Transport Canada has issued Ship Safety Bulletin 20/22 announcing that Georgian seafarers can now seek Canadian recognition of their STCW certificates. Also, Ship Safety Bulletin 19/22 was issued today to remind authorized representatives and masters of vessels of their legal obligation to approve shore leave for seafarers as stated in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006).Read More
30 shipping banks and 17 marine insurance providers and brokers have announced that the Poseidon Principles will add additional trajectories to report climate alignment with a 1.5C future. This new commitment will align the Poseidon Principles with the ambition of the UN and the latest available climate science. Signatories will benchmark their portfolios against two...Read More
The ”Climate Action in Shipping – Progress towards Shipping’s 2030 Breakthrough” report was launched on 21 September during New York Climate Week, prior to the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) Annual Summit, and in parallel with the Clean Energy Ministerial Global Clean Energy Forum. This report assesses progress to a goal of having scalable zero-emission fuels...Read More
The Federal Maritime Commission was briefed at its September meeting on substantial progress in implementing many of the requirements established by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA). Since the law’s enactment on June 16, 2022, the Commission has issued the NPRM on unreasonable refusal to deal in regard to vessel space and will soon publish the...Read More
A new study confirms that wood pellets in British Columbia are sourced entirely from sawmill and harvest residuals or from low-quality logs and bush grind rejected by other industries. The study was commissioned by the Wood Pellet Association of Canada and carried out by respected forest experts and registered professional foresters, professor Gary Bull, Dr. Jeremy Williams,...Read More
Local 502 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (“ILWU”) commenced legal strike action against Westshore Terminals Limited Partnership effective 12:01 a.m. September 17, 2022. The work stoppage has resulted in a complete suspension of operations at Westshore’s coal export terminal at Roberts Bank. Labour action is limited to Westshore’s terminal facilities and there are...Read More
Seaspan Shipyards has announced that the Board of Directors of The Washington Companies has appointed John McCarthy as CEO of Seaspan Shipyards, effective immediately. He succeeds Mark Lamarre, who assumes a new role as President and CEO of The Washington Companies, following the planned retirement of the previous President and CEO, Larry Simkins. John McCarthy...Read More
With port congestion and fears of a potential labour disruption on the US West Coast, East and Gulf coast ports now boast significantly more imports than West Coast ports. Data from McCown Container Volume Observer released Thursday confirms that US imports remain near all-time highs. Imports to the top 10 ports totalled 2,165,939 TEUs in...Read More
BC municipalities are calling for stronger environmental protections from the federal government to keep harmful cargo and cruise ship pollution out of the ocean. In a motion passed at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) annual convention in Whistler, BC last Friday, UBCM calls on the BC government “to commit to advocate to the federal...Read More
The Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU) has announced that it members with Ocean BC Towing (OBCT), managed by Groupe Ocean, have reached an agreement on a new contract that was unanimously accepted. The contract sees significant gains in all areas, raising the bar and setting the new standard for seafarers working on tugboats on...Read More
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced the launch of a 16-month study exploring low carbon options for shipping on the Great Lakes. The research group, led by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) in partnership with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP)...Read More
Ford Motor is shuffling its leadership positions and restructuring its global supply chain days after disclosing $1 billion in unexpected supplier costs. The supply chain problems caused Ford’s stock to experience its biggest single day drop in 11 years. The supply chain restructuring aims to support efficient and reliable sourcing of components, internal development of key...Read More
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced that the department is now accepting expressions of interest for up to $40 million in Indigenous-led area-based conservation funding. The funding is for Indigenous Peoples to lead or co-lead projects to establish and recognize protected areas. This includes other effective area-based conservation measures...Read More
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is working with contractors to remove the 98-metre sunken barge, Trailer Princess, in Duncan Bay north of Campbell River that was reported to be sinking on February 14th. Following an initial assessment 34,000 L of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel were removed from the barge’s tanks, and AMIX/Marine Recycling Corporation...Read More
Seaspan Corp has ripped up $520m in contracts to build four container ships and has warned that a legal claim may follow. The container ship owner, a subsidiary of US-listed Atlas Corp, said the cancellation involves four 7,700-teu, dual-fuel (LNG) newbuildings. Seaspan did not explain the reason for tearing up the contracts, other than to...Read More
The US is launching coordinated actions to develop new floating offshore wind platforms, an emerging clean energy technology aimed to help the United States lead on offshore wind. The President set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, enough to power 10 million homes with clean energy, support 77,000 jobs,...Read More
A lockout has been declared at the Port of Quebec, the union and employer confirmed on Thursday. The Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique, which represents 81 dockworkers in the Quebec City seaport, said the move comes after 98.5 percent of the workers voted Aug. 30 in favour of pressure tactics that could include a...Read More
During the month of August, 3.46 million tons of cargo moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, bringing the year-to-date total to nearly 19.2 million tons shipped. While Canadian grain is still down 26 percent, salt, petroleum products, petcoke, and potash continue well ahead of 2021 levels. For the year, shipments of petroleum products are...Read More
Westshore Terminals received 72-hour strike notice from ILWU Local 502 on September 13th with strike action to commence as early as 1200 hours on September 16, 2022. The previous collective agreement and those of the two other ILWU Locals at the terminal expired January 31, 2022. The negotiations with Local 502 are the first of...Read More
Tentative agreements have been reached with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division, and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. Collectively representing approximately 60,000 employees, the tentative agreements reached with these unions avert a potential...Read More
The Federal Maritime Commission is seeking input to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as required under the new Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA) to define unreasonable refusal to deal or negotiate with respect to vessel space accommodation provided by an ocean common carrier. The NPRM outlines the elements which would be necessary...Read More
Grain production in Canada looks set to rebound strongly in 2022 after a severe drought ravaged last year’s harvest. Statistics Canada published its latest Outlook for Principal Field Crops on August 29, stating that vastly improved growing conditions for most of the Prairies are likely to lead to a much larger crop than was previously...Read More
Activity at the Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver has been impacted by the Canadian Merchant Service Guild strike as an estimated 1,000 unionized trades refused to cross picket lines set up by striking tugboat captains last Friday. A Labour Relations Board decision issued Sept. 1 allowed striking tugboat workers from the marine division to set...Read More
The nation’s freight railroads have reached tentative agreements with the Transportation Communications Union/IAM; Brotherhood of Railway Carmen; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and the American Train Dispatchers Association. A newly released Association of American Railroads (AAR) report found that a nationwide rail service interruption would dramatically impact...Read More
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the marine transportation sector’s transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. As an early step, Transport Canada is developing a national framework on green shipping corridors to support and facilitate early industry efforts. A proposed framework has been developed and will be shared in a bilingual webinar on September...Read More
Transport Canada has released its first newsletter highlighting some of its latest achievements in the transportation of dangerous goods program, including its Regulatory Oversight Management application, lessons learned with remote and virtual inspections during COVID-19 limitations, and the regulatory sandbox pilot project on electronic shipping documents for dangerous goods shipments. Also is the updated Guide...Read More
Women & girls are invited to test drive a Royal Canadian Navy warship at sea on October 22nd. The Achieve Anything Foundation has organized this event to raise awareness of one of the many opportunities available to women in high technology fields. The Day Sail event will provide an incredible, hands-on experience of a day...Read More
We express our deepest condolences to the Royal Family on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who passed away yesterday at the age of 96. It is difficult to think of another leader in modern history who has embodied the ‘duty first’ mindset more than the Queen did during her...Read More
This is to notify you that an updated Ship Safety Bulletin No. 18/2021: Measures to Support Safe Cruise Travel in Canada has recently been posted to the Transport Canada website. The updated Ship Safety Bulleting Bulletin removes daily reporting requirements, introduces a requirement to report to Transport Canada once per voyage, and specifies that Authorized Representatives...Read More
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is deferring the implementation of its Rolling Truck Age Program by a final six months to April 3, 2023. Transport Canada has intervened suggesting that a final adjustment to the program schedule will provide additional flexibility to better enable operators to comply with the program’s requirements.Read More
The Canadian Merchant Service Guild (“CMSG”) commenced legal strike action against Seaspan effective August 25, 2022 at 12:01 pm. As of August 31st labour action affected the arrival, departure and bunkering of five cruise ships and three bulk vessels. According to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority all activities with respect to these vessels have now...Read More
As the COVID-19 situation evolves and the reporting requirements related to the marine industry is changing, the Ship Safety Bulletin (SSB 02/2021) was modified in regards to the reporting requirements when any person or crew member on board has a serious illness or any COVID-19 symptoms. The revised SSB: Request for notification of any person...Read More
Today, California Governor Newsom signed a new emergency proclamation in response to the heat wave California is currently experiencing and probable related energy shortages. Auxiliary engines on ocean-going vessels are not required to use shore power starting on Saturday, September 3rd and lasting through Wednesday, September 7th. The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) has confirmed...Read More
Minerva Bunkering says its marine refueling operations are still taking place in the Canadian West Coast Port of Vancouver despite the disruption from a strike by the Canadian Merchant Services Guild (CMSG). The strike, which began on August 25, is impacting Seaspan’s marine transportation business and as a result all 30 of the Port’s Seaspan-owned...Read More
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) opened its newly constructed CCG Hardy Bay Base in Port Hardy, British Columbia this week. CCG worked closely with the Kwakiutl First Nation and the District of Port Hardy throughout the planning and construction of the new facility funded under the Oceans Protection Plan. The new 16,000 sq. ft. building...Read More
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. has signed a ten-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales and purchase agreement, valued at more than one billion US Dollars, with Shell NA LNG, LLC (Shell) to supply ten LNG-fueled vessels that will be deployed on ZIM’s flagship ZIM Container Service Pacific (ZCP), on the Asia to USEC trade. These...Read More
The Ocean Cleanup has revealed that 75% to 86% of plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) originates from fishing activities at sea. Plastic emissions from rivers remain the main source of plastic pollution from a global ocean perspective. But plastic lost at sea has a higher chance of accumulating offshore than plastic...Read More
Students at Coast Mountain College will gain hands-on experience with a new mobile marine classroom beginning in September. The BC government provided $250,000 to Coast Mountain College to purchase a new 7.6-metre (27 foot), 12-passenger, aluminum-hulled boat to serve students and staff in the college’s applied coastal ecology program. The new boat is named Na Malgsa...Read More
The Government of Canada has signed a Joint Declaration of Intent with Germany that commits both countries to collaborate on the export of clean Canadian hydrogen to Germany. The Canada–Germany Hydrogen Alliance will enable investment in hydrogen projects, support the development of secure supply chain, and establish a transatlantic supply corridor in preparation for exports of...Read More
The World Shipping Council has submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organization’s 79th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee to highlight its views on six critical pathways to achieving the industry’s decarbonization targets. These include a global carbon price, new building standards, fuel life cycle, fuel supply development, green corridors and R&D investment.Read More
A new, state-of-the-art Wärtsilä training engine has been installed at the Canadian Coast Guard College to enable personnel and trainees to learn hands-on how to operate, repair, and rebuild a Wärtsilä W8L26 diesel engine. Featuring a control room, equipment, and systems layout similar to those on a Canadian Coast Guard ship, the training engine effectively...Read More
Puget Sound Pilots (PSP) has established a formal maternity policy. The historic June vote means that PSP is the first pilot association in the US to implement a dedicated maternity plan for member pilots. PSP believes a strong maternity policy will help to achieve its DEI goal of establishing safe, inclusive, and equitable pathways for...Read More
The board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), representing 80% of the world’s merchant fleet, today appointed Emanuele Grimaldi, President and Managing Director of Grimaldi Euromed SpA, as Chairman of the Board. Grimaldi, a former president of both Confitarma and European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA), was formally voted in as chair by the ICS Board...Read More
The Prince Rupert Port Authority’s (PRPA) Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor was officially opened on August 24th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Testing on the route is underway with expectations that the Corridor will be fully operational by August 29th. The new road and rail corridor directly links Fairview Terminal, both current and future capacity, with future import...Read More
At 12:01 pm on Thursday, August 25th the Canadian Merchant Service Guild’s captains and engineers employed by Seaspan ULC commenced strike action after serving 72-hour notice earlier in the week. Efforts to reach an agreement before the strike deadline were unsuccessful. The strike will impact all 30 of the Seaspan tugs operating in British Columbia....Read More
US railway workers would receive a 22 percent pay increase over the next three years and $5,000 in bonus payments under a wage proposal made by the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) overseeing contract negotiations between railroads and the 13 unions representing 115,000 workers. PEB’s 124-page report released this week called for retroactive pay hikes and...Read More
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) annual report for fiscal year 2021-22 was tabled in Parliament. The TSB received 1075 reports of marine transportation occurrences in 2021 (220 accidents and 855 incidents), including 11 fatalities. The number of accidents is lower than the 10-year average of 284 and 20% of accidents in 2021 were...Read More
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited has received the required regulatory clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) for the proposed combination of CP and Kansas City Southern (“KCS”). CP completed its acquisition of KCS on Dec. 14, 2021. Immediately upon the closing of the acquisition, the shares of KCS were placed...Read More
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited has announced a new two-year collective agreement with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) – Train and Engine following binding arbitration. The new agreement includes a 3.5 percent wage increase in 2022 and 2023 and increased benefits. Under the arbitration decision, the TCRC will also join a CP Pension Improvement Account....Read More
As part of its role under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessel Act, the Canadian Coast Guard has removed and is deconstructing an abandoned vessel. The M/V Mini Fusion, a 56 metre cargo ship anchored in Doctor Bay, Desolation Sound in British Columbia, has been removed and is currently being deconstructed by Marine Recycling Corporation following...Read More
