New funds for cash-strapped coast guard

The Trudeau government has promised an infusion of much-needed cash for the Canadian Coast Guard and federal Fisheries Department, which documents show have suffered from years of chronic underfunding.

The question is whether the new funding will be enough. The new money was included in the federal fiscal update, which the Liberals released to much fanfare on Tuesday, and works out to more than $1.2 billion over the next six years.

The government says the funds will be used in a variety of ways, including maintenance to keep the Coast Guard’s aging ships, navigational aids and communications equipment in working order. Money will also earmarked to train new staff, monitor fish stocks, upgrade radio and information networks and for icebreaking services.

The new funds will no doubt be welcomed by coast guard and fisheries officials, who warned Fisheries Minister Dominic Leblanc when he took over the portfolio last year that they were struggling to make ends meet.

The coast guard’s overall financial situation was considered so severe at that time that the government quietly ordered a review of its real financial risks and requirements.

Fisheries spokeswoman Carole Saindon said the new funding promise arose out of that review, which itself came after officials spent years trying to get more money for “key deficit areas and to carry out our mandate.” The review showed “a clear and pressing need for new, ongoing investments to ensure the delivery of services that save lives, protect the marine environment, create jobs and drive sustainable economic growth,” she said.