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October 26, 2022 | Local, Naval

Canadian Coast Guard and the Heiltsuk Nation Announce $5 million Pilot Project to Support Development of Heiltsuk Marine Response Team

Bella Bella, British Columbia - Indigenous coastal communities share ties to Canada's oceans that span generations. Through the next phase of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is working with First Nations to further improve how we respond to marine emergencies. Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, and the Heiltsuk Nation announced the start of the Heiltsuk Marine Emergency Response Team pilot project to enhance marine safety on the Central Coast of British Columbia.

Through the Oceans Protection Plan, the Canadian Coast Guard is providing over $5M to immediately launch a pilot project to support the development of the Heiltsuk Marine Emergency Response Team. This team will be integrated into the federal marine preparedness and response system as a third-party responder to marine pollution incidents. The project will include engaging with community members, on-water exercises and training, procuring equipment, and developing response strategies within the Heiltsuk territory.

This is one of several collaborations between the Canadian Coast Guard and the Heiltsuk Nation.The Government of Canada and the Heiltsuk Nation continue to work together to enhance the Nation's role in marine environmental response to provide emergency response capacity on the coast of British Columbia. Building on several years of collaborative discussions, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in March 2021, formalizing a commitment between the Nation and the Government of Canada to enhance community spill response capacity, including development of the Heiltsuk Marine Emergency Response Team.

The Oceans Protection Plan is a Canadian success story. When Indigenous Peoples, industry, communities, academia, and government work together to protect our environment, grow our economy, and support good jobs across the country, we deliver real results. A renewed and expanded Oceans Protection Plan will keep our oceans and coasts healthy, advance reconciliation, and build a clean future for our children and grandchildren.

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-coast-guard/news/2022/10/canadian-coast-guard-and-the-heiltsuk-nation-announce-5-million-pilot-project-to-support-development-of-heiltsuk-marine-response-team.html

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    by Murray Brewster The U.S.-led North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) asked the Canadian military to do an inventory of its bases and the surrounding civilian infrastructure, looking for critical systems vulnerable to a cyberattack. The letter to Canada's chief of the defence staff, written by then-Norad commander U.S. Admiral William Gourtney just over three years ago, was obtained by CBC News under access to information legislation. Despite the passage of time, two leading cyber experts said the request highlights an enduring concern of both defence planners and people in high-tech industries. The notion that a cyberattack could shut down civilian infrastructure — such as power grids, water treatment plants or traffic systems — in the vicinity of a military base is nothing new. What is unusual is that Norad sought reassurance, at the highest levels of the military, that Canada was on top of the evolving threat. The Norad commander asked Gen. 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