The Canadian Coast Guard has welcomed its first large vessel on the Great Lakes in over 30 years, named after former Niagara Falls Liberal MP Judy LaMarsh.
The Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Judy LaMarsh was officially welcomed into the fleet by Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy, representing defence minister David McGuinty, on Sept. 10. The vessel will be based in Prescott, Ontario, and will carry out icebreaking and buoy tending operations across the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River in Ontario and Quebec.
The CCGS Judy LaMarsh was purchased in 2021 and underwent retrofit work at a dockyard in St. John’s, Newfoundland, between 2023 and 2025, before it officially joined the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. The refurbishment included work on the vessel’s propulsion, communications, and navigation systems, as well as upgrades to workplaces and accommodation facilities, and the installation of a new buoy crane.
The Coast Guard’s Great Lakes coverages extends along the Canada-United States order, from the St. Lawrence River to the western point of Lake Superior, which is a distance of approximately 2,400 kilometres. Because most of Canada’s population lives in the Great Lakes basin, the main priority for the Coast Guard in this area is to keep the waters safe and open for use.
“The Great Lakes are vital to Canada’s economy, our communities and our security,” said McGuinty in a statement. “With the CCGS Judy LaMarsh, we are strengthening the Canadian Coast Guard’s ability to keep these waters safe and open year-round. This vessel will give Coast Guard crews another important tool to deliver for Canadians across the region – from icebreaking and maintaining navigation routes to supporting safe and reliable maritime operations.”
Interestingly, the new vessel was named after Judy LaMarsh, who was first elected to Parliament in 1960 representing Niagara Falls. LaMarsh joined the Cabinet of Lester Pearson in 1963 as Minister of National Health and Welfare, playing an instrumental role in the adoption of Medicare at the federal level. In late 1965, LaMarsh was given a new role as Secretary of State for Canada. In that role, she presided over Canada’s Centennial celebrations and initiated the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. LaMarsh was just the second woman to serve in the federal Cabinet, after Ellen Fairclough under John Diefenbaker.
LaMarsh chose not to run for re-election in 1968 after Pierre Trudeau won the leadership of the Liberal Party to succeed Pearson.
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
