DARTMOUTH, NS – On June 6, the Canadian Coast Guard officially dedicated the CCGS Hare Bay into service at a ceremony at the search and rescue station in Sambro, Nova Scotia.

Gary Ivany, Assistant Commissioner for the Canadian Coast Guard Atlantic Region and Marc Mes, Director General for Fleet and Maritime Services, were joined by Sipekne’katik First Nation elder Joe Michael, and vessel sponsors Leslie Harnish and Kim MacKay in the traditional breaking of a ceremonial bottle upon the ship’s bow.

CCGS Hare Bay was acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard in May 2021. The vessel is the ninth of 20 new search and rescue Lifeboats that are named after geographical bays across Canada.

The lifeboats are specifically designed, equipped and crewed to respond to search and rescue incidents at sea. These vessels can operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore, maintain a maximum 30-minute state-of-readiness, and are typically ready to respond the moment an alert is received.

New search and rescue vessels are being stationed across Canada to provide key search and rescue services including searches on the water, response to marine distress calls, as well as assistance to disabled vessels. So far, seven of the lifeboats have been delivered to the Atlantic Region.

“I am pleased to see CCGS Hare Bay dedicated into service. The investment in this vessel under the National Shipbuilding Strategy is ensuring that search and rescue personnel have state-of-the-art equipment that allows them to do their job safely, effectively and efficiently.” The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick Facts

• The CCGS Hare Bay is classed as a search and rescue lifeboat, which can maintain a speed up to 25 knots, and has a crew of four.
• The CCGS Hare Bay was accepted by Canadian Coast Guard in May 2021, and is the ninth search and rescue lifeboat delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
• The series of 20 new search and rescue vessels are being built by Chantier Naval Forillon (Gaspé, Quebec) and Hike Metal (Wheatley, Ontario) (10 per shipyard).
• The search and rescue lifeboats are informally referred to as “Bay Class” vessels, as each one is named after a Canadian bay.
• These shore-stationed, and self-righting lifeboats, were built to provide key search and rescue services, including:
  • conducting searches on water
  • responding to marine distress calls
  • providing assistance to disabled vessels
  • operating up to 100 nautical miles from shore
• Each year, the Canadian Coast Guard responds to over 6,000 calls for marine assistance. On an average day, the Canadian Coast Guard coordinates the response to 19 search and rescue incidents, assists 68 people and saves 18 lives.
• The new search and rescue lifeboats will contribute to Canada’s blue economy in keeping our waters safe for mariners and supporting environmental response operations to reduce the impacts of marine pollution in our waters.

Photo: Chantier Naval Forillon