The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG–There is word the Canadian Coast Guard will continue to patrol the shores of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba and Lake of the Woods in Ontario.
The union representing coast guard crews and search-and-rescue specialists announced yesterday the federal government has reversed a decision to close the service in these areas.
Earlier this month, the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees said the coast guard planned to eliminate marine services on inland waterways.
The union said that would have meant the closure of stations in Gimli and Selkirk in Manitoba and in Kenora, Ont.
Union president Christine Collins said she’s grateful Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for the coast guard, saw the light, adding communities and boaters can breathe a sigh of relief.
Manitoba Conservative James Bezan, the MP for Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman, called the reversal a huge victory.
“It is absolutely essential that Canada’s inland waters remain safe and secure under the protection of the Canadian Coast Guard,” Bezan said in a news release.
