The Canadian Coast Guard has added another Bay-Class search and rescue lifeboat to its fleet, strengthening its ability to respond to mariners in distress.
Built by Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, Ontario, CCGS Mira Bay is a high-endurance search and rescue lifeboat designed to support the Coast Guard's response to emergencies at sea. The vessel was delivered and accepted by the Canadian Coast Guard in November 2025.
The commissioning of the vessel marks another milestone in the delivery of 20 new Bay-class search and rescue lifeboats for the Canadian Coast Guard.
With the addition of CCGS Mira Bay, all 20 vessels under the program have now been delivered.
“The CCGS Mira Bay strengthens search and rescue off our coasts, helping our Coast Guard respond quickly and effectively to those in need. This new Bay Class lifeboat delivers on our commitment to safe, Canadian-built vessels," David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, said.
“With the CCGS Mira Bay, we are strengthening the Canadian Coast Guard’s ability to protect mariners and coastal communities while investing in our economy. Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, we are building modern vessels here in Canada, supporting good jobs in our marine industry, and strengthening our domestic industrial capacity. This is how we keep Canadians safe while building a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy," Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, added.
“The addition of the CCGS Mira Bay to our fleet reinforces the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue capabilities, making sure crews are well-equipped to respond when Canadians need them most. This new Bay Class lifeboat underscores our commitment to investing in safe, dependable, Canadian-built vessels that serve communities from coast to coast to coast," Kevin Brosseau, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, commented.
In 2018, Chantier Naval Forillon and Hike Metal Products were each awarded contracts to build four additional Bay-class search and rescue lifeboats. These contracts followed earlier contracts awarded in 2015 for six lifeboats each, bringing the total to 10 vessels for each shipyard. The combined value of the contracts was approximately $180 million.
The new lifeboats are specifically designed, equipped and crewed to respond to incidents at sea. The self-righting vessels can operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore and maintain a maximum 30-minute state of readiness at all times, with the ability to typically respond as soon as an alert is received.
To date, 30 small vessels have been delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. These include 20 search and rescue lifeboats, two channel survey and sounding vessels, seven hydrographic survey vessels and one coastal research vessel.