The CGS Stanley cutting a path for icebound vessels out of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia Source
Did you know that the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)—which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year—is heir to a long tradition originating in Canada’s East Coast? It is there that the first Canadian lighthouses and lifeboats were built during the
18th century.
Created in 1962 by the Honourable Leon Balcer, the then Minister of Transport, the CCG’s mission is to ensure safe and accessible waterways for Canadians. Library and Archives Canada (LAC) owns many archival records that document the activities of the CCG since its creation. Today, we invite you to discover some of these holdings, including photographs as well as government and political records.
Browse a few examples of digitized documents in the Archives Search Results page .
PHOTOGRAPHS
- The James Patrick Croal fonds (naval officer and Arctic specialist) includes photographs of CCG activities in the Far North: Photographs Series, R5272-1-2-E
- The Ted Grant fonds (photographer) contains photographs of the West Coast Guard and College: West Coast Guard File, R11502
- Canadian Coast Guard College—Department of Transport File, R11502
- The John Frederick McNulty fonds (photographer) includes some photographs of the CCG aircraft fleet: PhotographsSeries, R10523-1-7-E
GOVERNMENT RECORDS
The Government fonds include textual records, technical drawings and boat plans.
POLITICAL RECORDS
LAC holds the archival fonds of former ministers of Transport, which contain records of the CCG. Here are two examples:
- Donald Mazankowski fonds, Transport Series, R8096-2-1-E
- John Crosbie fonds, Transport Series, R3256-6-4-E
Please remember that not all of our material is available online. To learn more, consult our article How to Consult Material that Is Not Yet Available Online.
To view images, please visit our Flickr set.
Stay tuned for our next blog to discover more Canadian Coast Guard history, including caricatures, audiovisual records and publications.
Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!
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