Sarnia, Ontario – The Canadian Coast Guard in partnership with the United States Coast Guard will be icebreaking on northern Georgian Bay and McGregor Bay on or about January 1 through January 3 2018. The Coast Guard will assist a tug and barge to the Lafarge cement plant at the Whitefish River First Nation territory. Please see the attached chart showing the planned route to Whitefish River.
More Coast Guard icebreaking operations are planned for Midland Ontario (southern Georgian Bay) on or about January 2 through 4 2018 and, potentially, Thessalon Ontario (north shore of Lake Huron) December 31 to January 02.
Please see the attached charts labelled Thessalon and Midland for icebreaker routes.
These dates, schedules and routes are subject to change with little or no notice, due to weather and ice conditions and other unexpected situations.
The Ontario Provincial Police remind ice surface users that all ice on or near the shipping routes and icebreaking operations should be considered unsafe. Ship tracks may not freeze over immediately and newly fallen snow may obscure tracks. Changes in weather contribute to unsafe ice conditions.
The Canadian Coast Guard provides icebreaking services for commercial ships, ferries and fishing vessels in ice-covered Canadian waters, including vessel escorts, harbour breakouts, maintaining shipping routes and providing ice information services. These services:
- Help to ensure safe navigation,
- prevent the formation of ice jams and flooding, and
- maintain open routes for maritime commerce.
For further information please visit : http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/Icebreaking/home
