The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), launched on November 7, 2016, by the Government of Canada is the largest single investment ever made to protect Canada’s coast and waterways.
The OPP has recently released an interactive map of Canada, which shows the location of each project and initiative that has been announced under the Plan, including:
- Funding projects to help restore coastal aquatic habitats that will benefit several key species including Southern Resident Killer Whales and Chinook Salmon
- New Coast Guard stations along the coast of BC
- Funding research projects to understand the impact of underwater noise on marine life, including Southern Resident Killer Whales
- Establishing a partnership with North and Central Coast First Nations in BC to work together on marine safety and oceans protection
- Partnerships with Indigenous groups to develop a web-based system that increases access to local maritime data
- Constructing six new radars to provide an accurate picture of traffic in BC waters
- Installing new environmental response equipment to help the Coast Guard respond to environmental threats
Minimizing our marine and coastal impact is a priority for Trans Mountain, and in our more than 65 years of loading marine vessels we have not had a single spill from tanker loading operations. While we do not own or operate any of the ships that call at our Westridge Marine Terminal, strong partnerships are an important part of our work to maintain our safe record of marine operations and protect our coasts.
Through our work developing the Expansion Project we have identified and proposed additional measures that will build on the current marine safety regime and further mitigate risk due to increased tanker traffic. Once implemented, they are expected to raise the level of care and safety in the region to well above globally-accepted shipping standards. A number of these measures are already underway.
For more information about Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, check out the OPP’s new interactive map.
Or, read more about the Plan on the Government of Canada website.