Minister Anandasangaree announces investment to strengthen Canada's maritime security in the Great Lakes

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON, June 25, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, Minister Anandasangaree highlighted an $816M investment over seven years to strengthen maritime security and expand the Canadian Coast Guard's role in monitoring Canada's waters.

Through new authorities under the Strengthening Canada's Immigration Systems and Borders Act, the Canadian Coast Guard is enhancing its role in protecting Canada's waters, including using its vessels, helicopters, sensors, operational centres, and shore-based assets to collect, receive, share, and analyze information for improved security and sovereignty.

Key initiatives to enhance the Canadian Coast Guard's maritime domain awareness and visibility throughout the Great Lakes include:

• A 24/7 Marine Security Operations Centre in Niagara. This will deliver continuous monitoring and real-time data integration, enhancing situational awareness and enabling faster, coordinated enforcement across the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region. enforcement actions across the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region.
• Up to 11 radar sites at strategic locations along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence to address existing gaps in maritime domain awareness and improve monitoring in key areas.

Autonomous systems, including drones, are enhancing the Canadian Coast Guard's ability to monitor and respond across Canada's waters by extending operational reach from both land and vessels. Equipped with advanced sensors and cameras, these uncrewed aerial and subsurface platforms improve situational awareness, reduce operational costs and risks to personnel, and support real-time information sharing with federal partners—particularly in remote and Arctic regions.

In parallel, the Canadian Coast Guard is investing in new capabilities to enhance hw it collects and shares information on marine activity. This includes the installation of advanced camera systems on Coast Guard ships and helicopters, improving the quality of data collected and enabling the rapid dissemination of actionable maritime domain awareness to defence, law enforcement, and security partners.

Canada must be able to detect and respond to all activities within its waters. With its fleet and operational expertise, the Canadian Coast Guard is well positioned to advance national maritime security priorities across the country, in collaboration with the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canada Border Services Agency, and other key partners.

Quotes

"Maritime security depends on strong situational awareness and timely information sharing. Through close collaboration with partners, the Canadian Coast Guard helps maintain a coordinated picture of activity across our waters—supporting informed decisions and a unified approach to protecting Canada's security, sovereignty, and marine interests."

The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence

"Protecting Canada's waters, especially the Great Lakes, is essential to our security and prosperity. Through our Border Plan and the Strengthening Canada's Immigration Systems and Borders Act, we are investing in modern surveillance, stronger intelligence, and an expanded role for the Canadian Coast Guard to better detect and respond to threats, while keeping Canadians safe."

The Honorable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Coast Guard was transferred from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada to the National Defence on September 2, 2025. It remains a civilian Special Operating Agency.
• The new Strengthening Canada's Immigration Systems and Borders Act received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026, and gives the Canadian Coast Guard additional security responsibilities to collect and share intelligence related to Canada's waters.
• New security-related activities will be integrated into the primary functions of the Canadian Coast Guard: search and rescue, icebreaking, environmental response and protection, supporting ocean science, and maintaining safe and navigable waterways.
• On April 1, 2026, the Government of Canada's civilian aircraft services and assets were transferred to the Canadian Coast Guard, giving the agency operational control of the civilian aerial fleet, meaning greater capacity to support its growing role in maritime security.

Associated Links

• Backgrounder: Delivering on the Canadian Coast Guard's Expanded Security Responsibilities
• Strengthening border security - Canada.ca

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