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Volume 7 Issue 9
NEWS
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November 2017
Canadian Coast Guard
Coast Guard responds to changing seas
Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan: Year in review
Royal Canadian Navy
RCN readies for a new oceanic era
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BC SHIPPING
Contents
NEWS
28
Cover Story
Novvember 2017 Volume 7 Issue 9
37 Cruise industry
While cruise remains strong, issues on the horizon could affect future success
39 International shipping VIMC releases report on Vancouver’s potential
41 Longshore workers ILWU Canada conference engages young workers
7
Editor’s note
8
In brief
By Jane McIvor
Industry traffic and news briefs
12 Industry insight
Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan Year in review Yvette Myers, Executive Director, OPP Pacific Region, Transport Canada Myers provides a big-picture look at the many initiatives being planned and already underway for the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and warterways.
16 History lesson Canneries in B.C. Retained or rotted By Lea Edgar
18 Canadian Coast Guard
44 Reverse logistics
21 Shipbuilding
46 Heavy lift
23 Royal Canadian Navy
48 Legal affairs
Coast Guard responds to changing seas By Darryl Anderson
Progress on NSS on display at Seaspan
RCN readies for a new oceanic era
28 Spill response
WCMRC’s remarkable transformation By Captain Stephen Brown
31 Response vessels
New Robert Allan Ltd. response vessels ordered
33 Search and rescue
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Excellence in community-based marine safety By Pat Quealey
12
Habitat for Humanity ReStores reverse logistics solution By Darryl Anderson
Dynamic Heavy Lift unveils the Beast
The continuing evolution of commercial diving regulations By Tom Beasley
50 Mercy Ships
Captain ditches retirement to volunteer for Mercy Ships
52 Technology
Technology and automation in the maritime sector By Chad Allen
18
36 Search and rescue II
Canadian Lifeboat Institution A busy summer for CLI By Captain Stephen Brown
On the cover: Three of RCN’s Kingston-Class MCDVs berthed at Esquimalt Naval Base (photo: BC Shipping News); above: The Kaien Sentinel and the Gil Sentinel (courtesy WCMRC); right: The Chinook heavy-lift helicopter lifting equipment for CCG (photo: Kerslake Mcleod); left: Yvette Myers, Executive Director, OPP Pacific Region, Transport Canada. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 5
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Proud member of: 300 – 1275 WEST 6TH AVENUE, VANCOUVER, BC V6H 1A6 T: 604-893-8800 / F: 604-708-1920 E: JANE@BCSHIPPINGNEWS.COM 6 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
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EDITOR’S NOTE Photo: Dave Roels
Providing a forum for robust discussion
F
irst and foremost, as is our tradition here at BC Shipping News, I’d like to pass along my thanks for the service of the many individuals within our Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, search and rescue and spill response organizations. While I’m always grateful for your service, it is while organizing and putting together the November issue that I am reminded once again of the great sacrifices and efforts you expend on behalf of Canada. So thank you for your service — past, present and future — it is very much appreciated. A last minute submission however, changed the scope of the rest of this editorial note: specifically, that of Professor
Edgar Gold and his response to Terry Engler’s article on cabotage in our September issue. For the past year, Edgar and Terry have been trading commentary for and against cabotage. Both are very strong writers and equally convincing with their arguments. As can be gleaned from their contributions, the intracacies and impacts of cabotage are complex and far-reaching. Given the trend toward the removal of cabotage laws in Canada, as evidenced by the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), this is an important, timely and relevant discussion. I must
confess that my own opinion on the issue is easily swayed depending on whose article I’m reading. But the fact that they’re having this “discussion” within the pages of BC Shipping News is very gratifying. Providing a forum for such an important and robust debate is what this magazine is all about. To have such notable experts choose BCSN as the platform for their views tells me we’re doing something right over here. But what do you think? I’m curious if there are other readers out there who are as conflicted as I am. Drop me a note and tell me your views — jane@bcshippingnews.com. — Jane McIvor
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www.npa.ca November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 7
INDUSTRY TRAFFIC
Nanaimo Port Authority welcomes new CEO
T
he Nanaimo Port Authority board of directors has named Ewan Moir as the new President and CEO, effective October 10. Moir’s long career has taken him around the world in senior management positions in Norway, United Kingdom, Singapore, Holland and India. “The board conducted an extensive search and met with many highlyqualified applicants. Ewan’s world-wide leadership and management experience really stood out and we were unanimous in our decision. His people-focused leadership style, vast industry expertise and exceptional business development skills will serve to build on the excellent foundation already established at NPA”, Jenkins said. The 56-year-old Moir said his first order of business will be to focus on all issues related to the Port. “I want to take what my predecessor Bernie Dumas and his team and the board have done, and build on that,” he added. “We are juggling a number of opportunities at present,” Moir said. “We have many stakeholders like the recreational boater, the businesses along the waterfront, the Assembly Wharf and Duke Point in our working relationship.”
His priority will be to engage the Port’s community partners — the City and Snuneymuxw First Nation — to develop a relationship that ensures all members with an interest in the activities of the Port work together for the future. Moir has 20 years of senior corporate business experience contributing to strategy and operational performance and is known as an analytical thinker with a strong record of initiating and implementing business strategies to develop sustainable and profitable growth. He labels himself a team builder, coach in skills development with extensive experience in managing a union environment. He has a graduate degree — MBA Queen’s University, and is a Certified Professional Accountant. He also has an HND in Mechanical Engineering, from Southampton University College, U.K. The new Port President and CEO is completing his final duties as President and COO of Pacific BioEnergy Corporation in Vancouver which manufactures wood pellets at three plants in B.C. The pellets are sold to European and Japanese electrical utilities. In addition, a subsidiary company has a B.C. Government license for harvesting
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Ewan Moir, President and CEO, Nanaimo Port Authority.
timber, and a jointly-owned company, with a First Nations band. He began his business career in 1988 at Ulstein UK in the marine ship building support industry. Ulstein then moved him to Holland in 1989, Ulstein Singapore, then to the Ulstein group head office in Norway and finally to Ulstein Martime Ltd in Vancouver. That company became part of Rolls-Royce Canada in 2000 when the Ulstein group was acquired by Rolls-Royce Plc. His resume includes duties as President of Mainland Sand and Gravel, a senior vice president at SNC-Lavalin, President and CEO of Fraser River Pile and Dredge Inc. He also held a senior position at Finning International. Moir says he and his wife Lesley are looking forward to moving to Nanaimo in the near future. They have three adult sons.
BC SHIPPING NEWS
In the next issue:
Tugs & Workboats Contact jane@bcshippingnews.com for advertising information. 8 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
NEWS BRIEFS
Furuno repeats as winner of coveted “NMEA Technology Award”
T
he National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) held its 46th annual conference and expo in Bellevue, Washington last week. In addition to four days filled with marine electronics training and exhibiting the latest products, the show is also where the association hands out their exclusive NMEA “Product of Excellence” awards. This year, Furuno proudly claimed the highly sought-after 2017 NMEA Technology Award for their new DFF3D Multi-Beam Sonar. “We are extremely humbled to have received the ‘NMEA Technology Award’ for the second year in a row after our DRS4D-NXT Solid State Radar was honored with the same award last year,” stated Brad Reents, President and CFO of Furuno USA. “Furuno specializes in developing unmatched sensor technology for the maritime industry and the DFF3D is our most recent example how Furuno continues to move our industry forward.” Though many innovative features of the new DFF3D MultiBeam Sonar contributed to it winning the NMEA Technology Award, the game-changing feature is the fact that it delivers a side scan detection range of an unprecedented 650+ feet, while
Greystoke awarded contract for support of LNG terminal development
being able to see straight down over 1,000 feet. The DFF3D is completely at home in both deep and shallow water for finding fish, wrecks, and structure. It is remarkably easy to use and understand and brings you the ability to see the underwater world all around your vessel in real-time. Fish targets are shown in 3D within the water column, allowing you to pinpoint fishing hot spots and mark them as waypoints. Amazingly, waypoints also contain depth data, so you’ll know right where to drop your line! This was the second year for the “Commercial Product of Excellence” category, and Furuno once again was the winner as their FAR2127 25kW IMO Radar claimed the award in the Commercial category, among a substantial field of 10 nominees. This workhorse Radar, which is part of a larger series that includes both X-Band and S-Band Radars can be found installed on thousands of commercial vessels worldwide and is also widely used on larger recreational boats and yachts. Furuno’s long and distinguished tradition of producing top performing and highly reliable Fish Finding and Radar products was reaffirmed with these awards from the NMEA. For those of you keeping score at home, that brings Furuno’s grand total to an astounding 220 NMEA awards!
G
reystoke Marine Management Ltd (Greystoke) has recently been awarded a contract by Swan LNG Private Ltd (Swan/SLPL) to provide marine and LNG consultancy services to support the development and commissioning of SLPL’s green field LNG port/FSRU project in Jafrabad, India. The two-year contract, which has an option to extend until the terminal is fully operational, represents a significant milestone for the fledgling Greystoke and follows an earlier contract to support Swan in the development of the FSRU specifications. The new contract scope calls for Greystoke to provide a range of marine related management services throughout the project in various locations in India such as Ahmedabad, Jafrabad and Mumbai. “This contract demonstrates the continuing strong partnership which Greystoke has established with Swan LNG,” said Mads Meldgaard, a senior partner in Greystoke. “We are proud to have been chosen to join the Swan team and assist in the implementation of this exciting project and achieve the goal of having the terminal commissioned by the beginning of 2020” “As we strive to build a “world class” LNG Regasification port, we are pleased to have Greystoke onboard to provide the international marine expertise which will ensure that our terminal exceeds the expectations of all customers and shipowners” said Bhavik Merchant, Swan’s Executive Sponsor of the project. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 9
INDUSTRY TRAFFIC
Cabotage: The debate continues By Professor Edgar Gold, CM, AM, QC, FNI
T
erry Engler’s enthusiastic defence of cabotage in the September issue of BC Shipping News prompts me to write a comment once again. Mr. Engler, having just returned from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) gathering in Cape Town, appears to be full of confidence that there is increasing global support for further protectionism in the maritime industry—as evidenced by the cabotage area. Nothing could be further from reality. In making his points, Mr. Engler cites as examples a number of states that purportedly are good examples. A closer examination shows this reasoning to be faulty. Allow me to be more specific.
South Africa
It is true that two vessels have recently been registered under the South African flag. But this was due to a more liberal corporate tax regime negotiated with the South African Government. Otherwise, South Africa’s well-trained seafarers avoid South African vessels as their pay rates are far too low. Instead, South African seafarers can be found on many international vessels, especially in the cruising sector, where they are delighted with international pay rates and conditions.
10 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
...building a cargo vessel in the U.S. can cost five times as much as in the better, major shipyards of Japan, Korea or China.
Nigeria
It is surprising that Mr. Engler mentions Nigeria which is beset by intolerable corruption and inefficiency at every level. There may be a small local fleet servicing the offshore industry, but this is often beset by coastal piracy and other violent acts.
United States
It is also surprising that Mr. Engler used the infamous ‘Jones Act’ as a positive example. Senator McCain has called it the most “regressive and negative” piece of legislation in U.S. history. He is right. Even though Mr. Engler disagrees with, in my opinion, one of the best U.S. politicians around, allow me to expand a little on this, often misunderstood and misquoted, Act. It was passed almost a century ago, in 1920, in order to protect U.S. ship owners from then perceived unfair competition by international owners ‘f looding the market’ in the post-First World War period. When that did not happen, U.S. ship owners, who had already lost their competitive edge, fastened onto the principle that for ‘national security’ the country needed a U.S.-f lagged, 75-per-cent U.S.-owned and U.S.-crewed f leet. This was also not quite true as the U.S. Government quickly created the civilian maritime transport f leet (Maritime Sealift Command) to assist in times of military or national emergency. This legislation really hits consumers hard as the lack of international competition drives up the cost of coastal cabotage. Inf lated coastal freight rates push most cargoes on to trucks, trains and even aircraft. In fact, Hawaiian cattle ranchers find it cheaper to send their cattle to the mainland by air than by ship. As a result, whereas 40 per cent of European domestic freight goes by sea, only two per cent does so in the U.S. Quite conveniently, U.S. shipbuilders slipped under the Jones Act’s protective measure and ‘U.S.-built’ was added as an extra protection. As a result, the U.S. fleet steadily declined. In 1960, it was 17 per cent of the global total and today it is a negligible 0.4 per cent. Furthermore, building a cargo vessel in the U.S. can cost five times as much as in the better, major shipyards of Japan, Korea or China. As a result, U.S.-flagged vessels regularly win the prize for the oldest ships in the world as ship owners are reluctant to build new vessels in expensive, less efficient U.S. shipyards. Regrettably this also has a safety implication as older ships are often not as safe as newer ones. In 2015, the U.S.-flagged container ship El Faro foundered in a Caribbean hurricane with the loss of all on board. The recent U.S. Coast Guard enquiry conveniently blamed the master but neglected to mention that the ship was over 50 years old and had been modified numerous times over its long and checkered history.
NEWS BRIEFS Australia
Like Canada, Australia had a significant national fleet at the end of the Second World War. But like Canada, Australian ships disappeared due to continuous maritime union disputes. In addition, Australian governments have also very negative memories, dating back to the Second World War, when the communist-controlled maritime unions and other supporting unions, through appalling actions, directly and indirectly sabotaged the country’s war efforts. As a result, Australia’s merchant fleet can now be counted on the fingers of one hand. There would be even less if it were not for the country’s vigorous offshore energy sector. The once viable coastal fleet has disappeared and cargoes move by truck and train instead. Despite of what Mr. Engler states, there is no evidence that present government policy will harm the country’s physical and economic security.
Norway
As indicated, Norway has never had cabotage laws and has always been a strong maritime state despite of this. In recent years, the government recognized that its flag was becoming less competitive and established a Norwegian ‘second’ (FOC) registry that has attracted many ships. It is correct that fewer Norwegians now seek a sea career. But this is not due to the fact that international seafarer wages are too low. Norway used to be one of the poorest countries in Europe and going to sea was then a necessity. Norway is now one of the richest countries in the world and young Norwegians have many other options instead of going to sea. Incidentally, when referring to Norway, Mr. Engler cites the US$4 hourly wage for seafarers. This is often cited by maritime unions as the international standard. Although this rate is set out as the lowest hourly weekday rate for the lowest qualified seafarer by the International Labour Organization (ILO), it is unlikely that any international ship owner operating modern, highvalue ships, would pay this rate. Trained, skilled seafarers are today at a premium and are paid much better. Even the wages under the ITF Standard Collective Agreement of 2015 are significantly higher. It should also be noted that seafarers coming from countries where US$4 is a day’s pay, might be quite happy with being paid that amount per hour! It is all relative.
trend is really away from cabotage. Regrettably a number of developing states, in attempting to revive their flagging economies, are trying the cabotage band wagon but will fail as the cost base will rise and jobs will be lost. In conclusion I must say that, although I disagree with most of what Terry Engler proposes, which is really century-old, militant maritime union rhetoric, I greatly admire him. Unlike most of his union colleagues, who rarely appear to speak outside union meetings and collective negotiations, Terry Engler comes out and states his views and position very eloquently. I just wish there were more of him as that would greatly assist in the type of dialogue that is needed for a much better, more efficient maritime industry, which is part of global prosperity. Professor Edgar Gold spent 16 years in the merchant marine, including several years in command (and holds British and Canadian Master Mariner qualifications) before obtaining his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and his Ph.D. in International Maritime Law from the University of Wales. He has written over 250 published works in the areas of maritime law, international marine, offshore energy and environmental law and policy, maritime training, and international ocean development. He has received an honorary degree from the Canadian Coast Guard College (1992), was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit by the German Government, the Order of Canada in 1997, the Order of Australia for “services to maritime law and protection of the environment…” in 2004, and an honorary doctorate from the World Maritime University in Sweden in 2007. He is now based in Brisbane, Australia.
Great Britain
Again, this is a poor example for the points being made by Mr. Engler. Britain originally had Jones Act-type protective maritime legislation which was abandoned way back in 1849. After that, and until the Second World War, Britain became the greatest maritime power in history. When the British flag became less competitive in the 1970s and 1980s, Britain established a number of ‘second’ (FOC) registries in Bermuda, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and the Cayman Islands, which have been most successful. It is correct that during the Falkland War the government used a number of British civilian passenger and cargo vessels. But these were chartered at commercial rates. For other military needs, like the U.S., Britain has also established the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Although Mr. Engler suggests that the cabotage trend is increasing globally, a closer examination shows that apart from the U.S., Canada and, to some extent, Australia, very few major trading countries are attempting to protect their flag and the November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 11
INDUSTRY INSIGHT Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan
Year in review
By Yvette Myers, Executive Director, OPP Pacific Region, Transport Canada
C
anada’s coasts and waterways are an important facet of Canadian life and culture, especially in British Columbia. In November 2016, the Government of Canada launched the historic $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan, the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways, while also growing our economy. The Government of Canada takes pride in collaborating with Indigenous groups, provincial and municipal governments, coastal communities, and the marine industry. In the last year, the government has launched more than a dozen innovative initiatives and, in the coming years, will continue to dedicate resources to improve Canada’s marine safety system, build and enhance emergency response capacity, and protect the marine environment. This is the first plan of its kind, dedicated to protecting our oceans. The Oceans Protection Plan’s initiatives and associated investments will have a positive impact on British Columbia, from protecting local whale populations and removing abandoned boats, to enhancing 24/7 emergency response capacity.
12 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
In the last year, we have launched more than a dozen innovative initiatives and, in the coming years, we will continue to dedicate resources.
Protecting the environment and responding to marine emergencies
Creating response plans tailored to local needs and conditions improves our ability to respond to a spill. The Regional Response Planning initiative pilot project aims to develop a risk-based approach to environmental response planning in northern British Columbia. It will allow for data collections in other key areas nationally. The pilot project is tailored to the unique conditions and risks that exist in the region. Planning is done in collaboration with Indigenous and coastal communities, as well as stakeholders, other levels of government, and private sector organizations. The Canadian Coast Guard is complementing this work by enhancing 24/7 emergency management and response capacity within its Regional Operations Centre in Victoria to better plan and
co-ordinate effective response during an incident. At the same time, Transport Canada is adopting the Incident Command System — an all-hazards management system used internationally — to strengthen our response to marine incidents and enable us to work seamlessly with partners such as the Canadian Coast Guard. It is important for Indigenous communities to also become part of Canada’s strengthened marine emergency response. The Coast Guard will work with them to design and launch new Indigenous Community Response Teams. Interested Indigenous communities will gain the skills to support search and rescue missions, environmental response, and incident management. To boost marine emergency prevention and response capacity, the Canadian Coast Guard will also establish six new radar stations, modernize emergency response equipment, increase tow
INDUSTRY INSIGHT capacity (including tow kits on existing large vessels and two leased towing vessels), and establish a new emergency response depot in Port Hardy. Seven new lifeboat stations will be built across the country, a national investment of $108.1 million over five years with ongoing funding of $12.2 million. Four of these new lifeboat stations will be located in British Columbia, in Victoria, Hartley Bay, Port Renfrew, and Nootka. Environment and Climate Change Canada will improve marine weather services in high risk areas by providing more detailed weather information. The Government of Canada is making navigation safer by delivering modern and improved hydrography and charting in key areas, with an investment of close to $20 million over five years to chart high-profile ports and near-shore areas in British Columbia. This new investment will allow Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Canadian Hydrographic Service to enhance services and deliver improved and modern hydrography and charting in key areas of high traffic commercial
ports and waterways. This will support safe and efficient navigation. A better understanding of how marine shipping is impacting Canada’s marine environment also plays a role in protecting our oceans. In September, the Government of Canada announced it is implementing a national $50.8-million Coastal Environmental Baseline Program to help assess the impacts of human activities on our marine ecosystems. Over the next five years, scientists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and community partners will collect comprehensive baseline data in six areas of the country where there is an existing or potential increase in vessel traffic, including the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert, B.C.
Launching the Pilotage Act Review
As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is reviewing the Pilotage Act. The goal of the review is to modernize the legislative and regulatory framework and help ensure pilotage services are delivered effectively.
The review will focus on a wide range of topics drawn from stakeholder feedback during recent consultations. This includes tariffs, service delivery, governance, and dispute resolution. All of the Pilotage Authorities’ safety records boast an excess of 99.9 per cent of assignments completed without a safety incident, a record they have maintained over many years. That’s one of the reasons why the Pilotage Act requires that vessels entering compulsory pilotage areas be guided by a Canadian pilot. These marine pilots are expert ship handlers with extensive knowledge of the local waterways. They substantially reduce the risk of accidents. The Government of Canada will examine the pilotage recommendations from the Canada Transportation Act review tabled in 2016. The Pilotage Act review is chaired by Marc Grégoire, a former Coast Guard Commissioner who is highly experienced in marine issues. Mr. Grégoire is undertaking crosscountry consultations with stakeholders in 2017 and early 2018, and invites Canadians to participate online via Let’s
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 13
Photo credit: Michelle Young, Georgia Strait Alliance
Vessels like the Viki Lyne II, abandoned in Ladysmith Harbour, can pose serious risks not only to the environment but can interfere with navigation.
Talk – Oceans Protection Plan (https:// letstalktransportation.ca/pilotage-actreview). Following his consultations with stakeholders, Mr. Grégoire will make recommendations on improvements to the Pilotage Act in a report to the Minister of Transport.
Removing abandoned boats and wrecks
Abandoned small boats in Canada can pollute the marine environment, harm local businesses such as tourism and fisheries, damage infrastructure, interfere with navigation, and pose safety risks to Canadians. As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government is supporting the removal of abandoned boats and wrecks. The new Abandoned Boats Program provides funding to assist communities with the removal and disposal of highpriority abandoned or wrecked small
boats that pose a hazard in Canadian waters. Through this new program, existing abandoned small boats could be removed, thereby supporting the preservation and restoration of Canada’s marine ecosystems. The program will also better inform Canadians about their responsibilities to properly dispose of boats and decrease the number of vessels abandoned on our coasts. It will support the federal government’s collaboration with provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous communities to clean-up existing smaller boats that pose risks to our coasts and waterways. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has also introduced a Small Craft Harbours program will that will invest some of its five-year $1.3-million investment program to remove abandoned and wrecked vessels from federal harbours in B.C. These vessels are a longstanding concern for coastal communities.
The government recently tabled the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007, in Parliament. The Convention will establish vessel owner liability for hazardous wrecks. The tabling of the Convention, and the legislation addressing abandoned and wrecked vessels soon to be introduced, will bring Canada one step closer to aligning with international standards.
Protecting Canada’s whale populations
The Government of Canada is making significant investments to protect endangered and at-risk whale populations. For example, following a series of in-person consultation sessions last August, the government launched Let’s Talk Whales, an online public engagement site that asked Canadians and stakeholders about proposed recovery measures to help three whale species in Canada, including B.C.’s Southern Resident Killer Whale. Just a few weeks ago, the government also hosted a symposium in Vancouver, B.C. that explored options to protect the Southern Resident Killer Whale. The symposium brought all the Salish Sea stakeholders together, including the marine industry, fishing industry, whale watchers, ferries, and others together with the governments and Indigenous communities, and partners in the U.S. Participants engaged in a dialogue on the latest science on contaminants, prey availability, and underwater noise within Southern Resident Killer Whale habitat. They discussed options for action and developed a sense of shared responsibility to support protection and recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale. The Government has also provided funding to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s ECHO Program to support a voluntary vessel slow-down trial in Haro Strait. The data collected on changes in the acoustic environment and whale behaviour can help inform future actions.
Working with Indigenous groups, coastal communities, and the maritime industry
Collaboration is the cornerstone of programs and initiatives launched under the Oceans Protection Plan, and these are just a few examples of how the Government will work with Indigenous groups, coastal communities, and the maritime industry. The Government of Canada values the 14 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
INDUSTRY INSIGHT traditional knowledge and expertise of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities to protect our coasts. These groups have identified the need for user-friendly local data on marine traffic for different purposes. In response, the Enhanced Marine Situational Awareness initiative will create an accessible, real-time, common operating picture that increases access to local maritime data for coastal partners and stakeholders. The goal? To improve the quality, accessibility, and availability of local information on maritime activity. In exploring ways for communities to become more involved in managing local waterways, the Government has initiated a national Proactive Vessel Management framework. It will be used to identify areas where local management actions, such as introducing vessel routing or areas to be avoided, could minimize environmental, cultural and social impacts, as well as conflicts between users. Transport Canada will also collaborate with Indigenous and coastal communities to develop a national anchorage framework that includes a process to
Partnerships and collaboration at the local level are the foundation of many of the plan’s actions to protect our coasts. identify anchorages outside Canadian port authorities and public ports. This sustainable framework will respond to current environmental, economic and cultural concerns that have been expressed by Canadians, and will make recommendations on how to best manage vessels at anchor. The Government of Canada’s partnership with Indigenous groups and local communities will be further strengthened through Transport Canada’s expanded national Community Participation Funding Program. This program provides capacity funding to enable participation of Indigenous groups and local communities. This is where the Oceans Protection Plan sets itself apart from other projects: partnerships and collaboration at the local level are the foundation of many of the plan’s actions to protect our coasts. In B.C., many of these issues will be discussed at upcoming Oceans Protection
Plan Dialogue Forums. They will be held in Vancouver and Prince Rupert in November 2017.
Engaging Canadians and stakeholders
The $1.5-billion national Oceans Protection Plan is just getting started. While the planning and resourcing phase of some initiatives are underway, participation remains a key component. There will be several opportunities for Canadians to provide input into decisions, and there is much more to come as all players collaborate in finding solutions to protect our coasts. To learn about the Oceans Protection Plan, visit www.canada.ca/protectingour-coasts. We also hope that you will contribute to the conversation and provide your input. Have your say on specific initiatives at www.letstalktransportation.ca/opp.
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HISTORY LESSON Canneries in B.C.
Retained or rotted Photo: Dave Roels
By Lea Edgar Librarian & Archivist, Vancouver Maritime Museum
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nce, one of British Columbia’s finest and most plentiful resources was its fish. The most popular fish by far was salmon. Canneries were the lifeblood of this province, numbering over 200 at the industry’s peak. The canning business attracted a diverse workforce. European settlers, First Nations people, Chinese and Japanese immigrants, and both men and women worked hard to produce B.C.’s best food stuff. In the second half of the 20th century the industry was in decline and countless canneries — and often the communities they helped to support — began to disappear. Today, the canneries continue to gradually close and the province is faced with the question of what to do with the industrial sites. So far, the canneries are either preserved as heritage sites or they are left to rot and slowly be reclaimed by the sea.
Gulf of Georgia Cannery
province is faced with the question of what to do with the industrial sites. cannery and turn it into a museum. It was purchased by the federal government in 1979 and transferred to Parks Canada in 1984. In 1994, the cannery turned 100 years old and its doors opened as a museum to the public for the first time. Operated by the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society, the museum continues to educate the public and celebrate B.C.’s fishing heritage.
can see exactly how fish were processed. Guides start with the old line and visitors learn the process from start to finish. The “monster cannery” (as it used to be called) was once the top producer of canned salmon in the province. The oldest structure on the site is the main block and dates back to 1894. There were various extensions and outbuildings constructed over the years and these buildings truly represent the historical timeline of its more than 80 years of operations. During the Second World War, attention turned to producing canned herring and a herring reduction plant was built on the site. This product was a chief source of protein for Allied soldiers, as well as civilians, during the war. The plant closed in 1979 due to high operating costs and aging equipment. After the closure, the local community lobbied the government to save the
North Pacific Cannery
Photo: Lonnie Wishart (lonniewishart.com)
In B.C., we have two canneries preserved as National Historic Sites. Located in Steveston, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is a place where one
Today, the canneries continue to gradually close and the
Another wonderfully preserved cannery and National Historic Site is the North Pacific Cannery in Port Edward, just south of Prince Rupert. Open seasonally, the site was also preserved by a group of local enthusiasts. The cannery was started in 1889 by John Carthew and operated continuously until it ceased operations in 1968. It was owned for 76 years by the Anglo-British Columbia (ABC) Packing Company. When ABC folded in 1968, Canfisco (Canadian Fishing Company) bought the property and used it as a maintenance and reduction facility until 1981 when it closed for good. North Pacific was designated as a National Historic Site by Park Canada in 1985. It is currently operated by the North Coast Marine Museum Society. The preserved residences, cannery buildings, and boardwalks are available for visitors to explore. British Columbians may be lucky to have both North Pacific and the Gulf of Georigia Cannery saved and turned into historic sites, but many other canneries in B.C. did not have the same fate. In addition to being a museum, the North Pacific Cannery is used for events and receptions.
16 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
Photo courtesy of John Alexander
The remains of the Butedale community and cannery falling into the sea, July 1, 2005.
Namu
Namu is one of B.C.’s ghost towns located south of Bella Bella. The cannery was established in 1893, followed shortly by a sawmill. In 1928, British Columbia Packers Ltd. purchased the cannery. The town built up around the cannery and buildings included a schoolhouse, cottages, community halls and a power plant. Sadly, fire destroyed part the cannery in the 1960s, however, it was rebuilt and continued operations until the late 1980s. Low fish prices and high costs of operation and transportation forced the plant to close. In the 1990s, B.C. Packers sold the site to David Milne who tried to convert it into a resort. Unfortunately, the resort was never built and the town was abandoned. Today, the buildings are crumbling and the townsite is an environmental threat. Asbestos, fuel, batteries, and other materials are falling into the ocean. In 2015, the Coast Guard was forced to start a project to remove 25,000 litres of oiltainted water from an old ship on the site. The government has ordered Mr. Milne to clean up the site, but it appears the local First Nations are still in the planning stage for such an effort. These days, Namu is mainly remembered by curious explorers but continues its slow decay into the sea.
not occur. The environmental impact of what amounts to industrial waste rotting into the sea surely cannot be the legacy of the industry that supported a province. Hopefully, what can be preserved will be saved and what cannot will be safely removed for our collective benefit. Lea Edgar started her position as Librarian and Archivist for the Vancouver Maritime Museum in 2013. She can be contacted at archives@vanmaritime.com.
John M. Horton, Marine Artist Paintings and limited edition prints for corporate offices, retirement gifts and marine art collections
Butedale
Butedale Cannery is located on Princess Royal Island and is one of the last northern cannery sites remaining. Like Namu, it was abandoned and is also crumbling away. The cannery was built in 1911 by John Wallace. It was also built up as a company town in its heyday but closed in the 1960s. After the cannery closed, the site continued to operate as a marina. But lack of capital and upkeep, as well as looting, caused the site to decline. Buildings that still survive include management and worker housing, a packing house, ice house and reduction plant. A group called the Butedale Founders Association talked of restoring the town but the speed of degradation may make the point moot. Such a massive and impactful industry has left a small and sad footprint on this province. Preserving heritage buildings is a costly challenge. Certainly, “you can’t save ‘em all.” However, the slow yet steady decay of the once proud cannery sites should
“Arrival of the Titania”
Commissioned by the City of Richmond, BC to celebrate Canada’s 150th, this painting now hangs outside their council chambers — but also is on view as a large mural on a wall facing the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site in Steveston. It depicts the “Titania” arriving to take the first canned salmon direct from Steveston to London. Limited edition canvas reproductions are available.
For special commissions:
www.johnhorton.ca (604) 943-4399 / john@johnhorton.ca November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 17
CANADIAN COAST GUARD
Coast Guard responds to changing seas By Darryl Anderson Managing Director, Wave Point Consulting
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he Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is responsible for the safe movement of ships through inland and coastal waters. Vital maritime services provided by the CCG include aids to navigation, waterways management, environmental response, icebreaking, search and rescue, and marine communications and traffic services. This article will explore how the CCG is responding to a changing sea of issues and expectations at an international, national and regional level.
Global initiatives
Coping with increasing cargo, passenger traffic and vessel size, climate change, migration, over-fishing, terrorism, and piracy, as well as improving distress and disaster response are just some of the trends driving the need for robust coast guard capacity. In the global context, it is important to note that as a civilian body, the CCG cannot provide enforcement of international and national laws and regulations about the sea, the environment, and sovereignty. The CTA Review Panel observed, “Canada is unusual in having a civilian coast guard. In other northern jurisdictions, such as Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Russia, and the United States, the coast guard is a military or security organization.” Regardless of organizational structure, coast guards around the world are responding to several common challenges.
In mid-September 2017, Japan hosted the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum Summit which brought together the coast guards of Canada, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States to discuss maritime safety and security in the North Pacific Ocean. “Our co-ordinated efforts through the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum (NPCGF) will continue to keep the North Pacific Ocean safe and navigable, while supporting economic interests of forum member countries. We recently had an opportunity to feature this important collaboration through the NPCGF live exercise in Seattle in June 2017. This exercise successfully allowed us to share and learn best practices in how to manage response to large-scale incidents and oil spills, and emergency response operations,” said Commissioner Jeffery Hutchinson, Canadian Coast Guard. On the margins of the NPCGF, Japan also hosted leaders from 35 nations, and three international organizations for the world’s first global coast guard summit. The event centred on three themes: Maritime safety and marine environment protection, maritime security, and capacity building. Participating countries included the U.S., Canada, South Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia, Turkey, Russia, and France. “In response to recent global environmental changes, it is now required for coast guards all over the world to establish
PROUDLY BUILDING SHIPS IN CANADA, BY CANADIANS The Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel, the first ship to be built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, will be launched on December 8, 2017.
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18 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
COAST GUARD The CTA Review Panel observed, “Canada is unusual in having a civilian coast guard. In other northern jurisdictions ... the coast guard is a military or security organization.” inter-regional co-operation and collaboration beyond the existing bilateral and regional frameworks,” Admiral Satoshi Nakajima, commandant of the Japan Coast Guard, said during his opening remarks. “The first Coast Guard Global Summit was a unique opportunity to share information and best practices beyond our existing bilateral and regional fora, and I am delighted that the Canadian Coast Guard is able to support Japan’s leadership in this initiative — including by presenting our own best practices related to international co-operation in the case of large scale oil spill response. Greater co-operation and co-ordination abroad strengthens our collective marine safety and security, and our ability to ensure Canadians enjoy safe and secure waters at home,” said Commissioner Jeffery Hutchinson, Canadian Coast Guard.
Arctic Guardian, the first live exercise of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum in early September 2017, brought together the coast guards of the eight Arctic nations to simulate a large-scale search and rescue incident and a damage control exercise. This exercise allowed participating nations to share best practices, enhance inter-operability, and practice joint operations and response to maritime incidents. As the development of the Arctic accelerates, co-operation with Arctic nations continues to be critical. Building relationships through the Arctic Coast Guard Forum and its live exercises will ensure nations are prepared and capable of responding to incidents in the Arctic environment. “The Arctic Guardian live exercise was a critical next step in the Arctic Coast Guard Forum’s evolution, and Canada was pleased to be represented by the CCGS
Pierre Radisson. Should an environmental incident threaten the Arctic, our nations need to be able to work together to mitigate damage. This live exercise was a launching pad towards achieving this level of co-operation,” Commissioner Hutchinson further noted.
National Coast Guard initiatives
It was on November 7, 2016, that the Government of Canada announced the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) to help Canada achieve a world-leading marine safety system. The importance of safe shipping to support Canada’s international trade interests and the need to address the public perception of transportation-related risks were essential factors driving this once-in-a-generation marine policy initiative. The Government tasked the CCG with an expanded role to provide 24/7 patrolling and monitoring of Canada’s marine environment and acting as a first responder to maritime incidents. Heavily influenced by B.C.’s interests and public expectations, the OPP
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Photo credit: Kerslake Mcleod
COAST GUARD
Jesse Lawson, Superintendent of Maritime and Civil Infrastructure, atop the 990-metre-high Maitland Island mountain-top construction site. In the background, the Chinook heavy-lift helicopter can be seen approaching with a 15,000-lb sling load of new equipment.
incorporated several features including: • Strengthening CCG’s Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centres (Canada’s ears and eyes on the water) to ensure uninterrupted communications with mariners; • Increasing towing capacity by leasing two large vessels capable of towing commercial vessels and large container ships; • Installing towing kits on CCG major vessels to improve capacity to take swift action to avoid disasters; • Launching a comprehensive plan to reduce the abandonment of ships and clean up existing derelict and wrecked vessels to minimize the associated risks of these vessels harming the environment; and • Conducting regular response exercises with communities, stakeholders and Indigenous communities to ensure response readiness.
CCG in B.C.
While the operation of the CCG fleet and the OPP policy announcements were highly visible, Canadian maritime commerce in B.C. also relies on often-hidden infrastructure. As the CCG’s Regional Director of Integrated Technical Services (ITS) Cliff Hunt remarked, “the work of this highly dedicated and innovative team stands at the forefront of safe shipping and incident prevention.” The group is responsible for the lifecycle management of all CCG assets in support of incident management, navigational programs and fleet operations. The ITS work unit is comprised of marine engineering, electronics and informatics, maritime and civil infrastructure, and Integrated Logistics specialists. The lack of road, electrical and other infrastructure along large portions of B.C.’s coastline presents several challenges requiring a proactive CCG approach to managing cost and the adoption of new technology, even in a period of enhanced resources. For this reason, the ITS staff are comprised of over 200 engineers, technicians, technologists, trades people and support staff. In the western region alone, the CCG completed construction on 251 aids to navigation sites in the 2017/18 fiscal year. 20 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
North-west Vancouver Island, Barkley Sound/Alberni Inlet, Skidigate Narrows and Kitimat are just some of the priority locations completed this year. For perspective, the CCG Western Region has a total of 3,816 short-range aids to navigations, of which, 1,786 are in the B.C. and the Yukon. Increased funding has resulted in a tenfold increase in the number of navigation aid projects the CCG is able to complete each year, according to Hunt. The CCG is also modernizing and investing in its infrastructure to take advantage of today’s latest technological innovations to deliver Marine Communications and Traffic Services. While the physical locations of the two upgraded marine communications and traffic services centres generated some public awareness, a large and widely dispersed network of remote monitoring sites is needed to make the system effective and expand the range of coverage. To this end, the OPP provided a $20-million funding commitment for six new radar sites in B.C., including, for example, the introduction a new mountain-top radar project that will enhance marine vessel communications coverage in the Central Coast / Vancouver Island Inside Passage Region. Each mountain-top site construction costs in the range of $2 million, according to Hunt. To address both operational and cost pressures, the CCG is utilizing an integrated project logistics approach. The buildings were fabricated in Sooke, transported to the Victoria CCG base, fitted out and then barged up the coast and installed atop a mountain using a heavy lift helicopter where final equipment testing and site commissioning testing took place. This approach resulted in cost savings over the traditional method of mobilizing equipment, crew, and materials to access remote locations with short construction seasons. In reflecting on many other priorities of the OPP, Hunt commented that the CCG was actively in the “ramping-up” phase where staffing and preliminary engineering for many of the initiatives is taking place along with consultation with local communities and First Nations.
Conclusion
The Canada Transport Act Review in 2015 recommended that the Government of Canada reform and strengthen the CCG delivery model to ensure it has the mandate, equipment, operations, and sustainable funding to support marine commerce and enforce safety, security, and sovereignty. While the Canadian government has not yet opted to change the organizational structure or role of the CCG, they nevertheless are placing considerable effort to address issues related to maritime commerce and environmental response. In fact, this article demonstrates that in British Columbia, there has been a significant amount of technology and infrastructure investment that remains largely invisible to the public. This massive level of effort around implementing these improvements will not go unnoticed or unappreciated by the maritime community and Canadian firms that rely on international trade. Darryl Anderson is a strategy, trade development, logistics and transportation consultant. His blog Shipper matters focuses exclusively on maritime transportation and policy issues. http://wavepointconsulting.ca/shipping-matters.
NATIONAL SHIPBUILDING STRATEGY
Progress on NSS on display at Seaspan
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this year. Also visible to visitors was the continued progress on the second and third ships of this class. In addition to seeing the yard, and the progress made to date, there was the opportunity to learn about corporate charities and work opportunities at the recruitment booth, partake in children’s crafts, and get photos at the provided booths. “Our company was pleased to welcome the public to our state-of-the-art shipyard. For many of our employees, North Vancouver is not just where they work, but where they call home,” said Brian Carter, President & CEO, Seaspan Shipyards. “With deep roots here on the West Coast, our company was proud to share the progress we have made to date and overwhelmed by the positive support from our community.”
NSS update
Keeping a running scorecard on the NSS, Seaspan continues to meet key timelines and is getting closer to launching the first vessel under the contract. Here’s a quick update: • As noted above, three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSVs) are in various stages of progress with launch of the first vessel scheduled for December 8, 2017. The 63-metre
Photo: BC Shipping News
he transformation of Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards and the progress being made on the National Shipbuilding Strategy were on full display on Sunday, October 1, when a public open house attracted more than 3,300 people from the community of North Vancouver. The event allowed guests to explore the yard and learn about the facilities and processes used in ship construction. Fully modernized in 2014, thanks to a $170 million investment by Seaspan Shipyards, VSY is the most modern shipbuilding facility of its kind in North America. Visitors were able to see almost all parts of the yard, including demonstrations of highly specialized equipment. At each point of interest, talented personnel were on hand to provide insight into the work being done. A key part of this event was the opportunity to get close to the first Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV). With a brief unveiling ceremony and remarks from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, this was the first public opportunity for people to witness the remarkable progress made. The ship is now structurally complete — and freshly painted — with work concentrated on completing internal systems. The vessel will launch in December of
A future employee? Vancouver Shipyards’ open house provided a great opportunity to get the next generation interested in a shipbuilding career.
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research vessels will be deployed on Canada’s east and west coasts. Construction of one Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV). The contract for long lead items and material was awarded to Seaspan in February 2016 and work is currently ongoing to finalize the design to a production-ready state. With the contract for design and production engineering awarded earlier this year, the first of two Joint Support Ships (with an option for a third). The 174-metre-long vessels (the largest ships of Seaspan’s NSS work) will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s retired Protecteur-Class auxiliary oiler replenishment vessels. Seaspan and the Canadian Coast Guard are currently in discussions about the Polar Icebreaker project. In 2013, the Federal Government announced that Seaspan was selected to build up to 10 additional non-combat vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard — five Offshore Patrol Vessels and five Medium Endurance Multitasked Vessels.
Economic impacts
Seaspan Shipyards’ NSS-related work is having a solid impact on the regional and national economies. With more than 2,000 employees across Seaspan Shipyards as of October 2017 — and more than 1,100 at VSY alone — the company has become an important economic player. At VSY, this includes more than 700 tradespeople and over 300 professional staff. In addition to the direct employment opportunities at VSY, there are significant opportunities across their supply chain. To date, more than a halfbillion dollars in contracts with Canadian companies has been committed. “We are proud to employ a diverse and talented workforce while partnering with Canadian suppliers, Carter continued. “With more than 90 per cent of our NSS-related suppliers being Canadian, the ships we are currently building are proof of our industry’s capabilities.”
Future workforce
The long-term nature of the NSS means that Seaspan must prepare for work that stretches well into the next
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 21
SHIPBUILDING STRATEGY Marine Engineering program, BCIT’s Aboriginals in Trade program and Camosun College’s efforts to boost the number of women in trades.
New building
The first OFSV is almost done. Launch is set for this December.
decade. Capitalizing on this opportunity means nurturing the future workforce. To this end, Seaspan continues to invest in opportunities that allow for the development of the next generation of shipyard workers. This includes providing opportunities for more than 70 apprentices and approximately two dozen interns at any given time.
Seaspan has also partnered with organizations like the University of BC, BC Institute of Technology, Camosun College and the Canadian Welding Association Foundation to further development of trades and training programs. To date, they have provided over $5 million to support programs like UBC’s Naval Architecture and
Supplier Development Day
VSY will soon be moving to a new office building near their current facilities. This multi-million dollar investment is almost complete and is expected to be occupied by early next year. With three floors of offices and capacity for nearly 400 staff, the new building will allow for the professional staff to work closely and collaboratively across many different functional groups as well as with their federal customers. “Our company is committed to the long-term success of the NSS and the shipbuilding and repair industry here on the West Coast,” Carter said. “This new building demonstrates that commitment and will allow for our various functional groups to work collaboratively and effectively on the tasks we have ahead of us for the Government of Canada.” BCSN
Please join us at the ABCMI Supplier Development Day, featuring speakers from leading companies in the marine sector and government representatives. Come and learn about all the business opportunities available for companies in the shipbuilding industry.
SPEAKERS Mark Collins President & CEO, BC Ferries and President, ABCMI
Ian Brennan VP New Construction, Supply Chain and Contracts, Seaspan
Dale Potter VP Defence Missions Systems, Thales Canada
Wednesday, 29 November 2017 8:00 to 14:30 JW Marriott Parq Vancouver 39 Smithe Street Vancouver, BC V6B 0R3
EVENT SPONSORS
22 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
REGISTER TODAY! www.abcmi.ca/events For more information email contact@abcmi.ca or call 604-633-0033 BCSN-Final-CMYK-2014-FINAL.pdf
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ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
Royal Canadian Navy readies for a new oceanic era
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ome to more than a dozen war ships, submarines, training and patrol vessels; 6,000 personnel (4,000 military, 2,000 civilian); and one of the largest enclosed buildings on the West Coast of North America (the 28,000 square-metre Fleet Maintenance Facility), Maritime Forces Pacific and the Esquimalt Naval Base continue to guard Canada’s Pacific maritime approaches, contribute forces to national and overseas operations and provide leadership for Canada’s naval training requirements … all while paying attention to a changing environment, expanded global trade, and the opening of a new maritime frontier (the Arctic). It is within this context that Rear Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force (Pacific) addressed delegates at the recent Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA) Conference this past September.
The big picture
“Canada is first and foremost a maritime nation,” RAdm McDonald said in his keynote address to ACPA, noting that Canada is the 11th largest exporter and 10th largest importer in the world with more than $200 billion of goods transported by sea each year. “With great enthusiasm, I suggest that this is a new oceanic age. Not since the great era of exploration in the 16th century have oceans played such an important role in global affairs as they do today.” And while the elements of this new oceanic era are continually evolving, driven by
“Not since the great era of exploration in the 16th century have oceans played such an important role in global affairs as they do today.” a host of interconnected factors, RAdm McDonald highlighted the efforts of “like-minded” nations to ensure the unimpeded flow of maritime commerce. RAdm McDonald attributed much of today’s global growth to the meteoric rise of the Chinese economy. “However, uncertainty about the sustainability of China’s growth models, coupled with a new America-first policy in Washington, have led some to question whether the economic downturn experienced in recent years is part of a greater trend or simply a blip on the radar.” He suggested that the latter is true and that the global economic environment will remain vibrant and resilient. “Still, the debate highlights the need for stakeholders in the global maritime economy to be adaptive, innovative and well-connected in order to weather these exigent throes of economic, political and environmental changes — for as we will see, there are and will always be many such hiccups.” In addition to the traditional geopolitical and geo-economic factors, RAdm McDonald is seeing an increase in operations in new maritime environments — specifically, that of the Arctic. “The vast and remote nature of the north represents a unique challenge,” he said, “and the opening of this marine passage will have a large impact. Already, there is
more international interest as we’ve seen in a number of ship passages, including the visit of a Chinese research vessel this past summer.” To meet these challenges, RAdm McDonald stressed the importance of international co-operation through collaborative dialogue. “Recently, Canada played host to a conference of Pacific Chiefs of Defence, an international event that provides a forum for Chiefs of Defence from countries in the AsiaPacific region to discuss topics of mutual importance,” he said, adding more examples like recent deployments to Fiji and Korea, which included visits to 14 different ports in 10 countries. “By being present in this highly strategic maritime region, we are hoping to ensure the security of our maritime sea lanes, build relationships, strengthen friendships and cultivate the trust between Canada and other Indo-Asian Pacific nations.” But it’s not just Indo-Asian Pacific nations that have the RCN’s focus. Operation CARIBBE sees regular deployment of ships to the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific to counter illicit trafficking activities. “Since 2006, the Canadian Armed Forces has been credited with supporting the seizure of more than 67 metric tonnes of cocaine and five metric tonnes of marijuana.”
A CH-124 Sea King helicopter lands on the deck of HMCS Charlottetown in the Atlantic Ocean during Operation REASSURANCE this past summer. Photo: Cpl J.W.S. Houck, Formation Imaging Services
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 23
Rear Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force (Pacific).
Meanwhile in Central and Eastern Europe, HMCS St. John’s was participating in Operation REASSURANCE (until it was relieved by HMCS Charlottetown) where they are conducting counter-terrorism patrols, security operations, training and multi-national exercises. HMCS St. John’s is now helping
with relief efforts for Hurricanes Irma and Maria. And in Middle Eastern waters, Operation ARTEMIS has Canada’s Task Force 150 working to increase security in areas such as the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. Closer to home, Operation LIMPID sees Canadian Armed Forces routinely conduct surveillance and presence patrols in Canada’s air and maritime, land, space and cyber domains, detecting threats to Canadian security as early as possible. In support of this operation, HMCS Yellowknife and HMCS Edmonton have been deployed in the western Arctic. And Operation NANOOK — Canada’s largest sovereignty operation in the Arctic — includes significant naval participation, allowing the RCN to work and train alongside other government departments and agencies as well as international military and security partners to respond to security and environmental threats. Throughout all of their operations, the RCN is mindful of their responsibility to lessen impacts on the environment. “In the RCN,” he said, “we take a science-based approach to the protection of
marine life and are extremely conscious of our environmental impact. We continue to have discussions with stakeholders on how we can continue to ensure the security of Canada while balancing the needs for the training against the needs of looking after other port residents in our environment.” One such example of their efforts — the RCN voluntarily committed to participate in the Haro Strait vessel speed reduction trials. “The maritime environment will continue to constantly evolve and so too must we,” RAdm McDonald said in his closing statement. “Innovation and adaptability will be key to our resilience and we will continue to increase our presence in those areas that matter most to Canadian security and prosperity, specifically — the Indo-Asian Pacific and in the Arctic — while remaining steadfast to our commitment to NATO operations and activities worldwide.”
Fleet renewal and maintenance
During his presentation to ACPA Conference delegates, RAdm McDonald touched on the need for a responsive
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Artist’s rendering for the two Joint Support Ships that will be built at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards.
fleet and noted that Canada is currently undertaking the most comprehensive fleet renewal program in peacetime history. “The National Shipbuilding Strategy provides for a balance of mixed platforms to allow Canada to contribute to any international mission while ensuring the ability to monitor our own state,” he said, noting that the vessels being built under the NSS will allow the RCN to be “self-sustaining at sea and able to refocus rapidly from one mission to another.”
Victoria
Ph: (250) 480-3344
Under the NSS, the RCN will be receiving two Joint Support Ships, five (with an option for one more) Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS), and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants (CSCs). Construction on the first two Harry DeWolf Class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPVs) is underway at Irving Shipbuilding with an expected delivery date of the first (HMCS Harry DeWolf ) in 2018 with HMCS Margaret
Halifax
Ph: (902) 450-2200
St. John’s
Brooke to follow in 2019. Completion of the remaining AOPS vessels will follow through to the mid-2020s. In October 2016, the Federal Government issued a request for proposals for the design of the CSC fleet. Twelve companies had been prequalified by the government to participate in the process with selection of the winning design expected to be announced in 2018. Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards signed a contract with the Federal Government in February 2017 to develop and finalize the design of the two Joint Support Ships with construction expected to begin in 2018 (a full update on Seaspan’s NSS work can be found on Page 21). While technically not part of the NSS, the Federal Government announced a contract to Marine Recycling Corporation over the summer for the disposal of HMCS Preserver and the Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel Quest. HMCS Preserver arrived at Sydport Industrial Park in Sydney, Nova Scotia in August with an expected completion date of the dismantling of both ships by summer 2019.
Ph: (709) 758-0369
Ottawa
Ph: (613) 236-6048
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 25
NAVY Over and above the NSS
Project Resolve, the InterimAuxiliary Oiler and Replenishment Ship MV Asterix which saw the conversion of a container ship at Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec, was unveiled in July this year. The Resolve-Class support ship — leased from Davie to the RCN — is expected to enter into service by the end of 2017. HMCS Calgary was the last of five Halifax-Class frigates to go through the Frigate Life Extension Project (FELEX) at Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards. The vessel is currently undergoing an Extended Docking Work Period. Babcock Canada’s contract for the Victoria In-Service Support Contract to provide project management, records and logistics support, engineering support and maintenance support of the Victoria-Class submarines (HMCS Victoria, HMCS Windsor, HMCS Corner Brook and HMCS Chicoutimi) continues. HMCS Chicoutimi underwent an Extended Docking Work Period that was completed in December 2014.
She has now been deployed to the AsiaPacific region. Neither the Kingston-Class maritime coastal defence vessels (MCDVs) or the Orca-Class training vessels are scheduled for anything other than regular maintenance projects.
Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project
Esquimalt Harbour, home port of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific Fleet, is in the midst of a significant transformation. This transformation includes a large investment by the Department of National Defence to recapitalize portions of the marine infrastructure and supporting upland facilities of CFB Esquimalt as well as to address historical contaminates found in the harbour sediments. Some of the recapitalization efforts include a $570-million effort to consolidate and modernize the maintenance facilities that support the Navy; a $781-million project to recapitalize the WWII-vintage A and B Jetties; as well as considerable investment in improving
the berthing capacity in Esquimalt Harbour for smaller vessels, starting with a $12.9-million contract to construct new float modules. These recapitalization efforts in Esquimalt Harbour have also enabled National Defence to address historical soil and sediment contamination around Esquimalt Harbour as the demolition of old buildings and jetties provides unique opportunities to remove contaminated materials before new infrastructure is built in their place. To date, National Defence has committed more than $160 million in cleaning up contaminated sediments in Esquimalt Harbour and has already completed remediation efforts near A Jetty, D Jetty, and F/G Jetties. Contracts are also underway to clean up the contaminated sediments near B Jetty and in portions of Constance Cove. Recapitalization and clean-up efforts by National Defence will continue into 2024, reflecting the government’s strong commitment to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s capabilities to respond to anticipated defence and security challenges over the coming decades. BCSN
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26 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
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November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 27
SPILL RESPONSE
WCMRC’s remarkable transformation By Captain Stephen Brown West Pacific Marine
H
aving operated successfully for many years from its headquarters off Kensington Avenue in Burnaby, the remarkable transformation of Western Canada Marine Response Corp. (WCMRC) over the past five years has inevitably resulted in a demand for more space from which to operate. The organization therefore expanded into new and well-appointed corporate offices in January 2017, permitting the Kensington Avenue site to be dedicated to operations with the new offices on Gilmore Way, also in Burnaby, devoted to corporate leadership and support. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Michael Lowry, Communications Manager for WCMRC at the new offices to discuss ongoing developments and to gain an understanding of the current direction and priorities. It was clear at the outset that WCMRC looks back upon such incidents as that of the Marathassa leakage of oily water into English Bay in 2014 and the grounding of the tug Nathan E. Stewart (along with barge) in 2016 with a sense of professional pride in the role played by the organization in preventing potentially far worse incidents of pollution. Michael disclosed that the organization currently stands at 80 full-time employees, of which 40 are based in the Gilmore Way office and the remaining staff stationed at various response bases in Northern B.C. and Vancouver Island. To bring WCMRC up to full strength for its objectives, there remains 120 positions to be filled over the next couple of years, no small task given the high standards demanded by the company. While Area Response Planning (ARP) pilot projects — as recommended by the Tanker Safety Panel in 2014 —continue to be progressed, WCMRC is also anticipating to be further engaged in the development of the current Federal Government’s Oceans Protection Plan (OPP). WCMRC 28 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
...WCMRC looks back upon such incidents as that of the Marathassa leakage of oily water ... with a sense of professional pride... sees it as important to ensure there is harmonization of the initiatives and objectives of the OPP while itself continuing to develop highly detailed Geographical Response Strategies (GRS), some 400 of which are already complete, many with the assistance of local First Nations and coastal communities. The GRS will be supported by strategically placed equipment that is identified as crucial to a first response capability. The ultimate aim is to have GRSs covering the entire B.C. coastline. In terms of expanded coverage, Michael enthusiastically took me through the current growth plan. New response bases are scheduled for Burrard Inlet in the Port of Vancouver, on the Fraser River, and on Vancouver Island in the ports of Nanaimo and Port Alberni/ Ucluelet, along with new stations at Sydney on the Saanich Peninsula and at Beecher Bay in the Juan de Fuca Strait. Figure 1 is intended to show the makeup of the response capability to be stationed at each location but also of significance is WCMRC’s plan to acquire a suitable off-shore supply vessel of around 200 feet in length to be stationed at Ogden Point, Victoria. The obvious advantage of such a vessel is to have deep sea collection and storage capability in support of spill response wherever it might occur. Already on order however, are three 25-metre, Robert Allan-designed BRAvo 2500 all-weather offshore response vessels to be built in Singapore (see article on Page 31). With a permanent crew of three to four (and accommodation for eight), these 278-GRT vessels will offer an enhanced response capability to Nanaimo, Alberni/ Ucluelet and the Beecher Bay stations.
Michael Lowry, Communications Manager, WCMRC
With respect to the new base in the Port of Vancouver, a project permit was issued to WCMRC in May this year. Construction is expected to commence by November and be complete by summer 2018 as an integral component in the expansion planned to meet enhanced response requirements associated with the Trans Mountain / Kinder Morgan expansion. As part of the project, WCMRC was engaged by Trans Mountain to review the project’s risk assessment and spill modelling studies, and recommend enhancements to the existing federal spill response planning standards for B.C. WCMRC developed a draft equipment plan that would then be capable of meeting the enhanced planning standards as part of the facilities application to the National Energy Board for the project. In
WESTERN CANADA MARINE RESPONSE CORPORATION addition to hosting Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services’ new fireboats, the base will be a permanent operations centre for the majority of WCMRC equipment based in Burrard Inlet. Of course, none of this can be achieved without funding, given that WCMRC is expecting to more than double overall response capacity including 24/7/365 coverage in several key locations such as the Port of Vancouver and elsewhere. Kinder Morgan’s commitment to an investment of $150 million in WCMRC, assuming the now-approved pipeline capacity expansion proceeds, will therefore cover the described expansion costs. There is certainly no time to spare given that the objective is to complete the current phase of WCMRC upgrades at least six months prior to completion of the Kinder Morgan expansion and before the increase of marine traffic intended to serve the new terminal is seen on the coast. That aside, WCMRC sees these investments in defence of all B.C. coastal shipping as being essential if WCMRC is to achieve its goal of having the capacity to clean up 20,000 tonnes of oil in 10 days within the Strait of Juan de
Inevitably, the rapid expansion of WCMRC, supported by heavy industry investment, runs the risk of raising the expectations of the public at large to an unrealistic level. Fuca shipping lanes, double the statutory requirement demanded by Transport Canada since inauguration of Canada’s current spill response regime in 1995. In addition to expanding the in-house staff complement, WCMRC has longstanding contractual support arrangements with many contractors and advisors based on their capacity, experience and expertise. The key to harnessing these strengths is, of course, communication and as we all discover at some stage in our careers, good communication comes through experience. Exercises are therefore essential, one recent such event being held in June this year in the waters between North Pender Island and Saturna Island. A simulated oil spill involved 90 personnel spread over 20 vessels including skimmers, work boats with booms and barges to hold the simulated recovery of 2,500 tonnes of oil from Plumper Sound. In this context, WCMRC is keen to
promote contractor and community training in the so-called Shore Line Clean-Up Assessment Technique (SCAT). This is a comprehensive approach to provide timely information on shore-line contamination in various environments. The important objective of SCAT training is to deliver an accurate on-site perspective to the Response Team to allow for implementation of environmentally sound and costeffective response and to ensure an overall long-term net environmental benefit. Inevitably, the rapid expansion of WCMRC, supported by heavy industry investment, runs the risk of raising the expectations of the public at large to an unrealistic level. WCMRC is therefore at pains to point out that despite no effort being spared to prevent oil spills occurring in the first place, and no stone being left unturned to ensure preparedness for a spill (however unlikely an occurrence may be), no oil spill is without
Figure 1 — New stations along the entire B.C. coast will expand WCMRC’s capabilities. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 29
The Kaien Sentinel, one of WCMRC’s large landing craft, is based in Prince Rupert.
consequence. Michael likened response to a spill to that of response to a forest fire, so many of which we have seen across British Columbia this past summer. Speed of response, the right equipment operated by well-trained personnel and overwhelming capacity are seen as the basic ingredients for success. Another area of discussion was that of embracing technology in spill response. We have for some time been aware that the use of drones in spill surveillance has become a preferred option but WCMRC currently favours the use of surveillance balloons. This technology uses a helium filled balloon carrying both infrared and conventional cameras tethered to a vessel. The spill surveillance balloon is positioned about 500 feet in the air
We like to keep the ocean as clean as this ad.
We are a certified member of Green Marine.
30 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
Photo courtesy WCMRC
as a supplement to aircraft and helicopter over-flights during a response. Michael also spoke to the use of infra-red cameras and highly successful new designs of skimming systems like the Current Busters which can handle heavier weather and be towed at higher speeds. It is also worth noting that for almost 20 years, WCMRC has offered scholarships to students of family members involved in spill response on the West Coast. In the current year, three $1,000 scholarships were awarded to students who are enrolled in a post-secondary program for the 2017/2018 academic year. Selection is based on the applicant’s academic performance, education and career goals, as well as their community and extracurricular involvement. Of course, no successful organization can go forever without attention to branding. The entire WCMRC fleet is being upgraded with new paint jobs, the emphasis being on orange and blue with the words “Spill Response” clearly painted on the hull. Standardized naming of vessels is also underway with all vessels in the response fleet in future featuring the word Sentinel to reflect the role played by WCMRC in protecting the BC coastline: • With the exception of the MJ Green and GM Penman, skimming class vessels will be named after bodies of water along the West Coast. Examples are Eagle Bay Sentinel, Salish Sentinel, etc. • Large landing craft are to be named after Islands. Examples are Cortes Sentinel, Discovery Sentinel, etc. • Coastal response vessels (large workboats) are to be named after features to be found on nautical charts while small workboats, boom skiffs and barges will continue to be identified by their existing number series. There can be no doubt that WCMRC means business and is being provided with the resources to more than fulfill its mandate. This is good news for the entire Pacific Northwest as we strive to provide reassurance to coastal communities that while we are serious in preventing incidents of pollution, we have the means to respond aggressively should an incident occur. Captain Stephen Brown spent 21 years at sea where he served as Master for the last five years with Gearbulk Shipping. After coming ashore, he worked in various levels of operational management before going on to serve as Chamber of Shipping of BC Director (2000 to 2008) and President (2008 to 2016). Captain Brown is currently the owner of West Pacific Marine Ltd., Marine Consultancy and can be reached at westpacificmarine@gmail.com.
RESPONSE VESSELS
New response vessels ordered
I
n September 2017, Burnaby-based Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) awarded a construction contract to ASL Shipyards, Singapore, for three of Robert Allan Ltd.’s BRAvo 2500 Pollution Response Vessels designed to protect Canada’s West Coast. This project builds upon a strong relationship between WCMRC and Robert Allan Ltd. which included providing guidance to assess recently built spill response skimming vessels and providing technical assistance to bring these into Canadian registry. Recently, this also included providing market studies evaluating available existing vessels, which could be converted for spill response duties, and the design of two large spill response barges, for which the construction contracts are expected to be awarded later this year. With WCMRC’s aim to increase their offshore spill response capability for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, Robert Allan Ltd. was awarded a design contract by WCMRC in late 2016 for the BRAvo 2500 vessels. Through a
... these modern pollution response platforms were custom designed to meet the formidable environmental conditions and demanding requirements of Canada’s West Coast. highly collaborative process working in person with WCMRC, the best possible solution to meet their response requirements was assessed and incorporated into the design of these vessels. Identified as Coastal Response Vessels by WCMRC, these modern pollution response platforms were custom-designed to meet the formidable environmental conditions and demanding requirements of Canada’s exposed West Coast. They will act as a mothership to other smaller vessels during training exercises and in the response to a spill, should it occur. They will be capable of deploying leading containment technologies, transferring equipment between vessels, and will provide WCMRC with the flexibility of utilizing the vessel’s internal tankage or offloading any oil into WCMRC’s barges. Particulars of the BRAvo 2500 pollution response vessels are as follows:
• • • • •
Length: 25.0 metres Beam: 10.25 metres Depth: 3.80 metres Draft, Maximum: 2.8 metres Capacities (at 98 per cent): • Fuel oil: 53 m³ • Fresh water: 12 m³ • Recovered oil: 26 m³ The hull form, which features a bulbous bow, was extensively studied by Robert Allan Ltd. with computational fluid dynamics and will allow the resiliently mounted EPA Tier 3 compliant Caterpillar C9.3 main engines to propel the vessel at a speed of at least 10 knots. Two Caterpillar C4.4 ship service gensets, in sound enclosures, will provide electrical power for vessel services, including the deck machinery. A spacious deck aft is equipped with 2500 feet of Kepner self-inflating offshore containment boom stored on a
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 31
RESPONSE VESSELS
Side and top views of the new vessels for WCMRC.
large powered reel and a NOFI Current Buster 4 sweep system which can be deployed and towed by the Coastal Response Vessel to capture oil in currents and waves. These booms are deployable over an aft roller to minimize wear during training exercises, and an aft swim platform allows easy access to the water surface for recovering and deploying equipment with the vessel’s crane. This platform will also ease the transfer of spill responders from small workboats with limited freeboard. On the main deck, large lockers for handling loose spill response equipment are provided along with a large wet gear entry space to deal with the West Coast’s extremely wet climate. The entry space can be used as an internal decontamination area during a spill. Crew accommodations are also
32 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
arranged on this level, featuring a generously sized mess, galley and crew rooms. With the deckhouse above, which includes two large cabins and an office, the vessel is designed to accommodate eight people in quiet MLC-compliant cabins, satisfying all Transport Canada regulations. The wheelhouse provides exceptional all around visibility, especially to the aft deck to allow the master to actively manoeuvre the vessel using its twin screw propulsion and bow thruster while still supervising the deployment and recovery of spill response equipment. Due to the harsh environmental conditions, significant effort was spent during the design to reduce the vessel’s motions in waves to the maximum extent possible. This included implementing Robert Allan Ltd.’s unique hull sponson technology from the incredibly successful RAstar series of offshore escort tugs, as well as large bilge keels, twin skegs and a bulbous bow. The vessel’s stability was also assessed to optimize rolling periods and not only satisfy regulatory requirements, but also implement Robert Allan Ltd.’s recommendation for one compartment damage survivability. WCMRC selected Lloyd’s Register as the classification society for the vessels with Robert Allan Ltd. contracted to co-ordinate plan approval to LR’s rules as well as Transport Canada requirements. The vessels are designed to the following notation: LR 100A1 SSC, Workboat, Mono, G4, UMS, IWS — Oil Recovery Workboat with Occasional Towing Duties. These innovative BRAvo 2500 Pollution Response Vessels, custom-designed to support WCMRC’s spill response operations in demanding weather operations, are truly state of the art in compact pollution response vessel design today. They will provide a safe and comfortable platform for WCMRC crews to standby while conducting their regular training exercises, and play a critical role in ensuring a speedy response, should a spill occur. Robert Allan Ltd. congratulates WCMRC and ASL on the successful contract signing and looks forward to these advanced vessels protecting the pristine coast our staff is honoured to call home.
SEARCH AND RESCUE Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue
Excellence in community-based marine safety By Pat Quealey, CEO RCMSAR
R
CMSAR provides volunteer community-based marine safety support on Canada’s West Coast and in the British Columbia interior. With over 1,000 members and 54 dedicated response vessels at 33 rescue stations, crews respond to approximately one-third of all marine emergencies in the province; this accounts for, on average, over 800 missions every year. RCMSAR provides this contribution primarily in direct support of the Canadian Coast Guard maritime search and rescue mandate through taskings from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. These dedicated community responders are highly-trained to deal with an extraordinary range of rescue operational scenarios — everything from stranded recreational boaters to sinking commercial vessels to downed aircraft. Crews are trained to Transport Canada standards and receive specialized onwater and electronic simulated training in seamanship, navigation, communications and search and rescue techniques both at their home stations and at the RCMSAR Headquarters and Training Center in East Sooke for more advanced leadership training. RCMSAR is an independent not-forprofit charity that is funded through a contribution agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, grant support from the Province of British Columbia, and donations from industry and the public. Community-based stations provide oncall service 24 hours a day, year-round, both in highly populated areas such as greater Vancouver and Victoria and in more remote communities along the mainland North Coast and the West Coast of Vancouver Island. In many places, help would be hours away if not for the presence of an RCMSAR station ready to launch at a moment’s notice. RCMSAR’s modern search and rescue vessels were designed exclusively
RCMSAR is leading the evolution of volunteer support to marine communities, and provincial and federal mandates in British Columbia. to meet the needs of its crews and the demands of the West Coast. They also meet the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea specifications for rescue boats; designs include self-righting diesel-powered jet boats and outboardpowered rigid hull inflatable with shock absorbing crew platforms and state-ofthe-art search and rescue equipment. These vessels and all other capital assets are acquired solely through fundraising, grants and corporate donations.
Supporting our volunteers
RCMSAR recognizes that, more than anything else, the strength of our organization is our people and their readiness to support our mission of saving lives on the water. With that in mind, we have institutionalized a readiness framework that is focused on the safety and
professional development of our people as well as our ongoing safety audits of our vessels and equipment. Inclusive to this approach is the recent development of a new-tiered system of coxswain leadership courses that are being piloted at our Training Center this autumn. Supported by risk assessment tools, mentorship, full electronic simulation and live scenariobased exercises, we will continue to learn and build the confidence and competence of our team of leaders through these new courses. To further assure the quality and safety of our response, we have also implemented a task-based physical fitness standard that ensures individual crew readiness. Part of supporting our volunteers is also recognition of their contribution to their communities. As a permanent tribute to their selfless service, we were privileged
RCMSAR’s familiar red and yellow rescue vessels can be seen throughout the entire B.C. coast. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 33
Collaboration with industry: from left, RCMSAR CEO Pat Quealey, BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins, BC Ferries VP Fleet Operations Jamie Marshall, RCMSAR Director of Operations Jason van der Valk, Crewmember Scott Burchett and TK Trust Company Board Chairman Emeritus Arthur Coady preparing for search and rescue familiarization training.
in March 2017 to partner with our air and ground search and rescue comrades along with Provincial elected officials to unveil the Volunteer Search and Rescue Memorial on the British Columbia Legislative Grounds. The memorial honours our collective fallen who passed away in the line of duty as well as our volunteers who continue to serve.
Enhancing support at the community level
In December 2016, RCMSAR set out a three-year strategy to achieve its new vision of Excellence in Community Based Marine Safety. While maintaining our core function of marine search and rescue is central to our plans, an important element of our strategy is improving the reach of our service and expanding our direct support to the communities we serve. Our stated strategic focus for 2017 has been renewing partnerships and establishing new relationships. While 2017 sees us further entrenching our relationship with the Canadian Coast Guard through our cyclical contribution agreement negotiations, we have also reached out to like-minded agencies and other levels of government to explore new potential areas of collaboration. The results thus far have been promising for the future of RCMSAR in strengthening the network of marine safety in British Columbia. Our approach has been to engage with potential partners from the perspective of understanding how our interests align in protecting the people and environment of B.C. It has been heartening to experience the tremendous support and gratitude that leaders in the B.C. marine industry have 34 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
expressed for RCMSAR volunteers. The spirit of volunteerism and looking out for other mariners on the water is one that transcends jurisdictional boundaries. As a community-based and professional organization, RCMSAR is a natural conduit for philanthropists interested in keeping our waters safe.
A new relationship with the Province of British Columbia
One of the most exciting areas of development in 2017 has been the creation of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Province of British Columbia that will better enable our stations to support their communities directly and more broadly in times of emergency and disaster. This MOU will facilitate the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance by RCMSAR to support the mandates and jurisdictions of B.C. and its local governments and authorities. In addition to RCMSAR’s accessibility through the Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue mandate, the Province has identified that other emergencies may require specialized skills and resources to augment B.C.’s capabilities and to deliver resources to areas where those emergencies occur. As such, it was prudent to establish a relationship and framework MOU whereby RCMSAR may support British Columbia and authorized requesting agencies directly in a deliberate and effective manner. This MOU also constitutes an agreement in principle to collaborate in emergency preparedness and prevention activities such as joint training and exercises, public education initiatives and operational planning.
The Province and RCMSAR have identified specific operational activities for which support might be requested. While Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC) will be the co-ordinating agency, the support will be directed to authorized requesting agencies at the emergency site level. Some examples of potential authorized activities are summarized as follows: • Inland waters and Ground SAR mutual aid; • Provision of on-water command, control and communications platforms; • On-water transportation assistance for EMBC-approved responders and representatives to access incident or response locations; • On-water transportation assistance for personnel under the care of EMBCapproved responders; • On-water observation and reporting of emergency incidents and incident impacts to support situational understanding; • On-water safety patrols and emergency first aid; • On-water recovery of human remains; and • Personnel augmentation support to provincial, local governments and related community agencies. RCMSAR looks forward to implementing this agreement in 2018 and engaging with community-based response agencies and local governments in concert with our Provincial counterparts as part of our MOU implementation plan. This agreement will only strengthen the network of emergency response in B.C. and augment the existing impact of our core function of search and rescue.
A new relationship with the Canadian Rangers
RCMSAR shares jurisdictional territory with the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group in British Columbia. In many remote communities, both RCMSAR and the Canadian Rangers are key organizations for supporting coastal community emergency preparedness activities. Together, we recognized the value of sharing our expertise and knowledge and set about formalizing our relationship through a collaboration MOU signed in September 2017. The highlights of this MOU are as follows: • Joint training activities to achieve mutually beneficial objectives;
SEARCH AND RESCUE
Unity of effort on the water: RCMSAR has excellent working relationships with many maritime stakeholders.
• Provision of subject matter expertise, training, equipment, or facility support; • Joint operations co-ordination and mutual support where mandates and authorities intersect (e.g., joint SAR operations); • Sharing of situational awareness and local area knowledge; • Community emergency preparedness planning collaboration; and • Joint public engagement and support for public safety initiatives. One of the first products of this agreement has been the co-ordination of joint training and exercise opportunities for our volunteers that will include a regional joint search and rescue exercise in September 2018 at the Albert Head training facility on southern Vancouver Island.
across jurisdictions in a potentially overwhelming scenario. BC Ferries will play a critical role in this exercise along with federal, provincial and communitybased responders. We see this exercise as an opportunity to challenge our collective readiness and further explore how to close the physical and psychological seams and gaps in organizational boundaries. RCMSAR’s approach to collaboration is a manifestation of this ever-prevalent need for unity of effort.
RCMSAR will continue to engage with the marine industry and other potential partners to develop new opportunities to strengthen the network of marine safety in British Columbia. Our ongoing investigations into environmental response and support to Indigenous communities are areas with great potential. We will remain agile to anticipate and best support sustainable initiatives that further a shared vision of excellence in community-based marine safety.
The future
Pat Quealey is the Chief Executive Officer of RCMSAR. Pat has also served in federal and provincial government defence and public safety leadership roles over a career spanning nearly 30 years. Pat can be reached at pat.quealey@rcmsar.com.
In the short-term, the next two years of our strategic plan involve the methodical implementation of our new relationship agreements and their establishment as core operations. To the longer view,
Collaboration with industry
As a member of the Association of BC Marine Industries (ABCMI), RCMSAR is acutely aware of the interdependency of corporations and communities along the coast. As part of our engagement this year, we have established a new relationship with one of the key marine safety organizations on the coast, BC Ferries. Since his appointment as CEO of BC Ferries earlier this year, Mark Collins and his team have been strong supporters of RCMSAR’s community-based efforts. RCMSAR is very grateful for BC Ferries’ recent support for our Headquarters and Training Centre capital development project. We look forward to a joint announcement with Mark’s team about this contribution in the near future. At the time of writing this article, the community of marine safety organizations is preparing for a mass rescue operation exercise in the Salish Sea that should test our ability to co-ordinate
maritime and commercial law on canada’s west coast W. Gary Wharton Catherine A. Hofmann Russell Robertson Mark Gill
Peter Swanson David S. Jarrett Anne Amos-Stewart Karissa Kelln
Thomas S. Hawkins Tom Beasley Megan Nicholls
David K. Jones Connie Risi Glen Krueger
associate counsel: Lorna Pawluk, Q.C. tel: 6 0 4 . 6 8 1.1700 fax: 604.681.1788 emergency response: 604.681.1700 address: 1500–570 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6C 3P1 web: www.bernardllp.ca
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 35
SEARCH AND RESCUE
A busy summer for CLI By Captain Stephen Brown, Director, CLI
36 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
Photo: BC Shipping News
W
hile largely unremarked, October 10, 1891, marked the first street collection and parade of horse-drawn lifeboats held in the U.K. on behalf of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, more commonly referred to as the RNLI. The event was held in the City of Manchester and was remarkable for several reasons, the primary being the establishment on a solid financial footing of a purely volunteer funded organization dedicated to the rescue of mariners in distress. The other notable fact is that GBP £5,000 was raised — equivalent to almost GBP £250,000 today. Given the poverty endured by the average family at that time, raising such a sum was mindblowing The Manchester collection went on to inspire regular Lifeboat Saturdays and well-organized fund raising across the U.K. To this day, the RNLI continues to rely on public donations and legacies to maintain its service to mariners, working seamlessly alongside government controlled and funded coast guard services. Since its founding in 1824, the RNLI is conservatively estimated to have saved 140,000 lives with active volunteers continuing to make up 95 per cent of the charity’s labour force. On a smaller scale, but following the exact same model, the Canadian Lifeboat Institution (CLI) was born in 1981. Working with Canada’s primary Search and Rescue organizations, the Canadian Coast Guard and its Auxiliary, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR), the CLI operates its two highly capable vessels to provide secondary SAR services including safety patrols, escort services, fishing and recreational boating information, in addition to acting as vessels of opportunity. Following a full refit, the previously named Steveston Lifeboat returned to service this summer and was renamed Delta Lifeboat under the terms of a new agreement struck with the Municipality of Delta to reposition the vessel to Ladner. Under the terms of the agreement, in addition to performing routine patrols, the Delta Lifeboat will be available to support that Municipality’s emergency services in whatever capacity it may be called upon. But it doesn’t stop there. Since her return to service, Lifeboat Commander John Horton and his CLI crew have undertaken a 16-day “work-up” for both vessel and crew with a voyage to Port Hardy in addition to attending the Victoria Classic Boat Festival, the Richmond Maritime Festival and a voyage over the border to the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Arguably however, the highlight of the summer for the Delta Lifeboat was the Dedication and Renaming Ceremony on a hot Saturday morning in August, attended by a number of dignitaries including Delta Mayor Lois Jackson; Chief Administration Officer George Harvie, The Honorable Carla Qualtrough, MP for Delta; Mr. Ian Paton, MLA for Delta South, Mr. Neil Duboard, Delta Chief Constable, Mr. Robert Macilwaine, President of CLI and his Board of Directors. For its part, the Fraser Lifeboat, which continues to operate out of Steveston, played host this summer to a Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) delegation by providing an educational tour of the Fraser River South Arm
Delta Mayor Lois Jackson and CLI President Bob McIlwaine celebrate Delta Lifeboat’s new home and new duties.
main shipping channel; and continues to work closely with both the commercial and aboriginal fisheries, including through Fish Safe BC, with a view to maintaining the co-operative coexistence of fisheries with deep sea and coastal traffic. September was a particularly busy month for the Fraser Lifeboat which attended the Lucille Johnson Workboat Parade, sponsored by Ledcor, as part of the annual RiverFest in New Westminster. The fun-filled parade, designed to provide visitors with a window into the meaning of a “living and working river” with demonstrations of their agility and strength as they wind their way across the waters of the Fraser, involved several tugboats and fishing vessels along with boats representing Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, New Westminster Police and RCM-SAR among many others. At the end of September, the Fraser Lifeboat also participated in a Sea Island Coast Guard Station organized simulated emergency involving a Harbour Air flight enroute from Victoria Harbour to Richmond South Terminal, with 13 passengers onboard, experiencing mechanical difficulties when entering its final approach, ultimately resulting in a crash landing. In the context of all this activity, it is worth mentioning that, as with the Delta Lifeboat, the Fraser Lifeboat has been significantly technically upgraded in the past year in order to prepare her for whatever emergency she may be called upon to respond. For this reason, CLI fundraising remains a key element if we are to maintain the finest traditions of our mentor, the RNLI, not forgetting the International Maritime Rescue Federation to which we are also accredited. We therefore take this opportunity to thank all who have included us in their donations to notfor-profit and charity causes. Be assured, every dollar counts.
CRUISE INDUSTRY
While cruise remains strong, issues on the horizon could affect future success
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ith a purview that includes the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Hawaii, and now the Arctic, Greg Wirtz, President, Cruise Lines International Association – North West and Canada, reported on a strong 2017 cruise season for all theatres. And while continued growth is forecast, Wirtz outlined a number of issues that are — or will have, an effect on continued success.
The Arctic: The new frontier
Starting with the newest cruise destination, the Arctic again saw Crystal Cruises successfully transit the North West Passage for the second year in a row. While it’s an emerging market — with extremely limited port infrastructure and services, navigational challenges, a massive distance to cover and narrow window of ice-free weather, it’s not likely to create much competition for the larger and stronger markets around the world. “It’s a completely different environment with sophisticated logistics requirements,” Wirtz said. “However, there has been very positive feedback on the experience from those who have made the trip so there is some prospect of growth in the future.”
Watching out for whales: Atlantic and Pacific Coasts
Eastern Canada had a “good bounce-back” season according to Wirtz. “The progression trend is positive after having a year or two of ups and downs,” he said. With both Atlantic Canada and Quebec seeing larger ships, Wirtz reported that ports and communities there have a lot of cruise industry experience and have the capacity to manage the increases in size. At issue for cruise ships on the East Coast — along with every other vessel transiting the Gulf of St. Lawrence — is the speed restriction imposed by the Federal Government to mitigate the risk of collision with slow-moving North Atlantic Right Whales, protected under the Species at Risk Act. Wirtz said that, while first and foremost, CLIA’s member lines recognize and respect the importance of ensuring minimal impacts on the environment, the regulation caught the entire shipping industry off guard. For cruise, it has had a negative effect on destinations and passengers. “The ships can’t complete all of the port calls — Gaspé, for example, has been dropped from some itineraries because of the speed restrictions,” he said. When asked about a solution, Wirtz noted that he and his team are collaborating with government. “The cruise industry has a lot of experience and best practices that deal with whale species in different parts of the world. They have developed special training programs for bridge personnel and some best practices to ensure whale avoidance. We’d like to work with government to find a solution that best protects the whales without impacting on the economic benefits of the business and to the communities and ports of the East Coast.” Noting a different approach by the U.S., CLIA-NWC and its members have been working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on whale avoidance and
...while continued growth is forecast, Wirtz outlined a number of issues that are — or will have, an effect on continued success. mitigation measures without the imposition of a blanket speed restriction. In just one example of initiatives that are working, a blog site for Glacier Bay in Alaska was set up, allowing pilots and masters to communicate information on where whales are located so that ships coming into the area can take avoidance measures. Wirtz reported that the site has “organically grown” and has become a very useful tool. As many marine industry associations are working to get this resolved, Wirtz is hopeful that a better solution can be identified. On the West Coast, cruise lines participated in the recent ECHO program’s voluntary slow-down in Haro Straight, working co-operatively to identify measures that will lead to the protection and regeneration of the Southern Resident Killer Whale population. This initiative reflects the kind of engagement necessary to work toward mitigation solutions that protect both this iconic species and the important business that is shipping on the West Coast of British Columbia. “Industry is engaged
Some impressive numbers from CLIA-NWC on the impact of the cruise industry in Canada. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 37
CRUISE INDUSTRY and is supporting these efforts through voluntary measures that will allow for the identification and future management of increased costs or logistics issues.”
Pacific Northwest: Preparing for growth
With high demand, the Alaska market and the Pacific Northwest continue to be strong and growing. “Alaska remains one of the most popular destinations worldwide,” he said. “Save a few hiccups over the past 20 years, growth has been very consistent and reflects the fact that ports on the West Coast have invested in growing their capacity to meet the demand. For the gateway ports that feed Alaska — Seattle and Vancouver — there is a really good opportunity to capitalize on the increasing activity.” He tempered his last comment with a word of caution, however. “While Seattle has been attuned to what it needs to do and has been expanding to its capacity, unfortunately, Vancouver has gone in the opposite direction and has actually reduced capacity.” Wirtz was referring of course to the closure of Ballantyne Pier three years ago and felt that decision didn’t take into account a long-term vision of growth of the cruise industry. He also raised the issue of height restrictions for the Lions Gate Bridge that will hamper Vancouver’s abilities to attract the wave of new and larger vessels entering into the market. While Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has recently undertaken a pre-feasibility study to identify potential locations for a new cruise terminal that is outside of Vancouver Harbour, the cruise industry itself has already begun evaluating other options. “Other jurisdictions like Squamish, Delta and Tsawwassen are already vying for the tourism benefits that come with home porting Alaskabound cruise ships,” Wirtz said, noting that an existing marine passenger hub such as the BC Ferries facility in Tsawwassen may naturally represent a head start on other as-yet undeveloped alternatives. In terms of a timeline, Wirtz believes that a long-term solution needs to be in place within five years to be able to take advantage of the growth in the cruise industry. Already, Wirtz notes that the trend is being realized with the bigger ships in the market establishing their home port activities in Seattle. “For 38 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
example, the Celebrity Solstice and the Explorer of the Seas are already homeporting in Seattle; the Norwegian Bliss and the Royal Princess are coming and all are in a similar situation with tidal restrictions for accessing Canada Place.” And while these ships may be able to squeeze under the Lions Gate, Wirtz suggests that the cruise lines currently view Seattle as a more flexible location for the next wave of big ships. Tied to the closure of Ballantyne Pier, Wirtz also felt that congestion at Canada Place was an issue for the passenger experience. “Seattle currently has three berths spread across two terminals and is planning ahead for additional port capacity,” he said. “In Vancouver, when you have three ships in at Canada Place, the passenger experience suffers. Transportation to the terminal suffers and getting thousands of passengers processed becomes a logistical problem.” When asked if Victoria’s efforts to become a home port would provide a solution, Wirtz was highly supportive of the community’s initiative. “Today, Victoria is an extremely popular destination port on Alaska itineraries. As a home port for large ships, there would be logistical challenges in trying to move upwards of 4,000 passengers as well as ensuring the services and supplies that are associated with home ports. That said however, nothing is impossible.”
2018 and beyond
Forecasts for 2018 indicate another strong year for the Alaska cruise market as well as those destinations on the East Coast. Vancouver could see increases of about 50,000 passengers next year and another 100,000 in 2019, bringing it back to the highs of the late 1990s when totals surpassed a million passengers. Victoria is also expecting to see an increase with the addition of the Norwegian Bliss in 2018 to the roster of ships homeporting in Seattle. “Victoria’s growth is very much tied to the success of the Seattle industry and will continue to be an attractive destination within Alaska cruise itineraries.” Summing up, Wirtz concluded that “all the drivers are pointing to strong growth over the next few years and into the future. It remains to be seen, however, whether Vancouver will be able to capitalize on that growth given the current infrastructure.” BCSN
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
VIMC releases report on Vancouver’s potential at World Maritime Day lunch
T
he Vancouver International Maritime Centre has successfully globally branded Vancouver on the world maritime stage since its re-establishment in 2015. Executive Director Kaity Arsoniadis-Stein has enabled the attraction of 10 international shipping companies into the Vancouver market (and another 35 leads), reflecting a significant investment of clean jobs and million of dollars into the province, with the potential for billions more. The results of this effort are promulgated by the recently released Menon Economics report, “The Leading Maritime Capitals of the World 2017 — Vancouver City Report.” This is the window of opportunity for Vancouver to play out the global image and become a leading global maritime hub. The report recognizes that Vancouver’s maritime industry is well established and forecasts that Vancouver, “with continued government support, will improve its competitiveness and global position within the maritime industry.” The Menon Economics report follows on the release of Monitor Deloitte’s “EU Shipping Competitiveness Study” which included Vancouver as a benchmark for leading international centres along with global giants Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai. VIMC Chairman and CEO, Graham Clarke believes the success of Vancouver as a maritime hub directly correlates with the attractiveness of the city both
for its location on the Pacific Rim trading route but also for the many business advantages Canada has to offer. Executive Director Kaity ArsoniadisStein emphasized that “Canada is a resource-rich trading nation with a strong banking system, political stability, universal healthcare system, world-class universities, a highly skilled workforce and a strong social infrastructure providing a high quality of life. Therefore, Canada provides an ideal setting for companies who are looking for a western, modern and stable environment”. The VIMC released the report during a luncheon celebrating World Maritime Day 2017 in late September. The luncheon, hosted in collaboration with Keesal Young & Logan (KYL), included a seminar highlighting the 2017 International Maritime Organization (IMO) theme “Connecting Ships, Ports and People” and featured presentations from KYL’s John D. Giffin, Philip R. Lempriere, David A. Tong and Tara B. Voss and a panel moderated by Jane McIvor, Editor, of BC Shipping News. The panel represented a cross section of Vancouver’s shipping industry: Captain Philip McCarter of BCIT, Terry Engler of ILWU 400, Dr. Joost Schokkenbroek of Vancouver Maritime Museum, Haijun Yu of Vancouver ShipInvest & Management Ltd, Chad Allen of Shipping Federation of Canada, and Christian Ott of Teekay. Trevor Heryet, Regional Executive Director of Transport Canada, addressed
the audience with an overview of Canadian maritime issues. While the full report can be found online, to follow is the executive summary.
Executive summary
Vancouver has the potential to build a position as the leading maritime city on the western side of the Americas. Vancouver’s maritime industry is well established and continuously growing. The Canadian city has the largest managed fleet of all the North-American cities included in this analysis, and the aggregated market value of the city’s shipping companies is higher than those located both in New York and Los Angeles.
Graham Clarke (left) receives a final $100,000 contribution from International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada President Oscar Valles. ISAC has been a strong supporter of the VIMC and acknowledges their significant impact on the maritime industry in Canada. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 39
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING The World Bank ranks Vancouver high on the “Ease of Doing Business Index” — it is viewed to be highly transparent and an attractive location for technology and innovation. The city also enjoys support from the government to expand its corporate maritime business. Industry experts regard the city’s political framework as among the most favorable for maritime activities in the world. The city hosts a Maritime Arbitrators Association with a roster of over 50 arbitrators, and a major international company within maritime law, Norton Rose Fulbright, which just expanded into the city by merging with a local law firm. Vancouver hosts several maritime associations representing various sectors of the shipping industry. The Port of Vancouver is the busiest and most diversified port in North America, and the burden of customs procedures in the port is regarded to be low. In addition, Vancouver has an award-winning cruise terminal and is homeport for Alaskabound sailings. The Canadian banks largely escaped the financial crises. Global Finance include seven Canadian banks among their list of the 50 safest commercial banks in the world, more than any other country in the world. Two Canadian banks rank ahead of the top U.S. bank, with Toronto-Dominion Bank at the very top of the list. Ship owners naturally have the potential of benefitting from the solid position of Canadian banks. However, the maritime community in Vancouver perceives the maritime competence of the banks and financial services providers as significantly lower in comparison to the world leading maritime hubs.
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Kaity Arsoniadis-Stein, VIMC’s Executive Director was pleased to release the Menon Economics report.
Panel members discussed “Ships, Ports and People” during the VIMC’s World Maritime Day luncheon.
The city has several high level technological companies serving the international ships calling on Vancouver as well as some ship repair facilities and minor shipbuilding activity. Robert Allan Ltd. is an internationally, highly recognized company of Naval Architects with headquarters in Vancouver; and VARD is a major global ship designer and shipbuilder of specialized vessels with its top management in Vancouver. However, based on the criteria in this study, Vancouver is not globally considered to be among the leading technology maritime centres of the world. Vancouver also lags with respect to professional maritime finance, insurance and legal services, and there are no major international shipbrokers in the city. Overall, therefore, the city has some way to go to become a complete maritime cluster to join the world leading maritime centres. Vancouver’s main potential as a future maritime centre may, however, be that it is strategically well located to serve the expanding Pacific Rim trade, and that it is in a politically stable, business-friendly environment of a modern democracy. The city already has a large Asian community and several Hong Kong shipping companies. This number may grow in line with expanding Asian trade and activities. Industry experts rank Vancouver’s political framework as the second most lucrative among the 30 cities included in this analysis, only beaten by Singapore. In addition, the Canadian city’s governmental bodies are regarded as highly supportive to the maritime industry. In sum, there are several factors suggesting that Vancouver, with continued government support, will improve its competitiveness and global position within the maritime industry in the future.
LONGSHORE WORKERS
Conference engages young workers
I
t’s easy to forget that not all countries share the same strong labour standards that we see here in Canada. Noting that these standards were the result of the hard work of previous generations, Rob Ashton, President, ILWU Canada, described the third ILWU Canada Young Workers Conference as a key way to ensure that “the lessons of the past — good or bad — are passed on to the younger generation to guide our future.” Sitting down with Ashton, Peter Lahay, International Transport Federation’s Canadian inspector and his colleagues, Nigel Venes and Enrico Tortolano from the ITF Dockers’ Section based in the U.K., BC Shipping News gained insight, not only into the background and goals of the conference, but also the issues facing today’s youth in the labour force.
Background
The concept of a young workers conference took shape four years ago under
“It’s most likely that the issues we face at any given time have already been dealt with by someone in another country, or will be dealt with in the future.” Steve Nasby, then 2nd Vice President, Education of ILWU Canada and the officers at the time, including President Tom Dufresne. While the original idea came from the Maritime Union of Australia — who was also focused on addressing the engagement of youth —the conference quickly caught the eye of the ITF. “We could see the energy that ILWU Canada was creating with the young workers conference and we very much wanted to support that,” said Nigel Venes. He further pointed out that for countries like Canada — where longshore workers enjoy high labour standards and good employer relations — the conference has become a way for ILWU Canada to provide leadership by sharing their experiences with unions in developing nations.
For his part, Ashton believes that the relationships developed during the three days will benefit attendees for years to come. “I learned very early on that it’s the interactions you encounter at conferences like this that give you the ability to foster friendships worldwide. It’s most likely that the issues we face at any given time have already been dealt with by someone in another country, or will be dealt with in the future. I can call sisters and brothers all over the world to discuss my problem and seek their advice and I receive calls from brothers and sisters all over the world looking for advice.” Having grown from only a few international attendees during that first year to now hosting young workers who are 35 and under and union representatives
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The conference included showing support for other workers and their employment conditions, specifically the BC Federation of Labour’s efforts for a $15 minimum wage.
from such countries as USA, Germany, Poland, the U.K. and others, the Young Workers Conference is providing a successful forum to address many needs.
Conference goals
“The conference provides an opportunity to educate the young workers of our industry on their rights, the historical role unions have played in raising standards for workers; and encouragement for the younger generation to participate and ensure the continued strength of unions,” said Ashton. “It also allows us to discuss common issues and develop relationships that last long after the conference is over.” In describing the agenda, Ashton noted that one of the goals for the week is about focusing on worker rights in general. “To
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be a true unionist, you have to help others with their own situations.” To that end, the conference began with a march from the ILWU’s Canada office on Victoria Drive to Grandview Park where representatives spoke in support of the BC Federation of Labour’s efforts in raising minimum wage to $15. The subsequent two days looked at such topics as international solidarity, security clearances, occupational health and safety, and history. “In addition to educating local young workers on their rights and the importance of participating in union activities, those from out of town can take what they learn back to their own community and government,” said Ashton. On the closing day, sessions focused on guiding principles with the goal of instilling a sense of responsibility in attendees to pass the information they’ve learned on to others and to be actively engaged in their locals.
The bigger picture
The conference comes at a time when many countries are seeing a shift in their workforce due to an aging population. “With the trend of increased retirements and a younger generation taking their place, some employers see this as an opportunity to weaken labour standards for the benefit of their bottom line. We’re seeing less pay, lower health and safety standards, and generally worse working conditions,” Venes said, further noting that the predominance of multinational corporations has changed the labour landscape. “If a multi-national company runs into problems with a union in one country, they can simply shift operations to a region
LONGSHORE WORKERS From Stephanie Dobler
(34-year-old woman whose main job is lashing container ships at DeltaPort) Over the last few years on the West Coast of Canada, something special has been brewing. Four years ago, leadership in the ILWU set out to improve the education and participation of the young workers and to say that they were successful is an understatement. Since the first young workers conference in 2013 to the current one, the movement of young workers has grown exponentially. ILWU Canada now has a more active and engaged group of youth who are genuine assets to their locals. From showing up in solidarity to other unions’ picket lines to organizing fundraisers for local charities, we youth are already starting to leave our footprint on the community. During this time we have also managed to introduce local activated unionists to like-minded youth internationally. We have been able to learn about issues abroad while also fostering global solidarity and friendship. With our eyes on the future and our hearts with the union, we youth are motivated and active trade unionists.
From Danielle Phelan
ILWU Young Workers Committee As young workers, we are faced with various issues. It’s often assumed that we are lazy or self-absorbed — two qualities that are detrimental to a union. However, it is up to us to educate the people who feel that way, that the assumption is incorrect. It is our duty to inspire our cohorts, and educate them on the importance of being an educated and involved member of our union. We believe it’s important to be active in our communities, to raise funds and create awareness for those in need. Not only is the act of charity important, but so is demonstrating that we have the ability to “organize the unorganized” for a worthy cause. We may not have the years our predecessors carry, but we do have the willingness to learn, the principles to follow, and the energy to put into our union. At this current moment, the industry is going through major changes. We are coming to a time where the waterfront is becoming a diverse community. The industry isn’t just one demographic anymore. This change will help us be able to adapt and persevere against the challenges now, and those presenting themselves in the future. BCSN Photo: Tyler Gerard
with few regulations and lower labour standards without any repercussions.” Looking at the bigger picture, Venes said that one of the ITF’s goals is to engage those multi-national players in discussion to agree to minimum labour standards that can be applied worldwide. To do this, a strategy being considered is an outreach program to investors. Using the example of a new terminal in Gdansk, Poland where the operators fought the formation of a union, the ITF worked with local unions in both Poland and Australia to lobby the Macquarie Group, an investment banking firm that was the primary shareholder. “So much of the funding for these kinds of ventures comes from public/government and private organizations,” he said. “Both have a corporate social responsibility to ensure their funds are being invested ethically, but who monitors that? Who’s checking on whether that responsibility is being implemented? We have the ability to work with organizations like the World Bank and the Macquarie Group and raise awareness amongst investors so that they demand a change in the behavior of the management.” The strategy worked in Poland. Workers were able to get a collective bargaining agreement and raise the labour standards. Another issue that both ILWU Canada and the ITF are watching closely is that of automation. Ashton sees a role for the unions to lobby governments against the use of public funding for projects that will result in lost jobs. “The Canada Infrastructure Bank that is being established by the Federal Government will have $35 billion of public money that could be used to fund, among other things, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s development of T2. This terminal is expected to be fully automated and will wipe out hundreds of jobs. Now, if T2 is automated, it will force the other terminals in the region to implement more automation to stay competitive.” Ashton sees this as the tip of the iceberg: If jobs are lost at the terminals, it will filter down through the community — coffee shops, grocery stores, etc., will lose their livelihoods; governments will lose taxes and society as a whole will be worse off. Using the example of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Ashton noted that two terminals were merged into one which was automated. “They lost 700 jobs overnight. Now, the governor of California is trying to pass legislation that prohibits public money being used for automation. We’re considering a strategy to lobby governments here to do the same,” adding that private pension investment funds — like the Ontario Teachers’ Pension that owns Global Container Terminals — would also be targeted. While ILWU Canada and the ITF both recognize that as technology advances and automation becomes entrenched in the development of terminals, additional efforts to ensure minimal impact on the labour force will be needed, such as retraining programs and settlement packages.
Conclusion
For unions to be effective in implementing strategies like the ones above, they need strength. Hence, conferences like ILWU Canada’s Young Workers Conference takes on an importance that speaks to changing demographics and efforts to ensure the legacy of past union leaders endures. And these initiatives are paying off if the following two submissions, written by young longshore workers, are to be the measure of success.
The ILWU Young Workers Committee (Isaac Baidoo, Local 500; John Sullivan, Local 500; Viri Gomez, Local 519; Tyler Gerard, Local 502; Ashley Bordignon, Local 502; Danielle Phelan, Local 500; and Stefanie Flores, Local 54. November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 43
REVERSE LOGISTICS
Habitat for Humanity ReStores reverse logistics solution By Darryl Anderson, Managing Director Wave Point Consulting
L
ogistics key performance indicators (KPIs) are focused on getting the right goods to the right customers at the right time and to the right place. However, a complete supply chain perspective should always consider how reverse logistics can have a positive impact on maximizing efficiency. That’s where Habitat for Humanity Canada and its ReStores can be a valuable part of your reverse logistics toolbox. Habitat Canada provides logistics support, helps divert product away from landfills, and is a fast and easy way to deal with unwanted inventory while also giving back to the community. But first — what is ‘reverse logistics’ and why should your business consider a reverse logistics strategy? The APICS Dictionary generally describes ‘reverse supply chain’ as the planning and controlling part of the process where one is moving goods from the point of consumption back to a point for repair, reclamation, recycling or disposal. The Reverse Logistics Association takes a wider definition to the term, defining it as all activity associated with a product/service after the point of sale with the ultimate goal to optimize or make more efficient aftermarket activity, thus saving money and environmental resources. A reverse logistics strategy means that one is better able to respond to everything from customer returns from retailers to returns from distributors for products that failed to sell, goods that may be delayed or damaged in transit, as well as goods that no longer meet the company’s service quality standards. And with the increase of online shopping, some retailers are feeling the impact in the shift of consumer demand and are recognizing the need to provide omnichannel service to improve the customer experience. As many in ecommerce have already found, it is not always cost-effective to return goods to their point of origin. This challenge is particularly acute in industries with long international supply chains or where the value of the finished product is sensitive to transport costs. 44 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
...a complete supply chain perspective should always consider how reverse logistics can have a positive impact on maximizing efficiency. It can also be expensive to deal with the logistics of returned products. Canadians return almost $46 billion worth of goods every year — meaning that between six and nine per cent of all goods sold are sent back. The adoption of reverse logistics solutions allows companies to leverage their inventory to repair, recondition, reuse or recycle products or their components to enhance shareholder value or meet critical KPIs for supply chain sustainability. This is where donating those goods as part of a reverse logistics strategy can help.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore solution
Habitat Canada is a non-profit organization that has local and national partnerships with some of Canada’s largest manufacturers, distributors and retailers, and has been providing a reverse logistics solution to unwanted product since 1991 through Habitat ReStores. Originally conceived as a green initiative that would help local Habitats repurpose and reuse building material, today Habitat ReStores are non-profit home improvement stores that sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories and building materials to the public. The money raised from the sale of items at Habitat ReStores helps local Habitats build more decent and affordable homes for families in need of housing. With over 100 stores across Canada, the Habitat ReStore network offers an efficient and affordable reverse logistics solution for shippers (either importers or exporters) and the logistics industry. It
also provides a valuable opportunity for companies to address inventory issues associated with discontinued, obsolete, overstocked or slightly damaged freight. “Our Western Distribution Centre warehouse and its professional staff can help companies meet their corporate sustainability objectives,” says Rob Voisin, Habitat Canada’s Vice President of Federation Capacity and Performance. “And because our warehouse is in the Lower Mainland, we are well-positioned to help the cargo logistics community better serve the reverse logistics needs of importers and exporters who are utilizing the Port of Vancouver.” Habitat Canada’s warehouse facility is located in Burnaby, B.C., and stocks donated product to be distributed to local Habitat ReStores throughout Western Canada. Habitat ReStores accept and sell many different types of products, allowing Habitat Canada to offer reverse logistics solutions from the following categories: • Appliances • Building Materials • Cleaning Products • Flooring • Furniture • Hardware • Household Goods/ Household Décor • Plumbing/ Electrical/ Lighting • Tools Donating to Habitat ReStore has been a successful part of Valley Acrylics’ reverse logistics strategy. A B.C.-based Canadian manufacturer of bathtubs, showers, modular bathing systems and fixtures, Valley Acrylics has been a long-time partner of Habitat Canada, donating product for both home builds and to be sold in Habitat ReStores across the country. “The biggest benefit to partnering with Habitat for Humanity Canada is that we gain valuable warehouse space from donating the dead stock, and that allows us more opportunity to create new and
“...donating to a Habitat ReStore means we’re not dumping overstock into a landfill.”
Photo: Dave Roels
innovative products for the housing market,” says Ravi Beech, Business Development at Valley Acrylics. “And although we recycle all of our scrap waste, donating to a Habitat ReStore means we’re not dumping overstock into a landfill.” Another benefit of donating to Habitat ReStore is that companies are eligible to receive a charitable receipt for their inkind donation, and Habitat Canada also provides a pick-up service at no cost for product donations. “Companies come to us because they have a problem and we have an easy, cost-effective solution for them,” says Stephanie Ashton-Smith, Manager of Product Procurement at Habitat Canada. “It’s a win-win situation when companies work with us as part of their reverse logistics strategy.” Habitat Canada welcomes enquiries from terminal operators, 3PLS and cargo owners who are interested in learning more about how they can help their clients with the increasing demand placed on supply chains brought about by reverse logistics practices. Find out more about Habitat Canada online at www.habitat.ca. Darryl Anderson is a strategy, trade development, logistics and transportation consultant. His blog Shipping matters focuses exclusively on maritime transportation and policy issues. http://wavepointconsulting.ca/shipping-matters.
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Get on Board with Us www.flyingangel.ca November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 45
HEAVY LIFT
Dynamic Heavy Lift unveils the Beast
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ynamic Heavy Lift (DHL) celebrated the launch of their newest acquisition — the Dynamic Beast — by inviting the industry to a barbecue and demonstration of the new capabilities now available to the Pacific North West. Guests got a first-hand look at the deck cargo and ballast tank barge, classed by Lloyd’s Register (100A1 Pontoon), with a 900-Ton Manitowoc M-1200 ringer crane and 10,000-tonne deck cargo capacity. “We have assembled the largest crane barge currently stationed on the Pacific West Coast,” said Clarke Longmuir, General Manager, just prior to lifting a 230-Ton Manitowoc 4100 crawler crane. “With the Beast now available for heavy lift and modular transport projects throughout the region, industry stakeholders will be able to benefit from the increased capacity and build in greater flexibility to their heavy lift plans.” In describing the Manitowoc crane, Longmuir, who has spent 10 years in the heavy lift industry and another 10 beyond that in the marine and offshore industries, outlined some of its efficient, accurate and safe features, including the sophisticated
The Dynamic Beast — now operating on the West Coast. 46 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
user interface that allows for both auto and manual correction as well as “intelligent barge operation” functions. “By adding a ring and pedestals that distribute loading over a large area, a ringer crane increases the lifting capacity of the basic crane by up to 400 per cent — a more economical solution than transporting and setting up a larger crane. And it can be moved easily from job to job.” Particularly impressive is the capacity and range of the M1200 ringer in the longer boom length arrangements. For example, with the current 76.2 metre (250’) boom length, the crane can lift over 475 metric tonnes at a distance of 15.4 metres (50’) from the side of the barge, or 150 tonnes at 51 metres (168’) from the barge side. Dynamic Heavy Lift, formally incorporated at the beginning of 2017, is a subsidiary of Dynamic Installations Inc., owned by Luke Pretty. Pretty described a number of past projects, including the modernized ship loader at Viterra Terminals, where having the Beast would have been useful. “As a company that focuses on projects for port infrastructure, terminal upgrades and bulk material handling, creating Dynamic Heavy Lift and acquiring the Dynamic Beast made a lot of sense,” said Pretty. “There are a number of projects coming up where having this asset adds great value to our proposal.” Here are a few more details about the Dynamic Beast: • Length overall: 100.6 metres • Breadth (moulded): 36.58 metres • Depth (moulded): 6.1 metres • Deadweight: 12,814.5 LT • Deck loading: 25 tonnes per square metre • Deck equipment • Mooring bollards: 20 x double bitts 12” N.B. Pipe (recessed) • Towing brackets: two sets “Smit” 100-tonne SWL fitted forward and aft
Left to right: Dynamic Heavy Lift’s Clarke Longmuire, Luke Pretty, Kevin Clark, and Bryce Fraser.
• Winches: • two double drum 85-tonne rated pull • 4 x 140-tonne holding capacity • 4 x 44-millimetre wire • 4 x 4.5 tonne stockless anchors • Seven transverse, watertight bulkheads • Partial four longitudinal bulkheads (watertight) between tanks #3 and #6 which serves as a tunnel in the middle of the barge • 28 compartments and one tunnel void tank in the middle of the barge. The barge, originally built in China in 2012, was surveyed by Capilano Maritime Design Ltd. Principal Mark Mulligan noted that the barge had seen little use by its previous owners and that it was “like new with very good, very solid, all welded steel construction.” The only work required was some structural upgrades to accommodate the deck loading imposed by the huge crane. A unique anti-heeling pump system was also added to the barge by Dynamic, which allows full capacity lifting with the crane while maintaining a level barge. The antiheeling system was designed specifically
The 900-Ton Manitowoc M-1200 ringer crane.
for this application and is controlled by an onboard computer which receives signals from inclinometers on the deck, then directs the electric pumps (each capable to move up to 60 tonnes of water per minute) to move water between the ballast tanks to maintain a level condition as required. The Dynamic Beast is already booked for work and received a shipment of modules from AAL Shipping at Fraser Surrey Docks in September. And while
moorage has been secured on both Vancouver and New Westminster’s waterfront, Longmuir anticipates they’ll see projects throughout the region. “We see great potential for the Beast throughout the entire Pacific North West, and beyond.” he said. “With a lot of f lexibility built in, due to the ballast capabilities and the vast clear deck space, customers are able to consider additional, innovative new options to increase efficiencies.” BCSN
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www.cmelimited.com November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 47
LEGAL AFFAIRS
The continuing evolution of commercial diving regulations By Tom Beasley Bernard LLP, Vancouver
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ommercial diving is an integral but often overlooked segment of British Columbia’s marine industries. While ship crews and longshore persons have a strong and visible presence on our waterways and waterfronts, underwater work is unseen and underappreciated. However, commercial divers are present in most marine operations — in fish farm pen maintenance, heavy construction sites, pipelines, salvage, fish harvesting, scientific divers and film production. Hard hat divers with surface-supplied air via hard craned pumps laid the wooden pipeline supplying water from the North Shore to Vancouver over 100 years ago. Salvage divers have worked hundreds of shipwrecks on our coastline over the last 150 years. Military and police divers did surveillance and recovery operations. All of this was dangerous and hard work. Few regulations governed their underwater commercial work until after the advent of scuba diving in the 1950s. The new ‘aqua lung’ brought flexibility and mobility to diving operations which had been impossible with surface-supplied air. At first, scuba divers learned their craft by reading books, watching Jacques Cousteau films and observing other divers suit up and dive under water. Beginning in 1959, scuba diving ‘certification agencies’ were formed to educate divers about how to dive safely underwater. A “Certification Card” or a “C-Card” from agencies such as the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) entitled divers to get a tank of air — the entry point to diving from dive stores or air fill stations. A C-Card issued by a dive certification agency recognized by CMAS — Confédération Mondiale des Activités 48 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
At first, scuba divers learned their craft by reading books, watching Jacques Cousteau films and observing other divers suit up and dive under water. Subaquatiques, the World Underwater Federation, is the ticket to dive recreationally in most jurisdictions in the world and from which most commercial divers begin their diving career. Currently in Canada, only Quebec regulates recreational diving. In Quebec, recreational divers must renew their C-Card every three years, a criteria of which is showing that they have logged 10 dives in three years. Elsewhere in Canada the C-Card is valid for life, and is not dependent on the type, risks, or location of the diving. For example, a C-Card issued in a warm water resort course is valid to get air and dive in the cold waters of British Columbia. With the advent of scuba and of light weight surface-supplied diving equipment, commercial diving moved away from heavy-weight deep-sea diving gear, and recreational divers ventured into commercial diving where their limited underwater training and experience led to increased accidents and fatalities. In the early 1970s, representatives from the diving industry across Canada recognized that regulations were needed for safer underwater working standards in the commercialdiving industry. Regulatory authorities, employers, unions and diving medical personnel met to develop standard regulations. This led, in 1974, to the publication of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA)-Z275.2 Occupational Safety Code of Diving Operations as a National Standard of Canada. In 1992, the Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation (CAALL), which includes workers’ compensation administrators, began a
discussion about harmonizing commercial diving regulations across all provinces and territories. This was especially important as commercial diving was a very mobile workforce. The CAALL discussions lead to two working groups studying diving and confined space regulations, and the publication in 1997 of the CSA Z275.4 Competency Standard for Diving Operations (CSA 275.4). At about this time, the CSA started negotiating with the National Energy Board (NEB) to assume responsibilities for diver competency in the Canadian offshore industry. In 2003, the Diver Certification Board of Canada (DCBC) was established as a non-profit agency to certify commercial divers and supervisors, and to accredit schools which train commercial divers to CSA Standard Z275.4. The DCBC puts on an annual Canadian Underwater Conference and Exhibition which will next be held March 25, to 27, 2018, at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel under the theme Man and Machine Underwater. In addition to being certified by the DCBC and meeting the CSA Standard Z275.4, all commercial divers in British Columbia and all scuba diving operations in a workplace are also governed by Part 24 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (Part 24 of the OHS Regs.) issued by WorkSafeBC. Diving instructors for recreational divers are not covered by Part 24 of the OHS Regs. Given the history of the evolution of commercial diving, Part 24 of the OHS Regs., emphasizes surface supply applications with stand-by divers and multiple person dive teams. Photo: Captain Duke Snider
LEGAL AFFAIRS The WorkSafeBC Regulations are extensive and include provisions that: a) Employers must: • Provide WorkSafeBC with at least 24 hours before commencing a diving operation such as under ice, construction diving, diving beyond no-decompression limits, using mixed gases other than nitrox, diving in a contaminated environment; • Ensure that each diver has a current medical certification for diving; • Ensure that all divers meet CSA Standard Z275.4 and are competent to use the diving equipment in the diving operation; • Publish and keep on site a set of safe diving procedures; • Through a diving supervisor, conduct crew briefing and suspend the diving if conditions become unsafe; • Must use only dive tables published or approved by the Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine (Canada) and diving computers must not be used in place of those tables. Dive computers are a standard and reliable piece of equipment for all divers; • Have a stand-by diver on site and able to enter the water in one minute when diving operations are in progress; • Supply a decompression chamber on the dive site where the planned decompression time exceeds 15 minutes. Decompression is time spent at shallow depths to dissipate gases absorbed in the diver’s blood stream based on the depth and time spent underwater. b) Divers must: • Not dive: • Without proper diving medical certificates; • If the diving supervisor is of the opinion that they are ‘incapable’ of functioning safely underwater; and • Unless they have been ‘thoroughly’ trained in the theory and use of the diving apparatus being used; • Keep up-to-date dive logs. Any questions about WorkSafeBC Regulations should be directed to Warren Fulton, the Diving and Blasting Certification Officer for WorkSafeBC (250 881-3420). Being paid to perform what may seem to be a simple task underwater lures recreational divers into doing tasks for a fee which led to complaints to WorkSafeBC
and to injuries and fatalities. The recreational diver is not trained to understand the tasks and avoid the risks of commercial diving. WorkSafeBC diving regulations apply to scientific diving, including scientists at academic institutions and those who are conducting biological and archaeological survey work. Those regulations have significantly impacted scientific diving in Canada, increasing costs and reducing scientific diving. Since 1989, the scientific diving community, led by diving safety officers at academic institutions and through their umbrella organization the Canadian Association of Underwater Science (CAUS), have lobbied unsuccessfully for variances and for the reduction of the regulations, in particular the standby diver requirement. Recreational and commercial diving is evolving quickly with better and more sophisticated diving equipment, allowing for safer and more extensive diving practices, such as rebreathers, advanced mixed gas use and more sophisticated diving
computers. As with any workplace with inherent risks, WorkSafeBC regulations are needed to minimize workplace injuries, but in my opinion, WorkSafeBC has not kept pace with that evolution, adding increased and unnecessary costs to divers and employers. Additionally, those costs could be further reduced and more diving would take place if there were specific regulations for the different types of commercial diving, such as scientific diving. Tom Beasley has practised employment law since 1981 and has been an active recreational scuba diver since 1974 with over 800 dives. He has been on the board of several maritime-related organizations including the Underwater Archaeological Society of BC, the Artificial Reef Society of BC, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Since its creation in 1991, Tom has been a director of the Underwater Council of BC, which is the provincial organization focused on diving safety and environmental issues in the recreational diving community in BC. He can be reached at Beasley@bernardllp.ca.
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November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 49
MERCY SHIPS
Captain ditches retirement to volunteer for Mercy Ships
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fter retiring from the offshore oil and gas industry in 2014, 52-year-old Captain Mark Carew, from Fall River, Nova Scotia, started a new chapter in his life by becoming a part-time marine teacher and fulltime volunteer at the soup kitchen of St. Mary’s Basilica in Halifax. It wasn’t long however before the sea — and his desire to serve — called him back and Carew discovered medical charity Mercy Ships. For the next four months, Carew is paying his own way to live and work as Chief Officer on board the world’s largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, in Douala, Cameroon. Carew’s role will help make it possible for surgeons to provide free onboard surgery for over 3,000 patients. The vessel is equipped with five state-of-the-art operating rooms and is a fully modern hospital specializing in maxillofacial, reconstructive, plastics, orthopedic, ophthalmic, dental and obstetric fistula surgeries. This is the Africa Mercy’s first field service in Cameroon. “My daughter’s boyfriend was trying to get into medical school and looking for places to volunteer. He told me about Mercy Ships and I went online to learn more about the organization. It took me only moments to know that this was what I wanted to do because the job matched my skillset and I have worked most of my life in countries off the west coast of Africa,” said Carew, a Master Mariner, who originally applied to be Master however the position required a long-term commitment for continuity and logistics purposes, and it was requested that he work as Chief Officer (albeit providing Master duties while the Captain is on leave). Born in Goose Bay Labrador on a United States air force base, Carew moved with his family to St. John’s, Newfoundland and then onto Nova Scotia in 1987 where he met his wife, MaryAnne, and had two daughters. Carew started out his work life as a deep sea commercial diver working on dive ships and offshore oil rigs in Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. Although an incredible career, it was also a very dangerous 50 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
Captain Mark Carew, Chief Officer on board the Africa Mercy.
I am honoured to be part of a team and organization that provides free medical care to people who really need it but have no way to achieve it... one. Carew returned to school to study Nautical Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland and after 10 years of working as a marine officer on diving ships and offshore supply vessels around the world, received his Master Mariner licence and became a specialist in Dynamic Positioning. Carew arrived in Cameroon on September 1, 2017. He shared that the hardest part has been leaving home. “You would think that I’d be used to this after working on or under the sea for 30 years. It has been three years since I retired and I have intentionally become soft during that time.” Despite missing his family, Carew’s first days on board were exceptional: “The food is great and the people are amazing. I met some Canadians — one is a pharmacist and her husband is a biotech. They have been here a while and seem to be well placed. This type of commitment humbles me greatly,” said Carew. Why people choose to volunteer and
how they are able to devote years and decades to the Africa Mercy are questions Carew and many others have asked. What Carew has observed so far is that “some crew are here because of their faith, some are here because of their expertise and to gain experience they could not find at home, some are here because they want to experience the seafaring way, and some want to make a difference in the world. Not only do they want to volunteer and not get paid but they pay their own way to work here. That makes it even more special because it shows even more conviction to serve.” Carew, who will work 40 hours a week on board, has been immersed in quite a different work environment than his past jobs. “The welcome was friendly and everything was very organized. I am used to working 14 hours a day, seven days a week and being under pressure to perform from the oil companies. The atmosphere here is laid back but efficient” said Carew. The age of the Africa Mercy
means limited marine technology, but Carew finds it enjoyable to remember how things were done before technological advancements. “I hope to attend a class in celestial navigation using a sextant that the third mate is offering, it has been many years since I have taken a sun or star sight or amplitude but it was my favorite subject in nautical college,” he said. “My ships have been dynamically positioned and we would keep the ship on location or move the ship within a quarter metre of the setting desired. I had three gyro compasses with triple redundancy and here they are doing magnetic compass corrections. It will be a little while before I’m used to it.” Although the Africa Mercy sails twice a year, she is a hospital for the remainder. “The hospital is by far the most important duty we have and I am honoured to be part of a team and organization that provides free medical care to people who really need it but have no way to achieve it,” said Carew. As patients walk up the gangway for the first time, Carew is reminded of how his role is helping change people’s lives. “A tiny baby with a cleft palate came on board. The baby was covered because of the deformity and I only saw a tiny hand sticking out of the covering. They were bringing her on early after screening to feed the baby and teach the mother how to do this. I felt a stab in my heart as I saw this. I thought she is too young to operate on and wondered how they would help her. I remembered in that moment why I am here and why the ship is here.” Carew’s wife is a nurse at the IWK Children’s hospital in Halifax and a few years away from retirement, once Carew returns home, his experience will determine if the two will
Before and after — the difference Mercy Ships is making in the lives of Africans.
make a long-term commitment with Mercy Ships in the future as their children have moved out and are now in university. The captain has never been on social media but was convinced by his daughter to sign up before his departure. A twitter and Instagram account — @mark_mercyships — have been set up for those interested in following his journey. For more information about Mercy Ships visit www.mercyships.ca.
November 2017 — BC Shipping News — 51
TECHNOLOGY
Technology and automation in the maritime sector By Chad Allen, Director of Marine Operations Shipping Federation of Canada
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Although navigation used to be considered an art, decades of technological advancement have made it into more and more of a science. (ENCs). The real-time system pools navigational information in one place, giving operators enhanced situational awareness as opposed to using paper charts, which may not be updated or conveniently located on the bridge. Another development in recent years has been the increased use by marine pilots of their own Portable Pilotage Units (PPU), which have a stand-alone GPS. The PPUs are connected to the vessel’s pilot plug, through which it receives the AIS feed and other supplemental inputs. There is redundancy in the positioning of the vessel through two independent GPS feeds, which provides the pilot with more confidence in the positioning of the vessel in the channel or waterway. The PPU provides pilots with a complete tool to safely and effectively navigate larger
vessels in more challenging conditions than was previously accepted. Meanwhile, the AIS, which has been required on all vessels over 50,000 GT since July 2004, provides updates on a vessel’s position and other relevant ship voyage data to other vessels in the vicinity, vessel traffic service operators and other interested stakeholders. AIS has also evolved to include various aids to navigation (ATON) information such as weather and navigational buoys. Research continues into the use of AIS ATONs in the form of virtual and synthetic buoys, which can duplicate or may have the potential to replace or reduce the number of physical aids to navigation. Another important tool, which was introduced in 1999, is the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System
Photo from the archives of Dave Roels
echnology has been evolving at an incredible rate in recent decades, resulting in considerable advancements in all fields, including the maritime industry. This is despite the fact that the maritime sector has typically been slow to adopt new technologies due to the global yet isolated nature of navigating open oceans. New technology is only embraced once it has been concretely proven, thoroughly tested, and has usually demonstrated some element of redundancy. Although navigation used to be considered an art, decades of technological advancement have made it into more and more of a science. It used to take courage and skill to navigate the oceans with only a magnetic compass and a sextant. Today, the art of navigation is being replaced through the evolution of electronic navigation equipment and more importantly, the ability to use these tools properly and effectively. As an example of the kind of technology that is available to mariners today, electronic position fixing systems provide navigators with a more reliable system through the Global Positioning System (GPS). Several early systems (Omega, Decca, Transit, Loran-C) all fell short of obtaining industry-wide acceptance and confidence. GPS was introduced to the merchant navy in the early to mid-1990s but it wasn’t until 2000 that a system-designed error (Selective Availability) was removed, thereby leading to improved position accuracy. This increase in accuracy led to wider acceptance of the technology and to further advancements such as electronic charting systems and improved communications. Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is a digital navigation tool that overlays positioning information from the GPS, radar and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) onto electronic navigational charts
52 — BC Shipping News — November 2017
While nothing beats looking out the window, Fraser River pilot Brian Crow’s Portable Pilotage Unit (bottom left corner) provides an extra tool for safe navigation.
TECHNOLOGY (GMDSS). This system provides for a more effective means for ships to signal distress, while automatically providing the critical actual position of the distressed vessel. While GMDSS has definitively improved distress communications, it has also resulted in increased administrative workloads for masters and officers and has eliminated the role of the Radio Officer. Technology has been a central component of the global growth of the container sector, particularly through the use of electronic data interchange (EDI) as a means of improving efficiency, customer service and supplier management. Increasing vessel capacity means an equal growth in information to be managed. A complete EDI network effectively exchanges data with customers, terminals, ports, trucking companies, railways, partner lines, customs and other government authorities. The data exchanged includes container number, bill of lading, commodity, weight, piece count, origin, destination, shipper, consignee, hazardous information, reefer information, invoice details, payment details, work order information, customs clearance information and border crossing information. Prior to the development of a complex EDI network, this information was exchanged through telex, mail, courier, fax, e-mail or other mediums. Although the focus in recent years has been on enhancing the tools used by the navigator, new research is being increasingly directed towards the vessel itself, in the form of autonomous and smart ships. Smart ships of the future will be able to communicate through the use of nanotechnology in paints, coatings and materials, while ultra-sensitive monitoring through the use of acoustic fibers will allow the detection of minute changes in vibrations. Voyage data and data from ship structures, components and machinery will be collated and used to enhance performance, productivity and safety. This technology and data provided may revolutionize the approach to vessel operations, construction and maintenance. Of course, as technology continues to advance further into the maritime sector, the risk of cyberattacks on that technology increases considerably. Shipping companies, vessels, terminal facilities and ports are all at risk of such attacks, and the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) and Transport Canada have acknowledged these threats through guidelines and best practice documents. More awareness throughout the industry will be required, as will enhanced prevention measures. The maritime sector has undergone remarkable technological changes and advancements in recent decades, significantly increasing the safety and efficiency of navigation and marine operations overall. However, if there is one thing
we can be certain of, it is that even more change is on the horizon, as the technologies available to us continue to evolve, along with our limitless imagination as to how these can be applied. The future looks bright indeed! Chad Allen has been involved with the marine industry for 25 years and has worked both at sea and ashore for a large international container line before joining the Federation in 2016. Chad can be reached at callen@shipfed.ca.
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ABS..................................................................................................................................... 3 Adonis................................................................................................................................. 9 Association of BC Marine Industries................................................................................... 22 Babcock Canada................................................................................................................ 27 Bernard LLP....................................................................................................................... 35 BNAC Environmental Solutions Inc..................................................................................... 32 Bracewell Marine Group................................................................................................ 10/11 Canadian Lifeboat Institution............................................................................................... 45 Canadian Maritime Engineering Ltd..................................................................................... 47 Cargo Logistics Canada ................................................................................................... IBC Chamber of Shipping.......................................................................................................... 14 E.B. Horsman & Son.......................................................................................................... 53 Envirosystems..................................................................................................................... 8 Fleetway............................................................................................................................ 25 Furuno..................................................................................................................................... 15 Greater Victoria Harbour Authority............................................................................................ 30 Greenwood Maritime Solutions.................................................................................................. 8 Harken Towing................................................................................................................... 40 ICS Canada Conference..................................................................................................... 53 Int’l Sailors’ Society Canada............................................................................................... 45 John Horton, Marine Artist................................................................................................. 17 Lonnie Wishart Photography.............................................................................................. 42 Maritime Information Warfare Conference........................................................................... 24 Maritime Museum of BC..................................................................................................... 54 Maritime Reconnaissance and Surveillance Technology...................................................... 26 Mercy Ships....................................................................................................................... 51 Mission to Seafarers.......................................................................................................... 45 Nanaimo Port Authority........................................................................................................ 7 Osborne Propellers............................................................................................................. 39 Pacific Marine Expo.............................................................................................................. 4 Prime Mover Controls Inc................................................................................................... 21 Prism Marine..................................................................................................................... 42 Robert Allan Ltd................................................................................................................. 19 Seaspan Shipyards............................................................................................................ 18 Sylte Shipyard.................................................................................................................... 47 Tactical Marine Solutions Ltd.............................................................................................. 38 Toplift North America......................................................................................................... 41 Vancouver International Maritime Centre.............................................................................BC Vancouver Maritime Museum........................................................................................ 49/54 Viega................................................................................................................................ 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