Government of Canada and 10 Indigenous coastal communities select developer for maritime awareness information system

OTTAWA, March 8, 2019 /CNW/ - Under the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is making sure our coasts are protected in a modern and advanced way, and working with our Indigenous partners to achieve this goal. Canada's coasts support Indigenous and coastal communities, enable international trade, are home to precious ecosystems, and play a key role in strengthening the economy and growing the middle class.

Today, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility Canada, and the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced that Fujitsu Consulting (Canada) Inc. has been selected to develop, host, and maintain a new maritime awareness information system in Canada.

This system is a key component of the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness Initiative (EMSA), which is funded under the Oceans Protection Plan. Under the EMSA Initiative, the Government of Canada is developing a system to better monitor and collect data on maritime activity. After a pilot project launches in the spring, participating partners will be able to test the system and access a range of valuable near real-time maritime information, including data on vessel traffic, weather, and marine protected areas. This system will help coastal communities access relevant data to decide vessel routes, identify sensitive areas, increase safety on the water, and protect the environment. Representatives from 10 Indigenous organizations are working with Transport Canada to test this new system over this one-year pilot period.    

On February 6 and 7, 2019, representatives from 10 Indigenous organizations from Canada's coasts met in Ottawa to evaluate solutions demonstrated by companies developing the maritime awareness information system. As a result of this evaluation process, Fujitsu Consulting (Canada) Inc. was selected and will receive up to $2.5 million dollars to develop this system. To date, this is the largest awarded agile procurement contract in Canada's history.

The 10 Indigenous organizations hosting pilot projects will identify national and local coastal priorities and contribute their expertise and historical information to the project. The input of these key partners is a critical part of informing changes and updates to the system, so that it can meet the needs of coastal communities across Canada.

Quotes

"Through the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is proud to support projects that enhance maritime safety and environmental protection. This contract, the result of an agile procurement process and collaboration with Indigenous organizations, will draw upon Canadian expertise to develop a custom solution that will allow Indigenous and coastal communities to access maritime data in near real time, helping to protect people, the environment and ecosystems."

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough 
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

"Collaboration is a cornerstone of the Oceans Protection Plan and this project is a great example of what we can achieve when we work together. We are developing a new maritime awareness information system to enhance the availability of information and data on maritime activity that will also increase collaboration between the Government of Canada and communities, organizations and other levels of government. The 10 Indigenous organizations participating in this process were instrumental in the evaluation and will be testing and improving the system throughout the pilot project. The selection of the successful company announced today is an important milestone in this significant initiative."

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• The Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made to protect Canada's coasts and waterways. This national strategy is creating a world-leading marine safety system that provides economic opportunities for Canadians today, while protecting our coastlines and clean water for generations to come. The Government of Canada has announced initiatives worth more than $600 million under the Oceans Protection Plan.
• The Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness Initiative is developing a user-friendly web-based system that increases access to local maritime data, including vessel traffic, for Indigenous peoples, coastal communities and other stakeholders. The five-year, $62.5 million Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness Initiative was announced in November 2017.
• Agile procurement is a collaborative approach that stimulates continuous improvement. It brings together government and industry stakeholders to design procurements that focus on outcomes. The end result is to achieve best value and results for Canadians.

Associated Links

• Protecting our Coasts - Oceans Protection Plan
• Let's Talk – Oceans Protection Plan  
• News Release: Government of Canada provides over $2.5 million to four British Columbia coastal communities to increase availability of maritime data (November 2018)
• Newswire: Government of Canada Introduces new measures and enters into new partnerships for safer maritime navigation and emergency response through the Oceans Protection Plan (May 2018)

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SOURCE Transport Canada

Delphine Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, 613-991-0700, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, 613-993-0055, [email protected]; Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, 819-997-5421; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.tc.gc.ca/