Canadian Coast Guard

Keeping waters accessible

Marine Navigation Services establishes and maintains navigational aids that assist vessels to navigate safely through our waterways.

The program benefits pleasure craft, fishing and commercial vessels, and ensures the public's right to navigate.

Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Marine Navigation Services (MNS) keeps waters accessible by providing navigational aids and developing waterways.

Who are we and what we do

Marine Aids to Navigation

Assumes responsibility for navigational aids, including:

• Setting up and maintaining aids such as buoys, lighthouses and radio navigation systems, which help mariners pinpoint their location and avoid hidden dangers.
• Educating and training mariners to use the system.
• Advising those who wish to set up private aids to navigation.

Waterways Development

Provides an integrated waterways management service in support of marine transportation in Canada, including:

• Providing minimum safety guidelines relating to the safe utilization of commercial waterways
• Forecasting water levels and providing information on the channel bottom conditions, including any restrictions, in commercial waterways

Managing channel and ice cover control structures in commercial waterways to ensure the integrity of the waterway and the safe passage of commercial traffic in open water season, as well as, where so designated, to ensure the integrity of ice cover for winter navigation in ice covered channels and to reduce the risk of flooding.

Who we serve

CCG Marine Navigation Services benefits a number of clients, including:

• Commercial and fishing vessels.
• Industries dependent on marine transportation.
• Recreational boaters.

For more information, please contact: Director

Navigation Systems
Canadian Coast Guard
200 Kent Street, 5th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6

or Fax: (613) 998-8428