Ashcroft Terminal Limited has signed an Investment Agreement with Canadian Tire Corporation in which the latter will acquire a 25 per cent equity interest in the company. PSA International Pte Ltd will continue as the operator and retain a majority interest of 60 per cent, with the remaining 15 per cent interest held by founding partner CrescentView Investments Ltd.  The partnership with Canadian Tire allows Ashcroft Terminal to further invest in infrastructure and capacity growth for the long-term, benefitting all of its customers. Canadian Tire will further diversify the customer base. The terminal is well-positioned to offer resilience in the supply chain of Canadian Tire and its other customers.  Ashcroft Terminal will also continue to bring long-term growth, employment and training opportunities and growth to the local communities.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on Thursday that its Metro Vancouver Marine Operations team has seized approximately 1,500 kg of 4-Piperidone, a precursor chemical essential to the production of fentanyl.  On July 16, border services officers examined a marine container that was declared as household goods. Officers found that the container contained a large quantity of an unknown chemical substance. They collected samples and sent them to the CBSA’s Contraband Drug Analysis Section for confirmation. The analysis confirmed the chemical to be 4-Piperidone, a Class A precursor under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, commonly used in the production of controlled substances such as fentanyl. The CBSA estimates the 1,500 kg of 4-Piperidone could have had the potential to produce over 2 billion doses of fentanyl. This seizure will help reduce the contamination of the illegal drug supply with highly toxic substances, potentially saving many lives.

Coast2000 Terminals (A Western IntermodeX Enterprise) is expanding its container depot services with a new 7-acre facility in Delta effective September 1, 2021. The expansion provides greater capacity and flexibility to the container shipping community in the Vancouver Gateway by having an additional depot south of the Fraser River. The new facility “Coast2000 River” is located at 9250 River Road in Delta, BC and will be complimentary to “Coast2000 Portside” that operates in Richmond on Portside Road.

Concurrently, Western Group has announced the creation of Western IntermodeX, its intermodal services division. Western IntermodeX (www.intermodex.com) will provide ocean carriers and cargo owners access to a network of import and export transload facilities, depot services, and final mile transportation. This seamless network will foster growth, innovation and expertise in the Vancouver and Prince Rupert gateways.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is putting $1 million in funding towards a near-term dredging solution to support key Delta channels, focusing on Ladner Harbour and Gunderson Slough. Over the past 10 years, the VFPA has provided $7 million to support dredging that benefits Canada's trade and local Fraser River communities. As the funding for the program has now concluded, the port authority is working with government to identify other sources of funding that will provide a longer-term solution to support dredging in the local channels.

As part of a national strategy, and the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada has been examining options to establish vessel-owner financed funds over the longer term to deal with the increased number of abandoned, wrecked, and hazardous vessels in Canadian waters.  Transport Canada has launched public consultations on the Let's Talk Transportation web page and is seeking input on a fee proposal for the Vessel Remediation Fund.  The Fund will be used to deal with problems vessels when they are abandoned and develop products to improve recycling and disposal options.  The deadline for input is November 9, 2021.

On Friday, Marilyn Slett, Chief, Heiltsuk Nation; Doug Neasloss, Chief, Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation; Samuel Schooner, Chief, Nuxalk Nation; Danielle Shaw, Chief, Wuikinuxv Nation, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada; the Honourable Katrine Conroy, B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; and the Honourable George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a feasibility assessment for a national marine conservation area reserve (NMCAR) in the Central Coast area of British Columbia.

The study area for the national marine conservation area reserve feasibility assessment is about 14,200 square kilometres in size, and located in the coastal and offshore marine waters adjacent to the Great Bear Rainforest on the Central Coast of British Columbia. The study area includes inshore and offshore marine ecosystems, that are adjacent to an intricate shoreline that includes steep walled fjords and narrow channels, island archipelagos, open coast, estuaries, sandy beaches, shell midden beaches, and rocky shorelines. This dynamic environment is home to numerous species of marine mammals, including humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, Harbour and Dall’s porpoises, more than 6000 species of invertebrates, 400 species of fish, 150 species of birds, and some of the largest kelp forests in British Columbia. It is also an important habitat for a number of endangered species including eulachon, abalone, bocaccio, marbled murrelet, and sea otters.

The feasibility assessment, led by Central Coast Nations, Parks Canada, and the Government of British Columbia, will use western science, Indigenous knowledge, and the results of consultations with stakeholders including the fishing industry, non-government organizations, and Canadians to consider the social, cultural, environmental, and ecosystem benefits and impacts of establishing a national marine conservation area reserve in the Central Coast of British Columbia. The results of the feasibility assessment will inform future decisions about whether the proposal will continue, including a proposed boundary and zoning considerations. Many commercial vessels sail these waters, including tugs with barges, passenger vessels, and some larger commercial vessels in transit.

 

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 aims to establish minimum service standards intended to support American exporters and address a trade imbalance with China and other countries. The bill was introduced this week by congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) in response to increased pressure from US exporters. The legislation would also delegate additional powers to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in its oversight of carriers, including:

• Incorporating best practices in the shipping industry;


• Requiring ocean carriers or marine terminals to certify demurrage or detention charge comply with FMC regulations;


• Limiting exemptions for marine terminals for any detention or demurrage charge if such charge are based on public port tariffs set under state law;


• Requiring ocean carriers or marine terminals to maintain records regarding invoiced demurrage or detention charges for a minimum of five years;


• And facilitating a complaint mechanism through the FMC.

Ocean carriers and the larger marine industry see this legislation as punitive and ignoring the existing and developing challenges in the North American and global supply chain as a result of shifting trade patterns and unexpected disruptions in the supply chain as a result of the global pandemic.

Scientists are seeing changes in the earth’s climate in “every region and across the whole climate system,” according to a new report released Monday from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and in many cases the changes are irreversible in the short term. According to the report, what is being observed by scientists is “unprecedented” and has set in motion changes that will be “irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years,” including rising sea levels. The IPCC says “strong and sustained” reductions in greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide would limit climate change and air quality would come quickly, noting “it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilize.”

Canada’s Environment Minister says that while a newly released report on climate change raises international implications, it also has relevant impacts within Canada. “The wide-ranging IPCC report has unquestionable international implications. But it also matters here at home. Canada is warming at nearly twice the global rate,” Mr. Wilkinson said in a statement. “Parts of Western and Northern Canada are warming at three times the global average. Scientists have made a clear link between climate change and more frequent and powerful weather events, including heat waves, wildfires, flooding and sea ice loss.” Mr. Wilkinson said he expects the report’s findings will influence talks at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties—COP26—in November.

The Member Authorities of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Stability (in general) between September 1 and November 30, 2021.  The purpose is to confirm that ship's crew are familiar with assessing the actual stability condition on completion of cargo operations before departure of the ship an on all stages of the voyage.  Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) will use a pre-defined questionnaire to assess that information and equipment provided onboard complies with the relevant conventions, that the master and officers are familiar with operations relating to stability (in general) and that equipment is properly maintained and functioning.

The brand new ISLAND 4 arrived in Victoria today. BC Ferries will be introducing four new battery hybrid-electric Island Class ferries to its fleet in 2022. Two of the ferries will operate on the Campbell River - Quadra Island route and two will operate on the Nanaimo Harbour - Gabriola Island route. Last year, the first two Island Class ferries, the Island Aurora and Island Discovery, entered service on the Port McNeill - Alert Bay - Sointula route and the Texada Island - Powell River route. The Island Class ferries carry 47 vehicles and are double-ended for easy loading and unloading. The ferries also feature wide vehicle lanes, dedicated pedestrian paths, and bicycle parking spaces.

Passenger lounges and washrooms are situated on the main deck for easy access. Lounge areas have been built with your comfort in mind, with a variety of seating choices and charging stations. A sundeck with seating, windbreaks, and an accessible washroom will provide a comfortable space to sit outdoors.

The Island Class are battery-equipped ships designed for full electric operation. The ships are fitted with hybrid technology that bridges the gap until shore charging infrastructure becomes available. From the exterior details to the engines, the design of the new vessels reduces underwater radiated noise, lowers emissions and improves the customer experience on board.