PROGRAM TO PROTECT CANADA’S COASTLINES AND WATERWAYS
-
The objectives of the Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways are to strengthen the safety of Canada’s marine transportation system and protect Canada’s coastlines and waterways.
-
The Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways mostly consists of Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) initiatives.
-
To date, the Government of Canada has committed over $372 million in federal funding for 516 projects across the country.
-
In the 2025-26 Main Estimates, this program’s planned spending authorities is approximately $92.6M ($91.6M in contributions plus, $950K in grants).
-
In the 2024-25 Main Estimates, this program’s planned spending authorities was approximately $82.4M ($81.8M in contributions plus, $550K in grants)
-
The increase between 2024-25 and 2025-26 is to match funding requirements of the program’s recipients.
SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGES
-
The Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways’ funding programs consist of both grant and contribution components.
-
The initiatives under the Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways make shipping safer, protect marine animals and coasts, improve Canada’s ability to prevent and respond to marine incidents, and strengthen meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities.
-
The funding for most of the initiatives under the Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways is sunsetting in 2026-27.
UPDATE
The Government of Canada continues to monitor the funding flow to the Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways initiatives to continue supporting and improving Canada’s ability to prevent and respond to marine incidents and strengthen meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities.
BACKGROUND
The Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways (PPCCW) encompasses multiple Oceans Protection Plan initiatives as well as the High Arctic Community Harbour Infrastructure Initiative.
On November 7, 2016, the Federal Government launched the $1.5 billion national Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) to improve marine safety and responsible shipping, to protect Canada's marine environment, and to offer new possibilities for Indigenous and coastal communities. Through Budget 2022, the Government committed to providing $2 billion over nine years, starting in 2022-23, to renew and expand the Oceans Protection Plan.
Through Budget 2019, the Government announced $76.48 million starting in 2021-22, plus $1.5 million per year ongoing, for the High Arctic Community Harbour Infrastructure Initiative, delivered through the PPCCW, and supporting the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement.
SUPPORTING FACTS AND FIGURES
-
$58.7 million in contribution funding has been approved under the Marine Training Program to four schools to raise public awareness of, and access to, training and job opportunities for underrepresented groups in the marine sector including women, Northerners, Inuit and Indigenous Peoples.
-
Since the launch of the Marine Training Program, over 1,123 students from underrepresented groups have graduated from different training courses (759 Indigenous and Northerners, 364 women) with at least 675 graduates employed in the Marine Industry (60%).
-
Since the inception of the Abandoned Boats Program, 209 abandoned and/or wrecked vessels have been removed from Canadian waters.
-
Three projects are ongoing under the Ballast Water Innovation Program for a total amount of $8,045,619 to support industry efforts to advance solutions to address technical challenges with the installation, operation and maintenance of Ballast Water Management Systems on vessels in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region.
-
Over $149.1 million in contribution funding has been approved under the Safety Equipment and Basic Marine Infrastructure in Northern Communities Initiative for 33 projects seeking to strengthen the safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility of critical sealift and re-supply services in the North (31 of these have been announced). To date, four projects have been completed, with 11 northern communities directly benefiting through increased marine safety capacity outcomes.
-
The High Arctic Community Harbour Infrastructure Initiative is providing up to $76.48 million in contribution funding for the design and construction of community harbors in Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay, Nunavut.
-
Under the Indigenous and Local Communities Engagement and Partnership Program, approximately $37 million in contribution funding has been approved to date for Indigenous groups to support longer-term Oceans Protection Plan initiatives, including $16 million announced on February 4, 2025, for 34 Indigenous communities and organizations to hire marine coordinators across Canada. Program funding supports priorities such as improving the marine safety system, strengthening marine incident response, and protecting and restoring marine ecosystems.
-
The Program to Enhance Maritime Situational Awareness provides ongoing contribution funding to 13 Indigenous partners, including approximately $9M from 2024-25 to 2026-27, for their continued participation in developing, testing, and evaluating the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness (EMSA) system, a user-friendly, web-based platform that provides near real-time maritime activity information within their local waterways. As a result of this participation, to date, over 798 EMSA system licenses have been issued to Indigenous partners, coastal communities, and stakeholders across Canada and the software is being used in 73 unique Indigenous communities across the country.