Canadian Coast Guard College
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Coast Guard College (CCGC) is a maritime training college and Canadian Coast Guard
facility located in Westmount
in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, near Sydney
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
.
CCGC trains both Officer Cadets for the Canadian Coast Guard in a 4-year program whereby graduates receive a Bachelor of Technology
(Nautical Science) granted in collaboration with Cape Breton University
, and Marine Communications and Traffic Services Officers through a six-month program which specializes in radiotelephony procedures for marine safety, and co-ordinated vessel traffic movement throughout Canadian Territorial Waters.
along the western shore of Sydney Harbour, CCGC's first mandate was to train young men in 4-year diplomas of Marine Engineering or Marine Navigation for the Coast Guard's Officer Training Program. The Officer Training Program expanded in 1973 to include women.
In 1981, CCGC moved from its location on the former Point Edward naval base to an adjacent custom-built 120 acre (486,000 m²) campus in neighbouring Westmount
. The campus is located in a wooded area immediately south of Point Edward and adjacent to Petersfield Provincial Park. It consists of a variety of interlinked residential, training, administration, and health/fitness facilities. CCGC also has extensive simulators for depicting the navigation of vessels in a variety of scenarios, fully operational dry-land mock-ups of vessel engine rooms, and a simulator for a rescue coordination centre (RCC).
CCGC has a small fleet of training vessels ranging from sail boats and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) to 40 foot (12 m) lifeboat cutters, and one state of the art 47 feet (14.3 m) motor life boat- all housed in a custom-built boathouse on the college's waterfront along a small cove. Operational icebreakers, buoy tenders, and search and rescue patrol vessels in the coast guard's Atlantic and Arctic fleets frequently call at Sydney Harbour to conduct cadet familiarization training.
In the 1980s to 2000s, the college expanded its training programs to include not only the 4 year Officer Training Program for the Coast Guard, but also customized marine training for students from Commonwealth
Caribbean
nations, as well as other federal government agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Department of Transport. The 4 year Officer Training Program has also been expanded to include training for students from several Middle East
nations.
In the 1995, the 4 year Officer Training Program was granted degree accreditation through an agreement with the University College of Cape Breton, since renamed Cape Breton University
. Following completion of the Officer Training program, graduates now receive a Bachelor of Technology (Nautical Science) from CBU.
CCGC functions as a conference facility for federal and international government-sponsored events and provides a variety of customized short term training programs for government agencies.
In 2011 CCGS CG 117
and CCGS CG 118
were retired as training vessels.
These vessels are modified 44-foot motor lifeboat
used by the Coast Guard (18 excluding these training versions) from 1966 to 1970s.
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
facility located in Westmount
Westmount, Nova Scotia
Westmount is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-Geography:Located on the west bank of the Sydney River at the point where Sydney Harbour begins, Westmount faces Sydney's downtown. Neighbouring communities include Point Edward, Coxheath and Edwardsville...
in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, near Sydney
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
CCGC trains both Officer Cadets for the Canadian Coast Guard in a 4-year program whereby graduates receive a Bachelor of Technology
Bachelor of Technology
The Bachelor of Technology is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after completion of a three or four year program of studies at an accredited university or accredited university-level institution...
(Nautical Science) granted in collaboration with Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
, and Marine Communications and Traffic Services Officers through a six-month program which specializes in radiotelephony procedures for marine safety, and co-ordinated vessel traffic movement throughout Canadian Territorial Waters.
History
Established in 1965 as a residential college on the site of the former navy base located at Point EdwardPoint Edward, Nova Scotia
Point Edward is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.It is located on the southwest shore of the North West Arm of Sydney Harbour, immediately north of the community of North West Arm, south of Edwardsville and west of Westmount.Point Edward is also the name of a headland...
along the western shore of Sydney Harbour, CCGC's first mandate was to train young men in 4-year diplomas of Marine Engineering or Marine Navigation for the Coast Guard's Officer Training Program. The Officer Training Program expanded in 1973 to include women.
In 1981, CCGC moved from its location on the former Point Edward naval base to an adjacent custom-built 120 acre (486,000 m²) campus in neighbouring Westmount
Westmount, Nova Scotia
Westmount is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-Geography:Located on the west bank of the Sydney River at the point where Sydney Harbour begins, Westmount faces Sydney's downtown. Neighbouring communities include Point Edward, Coxheath and Edwardsville...
. The campus is located in a wooded area immediately south of Point Edward and adjacent to Petersfield Provincial Park. It consists of a variety of interlinked residential, training, administration, and health/fitness facilities. CCGC also has extensive simulators for depicting the navigation of vessels in a variety of scenarios, fully operational dry-land mock-ups of vessel engine rooms, and a simulator for a rescue coordination centre (RCC).
CCGC has a small fleet of training vessels ranging from sail boats and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) to 40 foot (12 m) lifeboat cutters, and one state of the art 47 feet (14.3 m) motor life boat- all housed in a custom-built boathouse on the college's waterfront along a small cove. Operational icebreakers, buoy tenders, and search and rescue patrol vessels in the coast guard's Atlantic and Arctic fleets frequently call at Sydney Harbour to conduct cadet familiarization training.
In the 1980s to 2000s, the college expanded its training programs to include not only the 4 year Officer Training Program for the Coast Guard, but also customized marine training for students from Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
nations, as well as other federal government agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Department of Transport. The 4 year Officer Training Program has also been expanded to include training for students from several Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
nations.
In the 1995, the 4 year Officer Training Program was granted degree accreditation through an agreement with the University College of Cape Breton, since renamed Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. Following completion of the Officer Training program, graduates now receive a Bachelor of Technology (Nautical Science) from CBU.
CCGC functions as a conference facility for federal and international government-sponsored events and provides a variety of customized short term training programs for government agencies.
Departments
- Marine Communications and Traffic Services
- Marine Maintenance and Equipment Training
- Marine Engineering (Officer Training Program)
- Navigation (Officer Training Program, Search and Rescue, Environmental Response)
- Arts, Sciences and Languages (Officer Training Program)
- Superintendent of Officer Cadets (Officer Training Program)
Training Vessels
There is one vessel assigned to the College:- CCGS GoélandCCGS GoélandCCGS Goéland is one of three training vessels of the Canadian Coast Guard and located at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Westmount, Nova Scotia. The ship is based on the 44-foot motor lifeboat, a converted self-righting lifeboat and similar to the Waveney class lifeboat....
In 2011 CCGS CG 117
CCGS CG 117
CCGS CG 117 was one of three training vessels of the Canadian Coast Guard and located at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Westmount, Nova Scotia. The ship is based on the 44-foot motor lifeboat, a converted self-righting lifeboat and variant of the Waveney class lifeboat...
and CCGS CG 118
CCGS CG 118
CCGS CG 118 is one of three training vessels of the Canadian Coast Guard and located at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Westmount, Nova Scotia. The ship is based on the 44-foot motor lifeboat, a converted self-righting lifeboat similar to the Waveney class lifeboat....
were retired as training vessels.
These vessels are modified 44-foot motor lifeboat
44-foot motor lifeboat
The 44-foot motor lifeboat was the standard workhorse of the United States Coast Guard rescue boat fleet. The 44′ MLB has been replaced by the 47′ MLB....
used by the Coast Guard (18 excluding these training versions) from 1966 to 1970s.