FERGUS – Growing up surrounded by farmland and countryside might not seem a direct path to life on a boat.
For Joshua Klages-Parisotto, it was a fishing trip with his father that led him to consider a career with the Canadian Coast Guard.
“Five or six years ago we were fishing on Lake Ontario when I saw a coast guard boat go by, and I thought, ‘that could be interesting.’ So I did some research. And here I am,” the 22-year-old said in an interview.
Klages-Parisotto, who grew up in Fergus, discovered the Canadian Coast Guard offers free tuition, room and board to candidates accepted into the program.
And there’s a job waiting for them when they complete their training.
And the job is hands-on, as opposed to a desk job, all of which appealed to the former Centre Wellington Fusion player.
“It ticked all the boxes for me,” he said.
Klages-Parisotto graduated on June 1 from the Canadian Coast Guard College with a degree in marine engineering.
And now he is crew of Prescott, Ontario based CCGS Griffon as a marine engineering officer.
So he’s hardly had a minute to discover what the job really entails, although his training was extensive, he said, and included simulating experiences at sea along with a great deal of math.
The Canadian Coast Guard is an operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Its job is to ensure the safety of mariners in Canadian waters, to protect marine environment, to support the safe and efficient movement of maritime trade, and to ensure Canada’s sovereignty and security in Canadian waters.
The coast guard conducts search and rescue operations, breaks ice on waterways for wintertime passage, and provides mapping and navigation data for mariners.
As a marine engineer, Klages-Parisotto will spend most of his time in the engine room of the ship, maintaining the engine and machinery.
The crew works four weeks on and then gets four weeks off. They work 12-hour shifts and do have some time off, even while aboard the ship.
Klages-Parisotto said it’s that camaraderie – a sense of belonging to a team – that really appealed to him.
And that’s something he experienced while playing hockey in Fergus.
“When I played with Fusion, I’d work with the coaches and my teammates. I like that feeling of belonging and I learned I like to help people,” he said.
“Originally I thought I might want to be a police officer. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the coast guard.”
As it turned out, the last four years at coast guard college in Cape Breton provided him and his fellow cadets the opportunity to learn first-hand what it means to help people in need, as the region faced several states of emergency, from Hurricane Fiona, floods and the massive 2024 snowstorm.
It’s that rolling-up-your-sleeves attitude and working with a team that he really enjoys, Klages-Parisotto said.
“With the Fusion, the team became my family. It’s like that here, too,” he said.
“On board you become a family too. I’ve made the best friends through this, and I know we’ll be in contact for the rest of my life.
“Going to Coast Guard College was one the better decisions I’ve made.”
Sam Di Lorenzo, a communications officer with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said they are always looking for recruits and there are jobs available.
For more information about the Canadian Coast Guard, visit ccg-gcc.gc.ca.
