Community members are often the first responders to marine incidents in their surrounding waters. The Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Program improves marine safety at a local level, giving funding to Indigenous communities to buy emergency response-capable boats and equipment to support their membership in the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. The goal of this program is to empower communities with the equipment and training to respond safely to marine incidents in their community.
Under the Oceans Protection Plan, 40 Indigenous communities have received approximately $12 million to buy boats and equipment to take part in maritime search and rescue in their community. Under the next phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, this initiative will continue to increase Indigenous participation in Canada’s marine response system and support the Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Project.