World Hydrography Day

The United Nations, in its General Assembly Resolution A/60/30 of 29 November 2005, “Welcomes the adoption by the International Hydrographic Organization of the “World Hydrography Day”, to be celebrated annually on June 21st, with the aim of giving suitable publicity to its work at all levels and of increasing the coverage of hydrographic information on a global basis, and urges all States to work with that organization to promote safe navigation, especially in the areas of international navigation, ports and and where there are vulnerable or protected marine areas.

The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is a respected member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and a world leader in the production of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), promoting Canadian industry through technical support, collaborative arrangements, and technology diffusion.

International Hydrographic Organization

The International Hydrographic Organization is an intergovernmental consultative and technical organization that was established in 1921 to support safety in navigation and the protection of the marine environment.

The object of the Organization is to bring about:

• The coordination of the activities of national hydrographic offices;
• The greatest possible uniformity in nautical charts and documents;
• The adoption of reliable and efficient methods of carrying out and exploiting hydrographic surveys;
• The development of the sciences in the field of hydrography and the techniques employed in descriptive oceanography.

CHS Motto

Nautical Charts Protect Lives, Property and the Marine Environment

Download the World Hydrography Day Poster (PDF- 1.2Mb)

It's only reasonable to assume that our motto should reflect our mission statement. The interests of the Canadian hydrographer and the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) are to produce and promote navigational information in order to protect lives, property, and the marine environment.

CHS is mandated through several legislated acts to collect, compile, publish, and distribute hydrographic charts and related nautical publications to facilitate safe and efficient navigation throughout Canadian and adjacent international navigable waters.