Magdalen Islands Hosts Annual Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Competitions

On Saturday, September 15th, 2007, the Magdalen Islands was host to the 25th annual Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) friendly competitions. The exercises were held at La Grave, Amherst between 8:00am and 4:00pm, at the wharf behind the Islands Aquarium. This was the second time that the competitions were held on the islands. The first time it had been held here was 20 years ago.

Each year a different zone is chosen to hold the annual competitions. There are sixteen zones, throughout the Maritime Provinces and the Magdalen Islands, with the Magdalen Islands being zone 7. Zones 1 to 16 are around the coastal regions of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands. Last year the competitions were held in Shediac, N.B. Next year they will be at Caraquet, New Brunswick.

Each of the sixteen zones sent three of their members to join in, on the friendly competition, along with each of the zone directors, judges, wives and volunteer victims. For the most part, they arrived Friday evening on the islands’ car ferry, ‘Madeleine’, though a few arrived earlier in the week to do some island exploring.

The Maritime Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary has been in effect for the past 29 years. Because the Coast Guard was and still is stretched thin owing to the extensive coast line of Canada, various regions created a volunteer auxiliary with the fishermen and pleasure boaters of each of the small harbours. Newfoundland/Labrador and Quebec both have their own auxiliaries, but the Magdalen Islands chose to be a part of the Maritime-based auxiliary. In essence, the Coast Guard Auxiliary keep their ears, eyes and radio open and watch over the waters in their areas and are the first to respond to an emergency on the sea. These are the fishing boats that are in the harbours or the pleasure boats in the marinas. Each year, these volunteers study new means of saving lives and if possible the vessels. Their primary goal is to save lives and if they can save the vessel in trouble without risk to human lives, they will do so.

“This year, the three member team that was chosen from our Islands rank was Steve Burke of Grosse Isle, Roberto Bourgeois and Roberto Martinet. Because of an illness on the Prince Edward Island team, Mario Déraspe has volunteered to be a part of their team,” said Andréa Landry, member of the CCGA. “The exercises are held in the spirit of a friendly competition, but the emphasis is on overall team practice and not on the competition factor.”

“On the Magdalen Islands, we have approximately three full practices a year. However, every volunteer must take the courses in communications, first aid, chart reading and others, to be prepared for emergencies,” said zone 7 director and coordinator for the event, Michel Noël. “The Islands’ auxiliary have fifty members and 32 fishing (80%) and pleasure (20%) vessels.”

“Our Search and Rescue (SAR) Competitions are held annually to give our volunteers a chance to compete in various events and to meet members from other zones. It is a valuable learning experience that our volunteer members receive, at these Competitions. Winning a prize or an award is not the objective of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, but working together as a team is our goal. By teamwork almost anything is possible,” said Frank McLaughlin, President of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.