New Canadian Coast Guard Helicopters from Bell, Montreal

[MarkOttawa]

Acquired very rapidly, effectively sole-sourced--and what political or media uproar?  At Defense Industry Daily:

Ring My Bell: New Helicopters for Canada’s Coast Guard
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ring-my-bell-new-helicopters-for-canadas-coast-guard-014679/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Spencer100]

Mark

You sounded critical in your Blog to me with the Quebec angle. 

I was going to post that you were critical of it and add your link until I saw the name 

I read your blog all the time 

 

[Tibbson]

Comparing the public's perception of the Coast Guard to its perception of the military is like comparing Firemen to Cops.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Spencer100: Not actually being critical, just noting that certain factors can cool usual sole-source hoo-hah.  Swift process, and if the helos can do the job, why not? 

The CCG sure does fly under the media's and pols' radar though, unlike the Forces--unless there's an oil spill in Vancouver:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=coast+guard+vancouver&num=100&client=firefox-a&hs=sPU&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=XX0tVbHdNriRsQSZ34CoCA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1067&bih=498

And almost no national media attention to recent ice-breaking efforts in Great Lakes:
https://www.google.ca/search?num=100&client=firefox-a&hs=Xk9&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1067&bih=498&tbm=nws&q=coast+guard+lakes+icebreaking&oq=coast+guard+lakes+icebreaking&gs_l=serp.3..30i10.65435.73154.0.74179.19.19.0.0.0.0.130.1878.8j10.18.0.msedr...0...1c.1.64.serp..12.7.775.fhvx0SEOHkE

Maybe didn't fit with global warming?

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The CCG is in a stew of their own making in Vancouver, in my opinion the CCG senior management and the local Royal Canadian Marine Rescue Society suckered the Cons into closing the base with promises they can't meet. The cons don't know when to admit a mistake and change tack.

the CCG does icebreaking and buoy tending very well, it sucks at PR. It used to suck at rescuing as well. Historically note it was the crew at Kit's base that created and pushed the concept of CCG Rescue Specialists into the CCG against the desire of senior management and Captains, one who said "No way i going to let a deck ape help a woman deliver a baby"  :

In fact we didn't get paid any extra for being a Rescue Specialist for the first 3-5 years.