Gimli search and rescue not on the chopping block, minister tells Parliament

The future of the Canadian Coast Guard's search-and-rescue operation in Gimli, Man., seems safe for now.

On June 1, the union representing coast guard employees announced the end of services on Lake Winnipeg, the Red River and Lake of the Woods in Ontario, sparking concerns about the future of navigation and search-and-rescue services in the areas.

Earlier this week, Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister of fisheries and oceans, told Parliament that in-land bases where there are coast guard search-and-rescue programs will not be cut.

"I can tell the House that on in-land waterways where we're currently providing a search-and-rescue service, there will be no cuts," LeBlanc said Tuesday.

"In fact, there will be increases in the capacity of the Canadian Coast Guard to provide these search-and-rescue services."