Maritime search and rescue in Nunavut, Canada : strengthening the system from the bottom up

Kikkert, Peter and Belton, Ian and Pedersen, Calvin and Lackenbauer, P. Whitney and Pelot, Ron and Quigley, John (2023) Maritime search and rescue in Nunavut, Canada : strengthening the system from the bottom up. In: World Maritime Rescue Congress (WMRC) 2023, 2023-06-18 - 2023-06-20, Holland America Line Cruise Ship SS Rotterdam.

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Abstract

Due to the impacts of climate change, maritime search and rescue requirements are increasing across Nunavut. The region’s vast size and cold climate combine to make time the enemy of all responders. The substantial distances involved in responding with Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreakers or Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft based in the South mean that the arrival of federal resources on scene can take significant time. There are few vessels of opportunity in the region. Historically, however, there has been little sustained investment in community-based marine Search and Rescue (SAR) capabilities in the territory. This started to change in 2015 with the launch of the CCG’s Arctic SAR Project and, in 2018, with the creation of the Coast Guard’s new Arctic Region. This poster outlines the status of the community-based marine SAR system in Nunavut, assess efforts by the Coast Guard and its partners to strengthen the system, and suggest broadly applicable best practices.

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