Press Release
From Transport Canada
March 14, 2018 – (Gaw Old Masset), Haida Gwaii
Protecting the marine environment is of paramount importance. The Haida Nation and Transport Canada have revised a regional plan to ensure that ships in need of assistance have a designated location to stabilize their condition and reduce the hazards to navigation, human life and the environment.
The revised Places of Refuge Contingency Plan for the Pacific Region includes a new Annex that identifies potential places of refuge around Haida Gwaii. It also reflects improvements to the federal marine safety regime and lessons learned from real-life incidents.
The Annex contains direction for the management of places of refuge incidents that affect Haida Gwaii, including technical, logistical and resource information about specific sites that may be evaluated as potential places of refuge. It is one of several sub-regional plans that will provide site-specific information about the management of places of refuge incidents.
Quotes
“The Haida Nation, with federal and provincial government partners, has demonstrated strong leadership to significantly update the places of refuge framework. By working and learning together, we’ve created a more inclusive plan to collaboratively manage Places of Refuge decisions. This teamwork is a foundation for ongoing work under the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways.”
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport
“As a result of the 2014 Simushir incident, the Haida Nation made the decision to begin working with other governments to ensure that a coordinated and effective emergency response system was established for Haida Gwaii. The cooperative work between the Haida Nation and Transport Canada to refine the Places of Refuge Contingency Plan and to identify places of refuge within Haida territory is a significant achievement and an important addition to protecting Haida Gwaii waters and our way of life.”
kil tlaats ‘gaa, Peter Lantin
President of the Haida Nation
Quick facts
Associated links
Contacts
Delphine Denis
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
613-991-0700
delphine.denis@tc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
media@tc.gc.ca
Simon Davies
Manager, Communications
Council of the Haida Nation
simon.davies@haidanation.com
250-559-4468 or 250-6371130
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