The Canadian Coast Guard successfully completed its 2025 Arctic operational season, providing essential services to Canada's Arctic communities and working with Inuit, First Nation, and Métis partners to deliver services and programs in the North, by the North, for the North.
In total, seven Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers were deployed from June into November to enable the annual northern community resupply, search and rescue operations, response to marine pollution, Canadian Arctic security, and other operational and program commitments.The Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Pierre Radisson was the first vessel deployed for the season on June 11, 2025, and the CCGS Jean Goodwill was the last vessel to return from the Arctic on November 26, 2025.
Canada's maritime domain awareness in the Arctic is critical to enable effective response to incidents that may impact Canada's security, safety, environment, and economy. Working closely with international, federal, territorial, and Indigenous partners, the Canadian Coast Guard continues to strengthen safety and security in Arctic waters. The Canadian Coast Guard took part in both Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT and NANOOK-TUUGAALIK, which are yearly maritime exercises led by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to enhance surveillance and collective responsiveness in the Arctic. As Arctic and Northwest Passage traffic increase due to tourism, commercial shipping, and adventuring opportunities, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) also acts as an integral part of enhancing remote response and community capacity, providing search and rescue support, responding to numerous incidents, and strengthening community-based emergency response capacity across the Arctic. These exercises and partnerships play an important role in keeping northern waters safe while reinforcing Canada's long-standing sovereignty in the North.
On Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian Coast Guard's two specialized buoy tenders, the CCGS Dumit and CCGS Eckaloo, conducted seasonal buoy tending to help connect remote communities and support economic activity across the western Arctic. This work helps maintain safe navigation and supports a vital transportation corridor for northern communities.
The Canadian Coast Guard's on-water Arctic operations will resume in May 2026, but a full-time presence is maintained year-round with Arctic Region headquarters in Yellowknife, NT, and additional facilities in Hay River, NT, and Iqaluit, NU. Across Canada's Arctic, marine pollution can be reported to the Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) at 1-867-979-5269, and marine emergencies can be reported to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Trenton 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, toll-free at 1-800-267-7270 or 1-613-965-3870.
