Horizontal Initiatives

Name of Horizontal Initiative: Marine Security

Name of lead department: Transport Canada

Lead department program activity: Marine Security

Start date of the Horizontal Initiative: Budget 2001

End date of the Horizontal Initiative: Ongoing

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date): Not Applicable

Description of the Horizontal Initiative (including funding agreement):

Marine Security is a horizontal initiative aimed at improving the security of Canada’s marine domain, including territorial waters and inland waterways, and at Canadian ports. Elements of this initiative include:

  • Increased domain awareness, surveillance and tracking of marine traffic;
  • Improved coordination and cooperation on marine security, including the development of Marine Security Operations Centres;
  • Security clearance program for marine sector employees;
  • Implementing new detection equipment in Canadian ports to monitor containers;
  • Additional resources for emergency and law enforcement response capacity in the marine domain; and
  • International initiatives, which will ensure that Canada will meet current international standards and obligations, including those being developed by the International Maritime Organization.

Shared outcomes:

The following are planned shared outcomes and activities in marine security.

Key areas include:

  • Domain awareness – Canada’s surveillance and awareness efforts within marine areas;
  • Responsiveness – enforcement efforts in cooperation with all relevant police forces and security agencies;
  • Safeguarding – efforts to enhance the physical security of marine infrastructure or other critical infrastructure in or around marine areas; 
  • Collaboration – efforts in support of all other activities to ensure that the various federal departments and agencies with responsibility for marine security, as well as their partners, communicate and cooperate fully to secure Canada’s marine domain; and
  • Resilience – efforts to ensure that Canada’s maritime transportation system prepares for and can recover in a timely manner from major disruptions due to a significant supply chain disruption. Resilience includes the steady and expedient recovery from the effects of threats to maritime activities.

Immediate Outcomes:

  • Increased surveillance and awareness of marine security environment;
  • Increased on-water presence;
  • Increased security measures at ports and marine facilities;
  • Increased capability to respond to marine threats;
  • Increased stakeholder awareness and understanding;
  • Increased stakeholder ability to meet marine security requirements; and
  • Increased cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security.

Intermediate Outcomes:

  • Effective domain awareness;
  • Rapid and effective response to marine threats and incidents;
  • Security-conscious culture among stakeholders;
  • Stakeholder compliance with security regulations; and
  • Increased collaboration: internationally, industry partners, multilateral organizations, provinces and municipalities.

Ultimate Outcomes:

  • An effective and efficient marine security system; and
  • High public confidence in Canada’s marine security system.

Strategic Outcome:

  • A marine system that contributes to the security, safety and prosperity of Canadians and of our allies.

Governance structures:

The Government of Canada created the Interdepartmental Marine Security Working Group, chaired by Transport Canada, to identify and coordinate federal actions in support of Canada’s objectives with regard to public security and anti-terrorism in the marine domain, as well as its international marine security obligations. Under the guidance of the Working Group, key departments are responsible for the following:

Transport Canada

The department leads the government’s initiatives in marine security, including coordinating policy; chairing the Interdepartmental Marine Security Working Group; developing regulations in support of marine security initiatives; managing the Marine Security Oversight and Enforcement program; managing Marine Transportation Security Clearance program; and participating in the Marine Security Operations Centres.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans/Canadian Coast Guard

The department contributes to the enhancement of the level of maritime domain awareness within Canada through increased vessel identification and tracking activities, the installation of shore-based Automatic Identification System infrastructure and the development of a long-range vessel tracking capability, namely the Long-Range Identification and Tracking system. The department is also a key participant in the Marine Security Operations Centres where its maritime information and analysis is critical to identifying threats. Through the acquisition of new mid-shore patrol vessels, the department is increasing its on-water capability for providing platform support to security and law enforcement organizations.

Public Safety Canada

Public Safety Canada is Canada’s lead department for public safety. The department coordinates efforts with portfolio agencies, federal partners, other levels of government (including international partners) and stakeholders in building national policies and programs dealing with national security, emergency management, law enforcement, corrections, crime prevention and border integrity. This includes, for example, the development and implementation of marine-based counter-terrorism exercises.

Canada Border Services Agency

The agency’s mandate is to manage the nation’s borders at ports of entry by administering and enforcing the domestic laws that govern trade and travel, as well as international agreements and conventions. The work of the agency includes identifying and interdicting high-risk individuals and goods, working with law enforcement agencies to maintain border integrity and engaging in enforcement activities, which include seizure of goods, arrests, detentions, investigations, hearings and removals.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is responsible for enforcing federal statutes, leading national security and organized crime investigations across Canada both on land and water and for maintaining border integrity between ports of entry.

National Defence

The department contributes to enhance domain awareness of the strategic high-traffic coastal area. National Defence has the administrative responsibilities of the Coastal Marine Security Operations Centres and is part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway MSOC.  The department works with partner departments and agencies to improve interdepartmental situational awareness.

Planning Highlights:

For 2014–15, departments will continue to develop their marine domain awareness capabilities, improve security measures at ports, and increase response capabilities to deal with potential maritime events.  Departments will also continue to build on existing inter-departmental cooperation initiatives to improve efficiency of operations and to strengthen Canada’s maritime security posture.

Federal Partner: Transport Canada

PAA Program Contributing activities/ programs Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 2014–15 Planned Spending ($Millions) 2014–15 Expect Results
3.7 Marine Security 3.7.1 Marine Security Regulatory Framework 5.0 1.4 Further development of policies, standards and procedures, including the coming-into-force of amendments to the Marine Transportation Security Regulations in accordance to the Canadian-United States Regulatory Cooperation initiative.
3.7.2 Marine Security Oversight 54.0 6.7 Effective security measures at ports and marine facilities; continued stakeholder awareness and understanding; stakeholder compliance with security regulation; security conscious culture among stakeholders; continued security measures at ports and marine facilities;  further development of policies, standards and procedures, including the coming-into-force of an Administrative Monetary Penalty system; Marine Security Policy and Interdepartmental Coordination; advancement of Marine Security Strategic Framework and its various sub-components; increased security conscious culture among stakeholders; increased cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security; and increased collaboration internationally, industry partners, multilateral organizations and other levels of government.
3.7 Marine Security 3.7.3 Marine Security Operations Centres 24.7 5.3

Coastal: continued surveillance and awareness of marine security environment; continued cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security; effective domain awareness; and continued collaboration internationally, industry partners, multilateral organizations, provinces and municipalities.

Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway: increased surveillance and awareness of marine security environment; increased cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security; effective domain awareness; and increased collaboration internationally, industry partners, multilateral organizations, provinces and municipalities.

Total   83.8 13.4  

Federal Partner: Department of Fisheries and Oceans

PAA Program Contributing activities/ programs Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 2014–15 Planned Spending ($Millions) 2014–15 Expect Results
Safe and Secure Waters Increased On-Water Patrols 10.0
(Per year ongoing) 
10.0 Increased on-water presence; improved domain awareness; and visible demonstration of Canada’s sovereignty over its waters.
Automatic Identification System and Long-Range Identification and Tracking 2.0
(Represents ongoing funding and does not include completed capital portion)
2.0 Increased awareness of, and ability to identify vessels transiting Canadian waters; and improved domain awareness.
Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Marine Security Operations Centre 3.0
(Per year ongoing)
3.0 Increased surveillance and awareness of maritime environment; increased cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with maritime security; improved domain awareness; and increased collaboration internationally, industry partners, multilateral organizations, provinces and municipalities.
Coastal Marine Security Operations Centres 3.3
(Per year ongoing)
3.3  
Marine Security Enforcement Teams 12.9
(Per year ongoing)
12.9

Increased on-water presence; increased awareness of maritime environment; increased capability to respond to maritime threats; improved domain awareness; rapid and effective response to maritime threats and incidents; and provide dedicated vessels and crew to support activities of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers onboard.

Note: Royal Canadian Mounted Police will report on the enforcement results of the marine security enforcement teams program.

Construction of Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels 198.2
(Total allocation for multi-year capital project)
15.6
(Forecast spending for 2014–15 on capital project)
Canadian Coast Guard will acquire and put into service nine new mid-shore patrol vessels.
Increased Surveillance Flights 7.0
(Per year ongoing)
7.0 Increased surveillance and awareness of maritime environment; and improved domain awareness.
Total   236.4 53.8  

Federal Partner: Public Safety

PAA Program Contributing activities/ programs Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 2014–15 Planned Spending ($Millions) 2014–15 Expect Results
National Exercise Division Marine-Based Counter-Terrorism Exercise 1.0 0.2

Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre Exercise Planning/Conduct Exercise: improve domain awareness in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway region; lead to increased cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security; increase stakeholder awareness and understanding; increase stakeholder ability to meet marine security requirements; enhance security measures at ports and marine facilities; and increase capability to respond to marine threats.

During this time period exercise activity will be focused on planning for marine security exercise(s) related to the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Marine Security Operations Centre.  This presumes a sufficiently mature operations centre and related operations documentation.  Both east and west coasts have seen exercise activity since the commencement of the initiative.  The Marine Security Exercise program uses a building block approach to prepare the region for a functional (or full-scale exercise) in future years which could also involve key marine partners. Such an exercise approach would include orientation(s), workshop(s) and tabletop exercise(s) at appropriate times in order to assist in the ongoing development of operations concepts specific to the operational realities of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway marine environment. 

Border Strategies Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Marine Security Operations Centre 1.6 0.3

Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Marine Security Operations Centre: improved domain awareness in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway region.

While not an operational member of the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre, Public Safety provides overall policy coordination of the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre, which includes providing advice to senior management and the Minister of Public Safety. Public Safety resources support, coordinate and oversee the overall implementation and direction of the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre; oversee the development and administration of evaluations of the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre; and ensures that linkages and synergies between the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre and other portfolio-led maritime security and border initiatives are maximized.

National Security
Total   2.6 0.5  

Federal Partner: National Defence

PAA Program Contributing activities/ programs Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 2014–15 Planned Spending ($Millions) 2014–15 Expect Results
Maritime Readiness – Sustain Maritime Forces – Maritime Command and Control Coastal Marine Security Operations Centres (MSOC) 256.5 17.5 Surveillance and awareness of marine security environment; cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security; and effective domain awareness.
Target: Coastal MSOC Project full operation capacity Fall 2014
Interdepartmental Maritime Integrated Command Control and Communication 31.6 2.8 Improved surveillance and awareness of marine security environment; increased cooperation between government departments and agencies involved with marine security; and more effective domain awareness.
Maritime Readiness - Domestic Maritime Readiness On-Water Presence/ Coordination 5.0 5.0 Surveillance and awareness of marine security environment.
Target: 50 days of on-water presence and effective domain awareness.
Total   293.1 25.3  

Federal Partner: Canada Border Services Agency

PAA Program Contributing activities/ programs Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 2014–15 Planned Spending ($Millions) 2014–15 Expect Results
Marine Security Radiation Detection Equipment Initiative Admissibility Determination Marine Mode 47.1 2.3 Increased security measures at ports and marine facilities; screening 100 percent of all containerized marine cargo.
Internal Services 2.9
Cruise Ship Operations Admissibility Determination Marine Mode   5.8 Increased security measures at ports and marine facilities.
Screening 100 percent of all vessels entering Canadian waters; and board selected vessels identified as high-risk.
Radiation Detection Equipment Initiative See above See above  
Cruise Ship Operations** 99.4 See above  
Total**   146.5 11.0

**Cruise ship inspections and passengers and crew screening initiatives have been combined into cruise ship operations.
Due to the deficit reduction action plan, the funding levels for the Marine Security Initiative for the Canada Border Services Agency have been reduced.

Federal Partner: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

PAA Program Contributing activities/ programs Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 2014–15 Planned Spending ($Millions) 2014–15 Expect Results
Police Operations National Port Enforcement Teams 52.6 5.5

National port enforcement teams (NPETs) are integrated and intelligence-led teams which conduct federal investigations in four major Canadian ports (Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton and Vancouver).

NPETs will continue to detect, prevent, interdict and investigate organized criminal activity, contraband smuggling, and people who may pose a threat to the safety and security of Canada and other countries. Further, NPETs will continue to detect, prevent, interdict and investigate corruption and internal conspiracies at the four major Canadian ports. Under federal policing re-engineering (FPR), "NPETs" may have changed in name and internal governance structures, but investigations with a nexus to the ports remain a priority, taking into account national and divisional priorities. In Vancouver, the NPET remains as "Waterside Joint Force Operations," but now reports through Federal and Serious Organized Crime (FSOC); Hamilton is now under Serious and Organized Crime (SOC); although Montreal has retained its NPET label because of re-engineering it may change in the future; and Halifax is now placed within Federal Operations. FPR does not decrease the RCMP’s ability to investigate criminality at the ports. In the Divisions where NPETs have joined SOC teams, there is the flexibility to assign additional federal resources to investigations at the ports.

Note: This program includes the National Ports Project.

Marine Security Emergency Response Team Training 6.2 0.6 Marine security emergency response team training is responsible for the development of the training for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and its law enforcement partners to provide a tactical on-water response to board ships in Canadian waters and apprehend persons that pose a security risk to Canada. Training initiatives will take place both at the national and regional level ensuring members are trained in a tactical police response to critical events within the domestic marine environment.
Marine Security Emergency Teams 55.2 5.6 Marine security emergency response teams are integrated teams with provincial and municipal partners which will continue to provide a tactical police response to critical threats and events within the domestic marine environment of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region, and elsewhere in Canada when required.
Marine Transportation Clearance Program 2.9 0.2 Contributing to security measures at ports and marine facilities.
Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Marine Security Operations Centre 38.8 7.3

The Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre consists of five core federal government departments responsible for marine safety and security in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region.

Through cooperation and collaboration, the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre will produce actionable intelligence, concentrating on national security, organized crime and other criminality, and provides this intelligence to the appropriate agency or service in a timely fashion.

The Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre will continue to work with partners to increase the sharing of information and intelligence as legally permitted, in order to combat illegal activities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region.  Partners also include provincial and municipal authorities contributing to the safety and security of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will continue to enhance domain awareness and the security of our border in collaboration with our domestic and United States partners by deploying technology to address identified bi-national gaps and increasing border integrity intelligence investigators capacity through the Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre. These objectives will enhance domain awareness contributing significantly to the security of both Canada and the United States.  Specific actions planned include continuing the implementation of a technology strategy for the Great Lakes and contributing to Beyond the Border Action Plan for the prioritization of initiatives and procurement.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police pursues the completion of the new Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre permanent facility to be delivered in June 2014 and MSOC personnel are expected to be working from the new facility a few months later.

Coastal Marine Security Operations Centre 17.0 2.4

Through cooperation and collaboration, the coastal Marine Security Operations Centres produce actionable intelligence, concentrating on national security, organized crime and other criminality, and provide this intelligence to the appropriate agency or service in a timely fashion.

The coastal Marine Security Operations Centres will continue to work with domestic and international partners increasing the sharing of information and intelligence as legally permitted, in order to combat illegal activities on Canada’s three coasts and the St. Lawrence River. Partners also include provincial and municipal authorities.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will provide leadership through active participation in the Capability Management Organization.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will enhance domain awareness and the security of our border in collaboration with our domestic and United States partners by identifying and addressing bi-national gaps. These objectives will enhance our domain awareness contributing significantly to the security of both, Canada and the United States. Specific actions planned include contributing to the Beyond the Border Action Plan for the prioritization of initiatives and procurement.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will enhance the coastal Marine Security Operations Centres capacity to identify threats early by increasing its intelligence capacity, developing technology to support intelligence and operations in key locations, and taking an active role in the national and international marine security intelligence network in view of gathering and sharing marine security information and intelligence as legally permitted.  This will result in a significant increase in coastal marine domain awareness.

National Waterside Security Coordination Team 8.2 0.8 Transport Canada partnering with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police continue to coordinate the development and implementation of national policies on waterside security and waterside policing at ports through the activities of the National Port Security Committee.
Marine Security Enforcement Teams 53.8 6.3

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Coast Guard have combined their expertise and strengths to further enhance national security and strengthen Canada’s response to potential marine threats and events in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region.

Marine security enforcement teams are integrated and intelligence-led teams which are deployed to safeguard and address federal on-water enforcement requirements and provide an armed fast-response capacity to address potential threats and events.

Marine security enforcement teams will continue to detect, prevent and interdict organized criminal activity, contraband smuggling, and people who may pose a threat to the safety and security of Canada and Canadian interests. The Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Mounted Police will continue to increase the capability of marine security enforcement teams to provide maritime security and border integrity with the ongoing deployment of the new “hero class” mid-shore patrol vessels in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, in alignment with the government’s commitment to the 2011 Canada-US Beyond the Border Declaration.

Public Works and Government Services Canada Accommodations 8.0 0.5  
Total 242.7 29.2  

Total for All Federal Partners

Total Allocation (from Start to End Date) ($Millions) 201415 Planned Spending ($Millions)
1,005.0 133.2

Results to be achieved by non-federal partners:  There are no non-federal partners for this horizontal initiative.

Contact information:

Nicole Legault
Director Marine Safety and Security Operations
Transport Canada
613-990-1450