These are the Marine Communications and Traffic Services centres operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. They provide distress and safety communications, vessel traffic services and marine weather information. "The Canadian Coast Guard announced in May of 2012 that they would be reducing the number of MCTS Centres across Canada from 22 to the present 12 centres in an effort to reduce the Coast Guard operating budget."[1]
Map showing the operating regions of the Canadian Coast Guard: the Atlantic Region, the Central and Arctic Region and the Western Region.