February 9, 1948 (20th Parliament, 4th Session)

Hon. LIONEL CHEVRIER (Minister of Transport.):

I think the question might have been more properly directed to myself than to the Minister of National Defence, and I am happy to answer it. The matter is one which has been given consideration not only by the Department of Transport but also by the government as a whole, and while the establishment of a coast guard deserves a great deal of sympathetic consideration, on the other hand when one considers the tremendous cost which would follow the extensive establishment of coast- guards on all the coasts of Canada he cannot help but come to the conclusion that the cost would be entirely out of proportion to the matter to which my hon. friend referred. I should bring to the hon. member's attention, however, the fact that at the present time the existing facilities for such service are marine service steamers, fishery patrol vessels, Royal Canadian Mounted Police vessels and also the search and rescue squads of the R.C.A.F., which are devoted almost exclusively to air rescue, but which oftentimes have come to the assistance of marine casualties.