Canadian Coast Guard

The Canadian Coast Guard is an agency of the Canadian Federal government.

The agency has been the responsibility of several different ministries. It is currently under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Previously it was under the Ministry of Transport.

Unlike the Coast Guards of other nations, like the United States Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard is not a military or paramilitary organization.

The Canadian Coast Guard's fleet includes a half dozen heavy and medium icebreakers, and a dozen light icebreakers, and several dozen medium and small fishery patrol, oceanographic research vessels, and search and rescue vessels.

The Coast Guard's larger vessels mount light helicopters. The Coast Guard also has some independent air assets.

The Coast Guard's vessels patrol Canada's East and West coast, the Great Lakes, the Mackenzie River, the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Canadian Arctic.