Government of Canada donates surplus Coast Guard helicopter

The Government of Canada is supporting the development of well-trained, skilled personnel to serve the aerospace industry of the future by donating surplus Coast Guard assets to colleges and universities across Canada.

These donations are helping to support aircraft maintenance training in Canada, providing practical and hands-on experience to students.

On behalf of Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, Anita Vandenbeld, and MP for Ottawa-Vanier, Mona Fortier, announced that Algonquin College has received a Coast Guard Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm BO105 helicopter.

“The Canadian Coast Guard’s helicopter donation, which will be housed at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, will provide the students of Algonquin College with the opportunity and tools they need to further advance their skills within the aircraft maintenance program; furthermore, it will allow them to experience real-life projects and responsibilities so they will be prepared upon graduation,” said Fortier.

Nine other educational training institutions located across Canada have also received a donated BO105 helicopter: Northern Lights College, Dawson Creek, British Columbia; British Columbia Institute of Technology, Richmond, British Columbia; Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta; Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Canadore College, North Bay, Ontario; Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology, Scarborough, Ontario; École nationale d’aérotechnique (Cégep Édouard-Montpetit), Saint-Hubert, Que.; Nova Scotia Community College, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; and College of the North Atlantic, Gander, Newfoundland.

The 10 Coast Guard BO105 helicopters were in service in the Canadian Coast Guard for more than 30 years. The first BO 105 helicopter was purchased by Coast Guard in April 1985, and the last unit was purchased in April of 1988. The helicopter fleet plays an essential part in supporting programs such as icebreaking, marine communication, aids to navigation, environmental response, waterway protection, conservation and protection, science and support to other government departments as required.

As part of the Coast Guard’s Fleet Renewal Plan, the Government of Canada has purchased and deployed 22 new helicopters , including 15 light-lift helicopters (Bell Epi 429) and seven medium-lift helicopters (Bell Epi 412).