in refit at the Canadian Coast Guard base in Parry Sound. Improvements to the ship include an overhaul of the number one main engine, replacement of an air compressor and annual maintenance.