Government of Canada strengthens capacity to respond to marine pollution
Three contracts totalling $16.4 million have been awarded to Canadian companies to provide modern and efficient equipment to respond to marine pollution incidents. The contracts include:
- Aqua-Guard Spill Response Inc., Vancouver, was awarded $2.5M for 37 compact, portable, oleophilic skimmers used to recover spilled oil in both calm waters and the interior spaces of small vessels.
- PK Welding & Fabricators Inc., Oshawa, was awarded $7.6M for 23 mobile incident command posts with built-in incident communications capabilities.
- GRIFFIN Engineered Systems Inc., Dartmouth, NS, was awarded $6.2M for 220 floating fabric bladders and associated products and services used to temporarily contain recovered oil.
Government of Canada to fund world’s first low-noise and low-emissions tanker
The Government of Canada is investing $30 Million for the design of an LNG-fueled tanker with Vancouver-based Teekay Shipping. One of the goals of the project is to build a vessel that will be up to 90 percent quieter than traditional tankers, reducing its impact on local marine species, including the Southern Resident killer whale. The low-emission and low-noise crude oil tanker will be equipped with the latest proven quiet technologies and powered by Canadian LNG. To limit emissions and ensure the best outcome for marine life, the vessel will have specific design targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent and reduce noise by up to 90 percent, compared to conventional tankers.
Port of Prince Rupert receives infrastructure funding
Transport Canada has announced significant investments into three projects at the Port of Prince Rupert which will increase capacity at the Port and help move Canadian goods to international markets. The three projects totaling $153.7 million, include: building of a double-track bridge across the Zanardi Rapids, increasing rail capacity on key rail routes; providing additional rail capacity and reducing rail congestion for bulk and container facilities on Ridley Island; and, developing land for import and export logistics facilities near the Fairview Terminal and a container yard.
Canada commemorates Merchant Navy and Veterans Day
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, released a joint statement to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic as well as Merchant Navy Veterans Day. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest military engagement of the Second World War - from September 1939 until May 1945. By the end of war more than 25,000 trans-Atlantic merchant ship voyages, transporting approximately 165 million tonnes of cargo, had been completed under the escort of Canadian forces.
Government of Canada invests to restore and protect Great Lakes
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna has announced $1.06 million in funding over three years for 10 projects that aim to help restore and protect the Great Lakes. The funding is part of the additional investment of $44.84 million for the Great Lakes Protection Initiative announced in Budget 2017. The projects receiving funding tackle issues including addressing toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie and, creating and restoring the aquatic habitat in the bays and coastal wetlands of Toronto's Tommy Thompson Park by installing underwater reefs and managing invasive grasses.
Dominic Barton named Canada’s new ambassador to China
The Canadian Government has announced that Dominic Barton will be the next ambassador to Beijing, a move which will end a months-long gap without a top diplomat in the country. Mr. Barton has been a prominent Canadian figure in China and in international economic affairs, with a long career at consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, where he served as global managing partner for nine years. Mr. Barton chaired the Advisory Council on Economic Growth and has worked directly for Chinese interests, as a member of the advisory board for the China Development Bank Capital Group and as an adjunct professor at Tsinghua University.
New penalties under the Canada Labour Code
Compliance and enforcement measures under the Canada Labour Code are undergoing a number of changes. Existing provisions are being clarified and new tools and administrative procedures are being introduced to create stronger incentives for employers to comply. The next step in the modernization of compliance and enforcement measures is the implementation of Part IV of the Code, namely an Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) regime and the ability to publicly name employers that have committed a violation. The regulations required to implement the new AMPs regime were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I and are open for comments until November 22nd.
First videos of HMS Terror wreck
Parks Canada has released never-before-seen images and video footage of the HMS Terror as part of one of the largest, most complex underwater archaeological undertakings in Canadian history. The footage was taken by Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Team over seven days using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that explored 20 cabins/compartments on the fabled ship that sank during the 1845 Franklin Expedition.
BC seeking solutions to address abandoned boats
The provincial government is currently exploring ways to prevent vessels from being abandoned in the first place and find recycling solutions to keep salvaged marine debris out of landfills. Transport Canada’s Abandoned Boats Program provides funding to assist with the removal of abandoned and/or wrecked small boats posing a hazard in Canadian waters and the new Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act makes it illegal to abandon boats. Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo and parliamentary secretary for environment, will be making recommendations for a provincial action plan, in co-ordination with the federal government, to eliminate the environmental threats caused by abandoned vessels. Success stories and suggestions from British Columbia and other regions can be sent to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shipbuilding invitation amended and extended
In response to industry feedback, the Government of Canada has made amendments to the invitation to qualify (ITQ) for a third shipyard under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Specifically, the changes reflect a previous inconsistency in the vessel dimensions that shipyards’ must be capable of building and launching. Given these changes, the deadline for ITQ submissions has been extended to August 30, 2019, to allow interested Canadian shipyards more time to prepare their submissions.
Canadian Navigable Waters Act now in effect
The new Canadian Navigable Waters Act and the Major Works Order came into effect this week, replacing the Navigation Protection Act. The legislation restores lost protections on all navigable waters in Canada and provides new opportunities to create partnerships with Indigenous peoples to be involved in the administration of the Act.
Co-management plan to protect Bowie Seamount released
The Haida Nation and the Government of Canada have released a Co-Management Plan to safeguard the SGaan Kinghlas–Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area. The plan protects an underwater mountain 180 km off the coast of Haida Gwaii known as SGaan Kinghlas. The Plan identifies goals, strategic objectives, and operational objectives for the MPA and describes how they will be achieved. It identifies management tools, addresses surveillance, enforcement and user compliance, and highlights education and outreach. Four implementation priorities are identified for the MPA: cooperative governance and adaptive co-management; research to support conservation outcomes; monitoring; and education and outreach.
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CN 19-17 - Guidelines updates for Post-Arrival Manual Amendments
Canada Border Services Agency is advising that effective immediately, post-arrival amendments on primary cargos (all modes), house bills or conveyance transmissions; or, if a cargo and/or conveyance arrival message were sent in error prior to the actual arrival, warehouse operators, carriers, freight forwarders and/or their services providers will be required to present a completed Form BSF673 in duplicate to the local CBSA commercial office. The Guidelines for the Use of BSF673 – House Bill, Cargo and Conveyance Manual Correction Request Form – Post Arrival – All Modes have been updated to reflect how and where the form is to be presented.
Projects to improve VFPA’s resilience to climate change
The Government of Canada is investing more than $300,000 in two projects at the Port of Vancouver to strengthen its transportation system and better prepare for climate change and extreme weather events in the Port of Vancouver and including the Fraser River.
New Canada–U.S. Preclearance Agreement comes into force
Canada and the US have brought into force the Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Preclearance between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America. The agreement seeks to facilitate opportunities for enhanced travel and trade between the two countries by enabling Canada and the US to expand preclearance for travellers at land, rail and marine facilities in both countries, as well as at additional airports. Cargo pre-clearance pilots have started at the land border and both countries are proceeding cautiously down this path.
Canada Infrastructure Bank signs memorandum of understanding with Port of Montreal on Contrecoeur port expansion project
The Canada Infrastructure Bank has announced that it will work with the Montreal Port Authority to advance the project development of a new container terminal in Contrecoeur, where the port plans to expand its activities. The new terminal will serve to enable importers and exporters to get products to market as quickly as possible, by increasing the port’s capacity.
Transport Canada fines two coast guard ships for speeding in right whale protection zone
Transport Canada is issuing fines to a pair of Canadian Coast Guard ships, the CCGS Cape Edensaw and CCGS Cap d'Espoir that allegedly sailed too fast through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where speed restrictions which were in place earlier this month to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whales. The fines are 6,000 and $12,000, respectively. Since the restrictions have gone into place, a total of six vessels, including a luxury yacht and three cargo vessels, have incurred penalties.