Canadian Coast Guard celebrates new grads

SYDNEY — There are now even more coast guard officers protecting the public on the seas.

The Canadian Coast Guard is celebrating 18 new graduates in Atlantic Canada and 43 new officers across the country.

“The women and men of the Canadian Coast Guard exemplify the values of honour, respect and dedication to duty,” said Bernadette Jordan, minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, who sent out congratulations in a news release.

“In these exceptional times, I take heart in knowing that it is welcoming new members who will be at the ready to serve Canadians along our coasts and on the water. I am grateful for your dedication and for the invaluable service to Canadians I know you will perform throughout your careers.”

The Canadian Coast Guard is committed to ensuring mariners are safe by providing search-and-rescue services, protecting the marine environment from pollution, and ensuring ships can continue to move goods and supplies that support communities and the economy.

The 43 graduates completed an extensive four-year officer training program at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Westmount.

The graduation is usually celebrated with a ceremony on the college grounds but this year due to the COVID19 pandemic, the 18 officers, almost half of whom are women, deployed immediately to their postings in Dartmouth, and St. John’s, N.L. The new officers are part of the coast guard’s efforts to ensure that Canadians would continue to receive the critical services provided by the coast guard despite the ongoing COVID crisis.

Mario Pelletier, commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, said as a graduate of the Canadian Coast Guard College, he knows very well the amount of work their new officers undertook to get to where they are today.

“This was compounded by the difficult circumstances they all faced at the end of their term. I want to personally congratulate each of them on their success and welcome them to the coast guard fleet.”