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Transport Canada News

26 Feb 2024

Many Different Vessels but One Goal – Passenger Safety

© Olivier / Adobe Stock

Because there are so many different kinds of passenger vessels, the critical topic of passenger safety can sometimes appear as a set of niche topics, each one just distantly connected to another. After all, passengers aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean face safety issues that are much different than a commuter going from Jersey City to Manhattan or a tourist crossing from the Mukilteo, Wash. ferry terminal to Whidbey Island or a family on a fishing vessel in Miami.Importantly, though, for passenger vessel operators, a commitment to safety is not siloed.

29 Dec 2023

Expert BWTS Team Secures Grant from Transport Canada

Source: Mouawad Consulting

Mouawad Consulting, Boll & Kirch, bestUV, KraftPowercon and Lower Lakes Towing, have received CAD 5 million from Transport Canada towards a project aimed at addressing technical challenges surrounding the installation, operation, and maintenance of ballast water management systems (BWMS) on vessels operating within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River (GLSLR) region."The significance of this grant cannot be overstated. Through our partnership with Mouawad Consulting, Boll & Kirch…

20 Jul 2023

Jamaica and Canada Sign Reciprocal Seafarer Recognition Agreement

Signing the Reciprocal Recognition Agreement (left to right): Joanna Manger, Director General, Marine Safety & Security at Transport Canada, and Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. (Source: Maritime Authority of Jamaica)

Jamaica and Canada have signed a Reciprocal Recognition Agreement to enable seafarers from the two countries to work on ships sailing under the Jamaican or Canadian flags.The agreement was signed by Joanna Manger, Director General, Marine Safety & Security at Transport Canada, and Rear Admiral (retd) Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.Brady commented: “This is a milestone for both our countries’ seafarers and indeed our respective maritime and transport administrations.

31 Jan 2022

Green Ferry Refit is First of Its Kind in Canada

(Photo: PortsToronto)

A newly retrofitted electric ferry is the first in Canada to be powered completely by a zero-emissions, lithium-ion power and propulsion system containing no diesel fuel components.In 2018, PortsToronto issued a request for expression of interest (RFEOI) to reduce air and noise emissions from its 96-foot Marilyn Bell I, used for transporting passengers, vehicles and supplies the very short distance (90-second trips) to and from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Island.St. Catharines-based marine electrical engineering firm Canal Marine & Industrial Inc.

09 Dec 2021

CSL Completes B100 Biofuel Tests

(Photo: Jason Desjardins / CSL)

In late November 2021, CSL successfully completed the world’s longest-running trials of B100 biodiesel on marine engines, accumulating nearly 30,000 running hours. Conducted on half of CSL’s Canadian fleet, the tests resulted in a 23% total fleet life cycle reduction of CO2 as compared to marine gas oil (MGO).During the trials, conducted in partnership with Canada Clean Fuels and with the collaboration of Sterling Fuels, 14,000 tonnes of MGO, a fossil fuel, was substituted for 100% bio-content second-generation biofuel…

12 Oct 2021

A BC Ferries Case Study: Lessons Learned in Setting Underwater Radiated Noise Targets

Figure 3: Propeller cavitation simulation modelling. Source: BC Ferries

In a typical year, the waters surrounding British Columbia’s Port of Vancouver host approximately 3,000 deep sea commercial vessels and 19 of the 35 ferries operated by BC Ferries, one of the largest ferry operators in the world. These waters are also home to a wide variety of aquatic wildlife, including the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), which have been listed as endangered in Canada since 2003.With vessel-generated acoustic disturbances identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as one of four key threats to the SRKW…

07 Sep 2021

Canada's New Oil Spill Response Boats Powered by Scania

(Photo: Scania)

Engine manufacturer Scania said it has been selected by the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) to power four 52-foot oil spill response landing crafts.Currently in production by family-owned Burlington, Wash welded aluminum boat manufacturer the William E. Munson Company, the vessels are powered by twin keel-cooled 750 HP Scania DI13-liter 088M engines with Twin Disc 5095 marine gearboxes, supplied by distributor Cascade Engine Center. Propulsion is provided by Hamilton 403 waterjets. This combination offers a top speed of 35 knots at full power.

26 Oct 2020

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Studying Maritime Decarbonization Technology

© Adam / Adobe Stock

Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory is examining opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from marine vessels in Canada.Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) said Monday it has been awarded a contract by Transport Canada to develop an assessment tool to examine clean technologies that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the release of other pollutants from vessels. Using what is known as CNL’s Marine-Zero FuelTM (MaZeFTM) Assessment Tool…

23 Sep 2020

Mitigating Underwater Noise

“Environmental’ limits are available which are aimed at reducing underwater noise emissions without imposing onerous design limitations and the need to put damping on every panel, stiffener & dinner plate.” Jesse Spence, President, NCE

Noise Control Engineering, LLC (NCE) recently completed an underwater radiated noise study for Washington State Ferries (WSF), a study which entailed measurement of nine vessels representing all seven operating classes of WSF vessels, quantifying noise, potential impacts to orcas and other marine life, and methods of reducing noise.“With the increasing awareness of underwater noise impacts on marine life, both globally and locally in the Northwest, WSF is interested in learning more about how their operations may impact marine life,” said Jesse Spence, President, NCE.

10 Aug 2020

Four New Barges Launched for Canada's MTS

(Photo: Robert Allan Ltd.)

Four new 90-meter oil/deck cargo barges for Canada's Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Marine Transportation Services (MTS) have been launched by Nanjing Jinling Shipyard, in Nanjing, China.The first barge MTS 3501 was launched on June 16, followed by barge MTS 3502 launched on June 22 and barges MTS 3503 and MTS 3504 launched on June 28.The barges will undergo final testing and touch-up work in preparation for the 400-kilometer tow down the Yangtse River to Shanghai where they will be loaded onto a semi-submersible heavy lift vessel and transported to Tuktoyaktuk…

05 Jun 2020

Canada Recommends Mariners Wear Face Coverings

© matpit73 / Adobe Stock

Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced he is expanding the requirements for the use of face coverings by workers and others involved in the country's transportation industry to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.Transport Canada and the transportation industry had already implemented measures such as increased sanitization, health checks for passengers, and allowing passengers to remain in their vehicles on ferries. The new measures requiring face masks are aimed at points in the transportation system where workers must be in close proximity to co-workers and travelers…

20 May 2020

FMC to Investigate Alleged Discriminatory Canadian BWMS Regulations

© johnsroad7 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said it will initiate an investigation into whether ballast water regulations proposed by the Government of Canada discriminate against U.S. flag vessel operators in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.The FMC commissioners voted unanimously to accept a petition filed by trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) asking the commision to perform the investigation and examine the detriment and harm to the U.S. flag fleet resulting…

03 Mar 2020

CCGS Edward Cornwallis Life Extension Contract Awarded

File photo: CCGS Edward Cornwallis (Photo: Ernesto Hernandez Fonte, U.S. Coast Guard)

Canada's government awarded a $12.1-million contract to East Coast repair yard Shelburne Ship Repair to perform vessel life extension work on the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Edward Cornwallis.The 34-year-old light icebreaker CCGS Edward Cornwallis is a high-endurance multi-tasked vessel launched in 1986 and built by Marine Industries from Tracy, Quebec. The 83-meter-long vessel performs icebreaking and buoy tending operations and is homeported at the Canadian Coast Guard Base in Dartmouth…

03 Feb 2020

Canada Boosts Marine Surveillance

(Photo: National Aerial Surveillance Program)

Canada's new eye in the sky will help detect oil spills and other marine pollution, and monitor ship and endangered whale movements.Minister of Transport Marc Garneau announced that Transport Canada has acquired a new addition to its National Aerial Surveillance Program’s aircraft fleet in an effort to enhance prevention measures needed to respond to marine pollution incidents faster and more effectively, and to better protect marine ecosystems and habitats.The De Havilland Dash 8 aircraft…

16 Dec 2019

Bulker Catches Fire on the Detroit River

A fire broke out in the engine room of a lake freighter on the Detroit River on Sunday afternoon, the US Coast Guard reported.A contracted firefighting team boarded the 641-foot Canadian bulk carrier Tecumseh and extinguished the fire overnight after all 16 crewmembers were safely disembarked and evaluated by local emergency medical services, the Coast Guard said.Vessel traffic has not been impacted and no pollution has been reported in the area.The 1970s-built vessel, which had been on the US side of the Detroit River near Zug Island at the southern city limits of Detroit when the fire occurred, is currently anchored by Windsor, Ontario…

27 Nov 2019

Steel Cut for Canada-bound Double Hull Oil Barge

Photo courtesy of Robert Allan Ltd.

On October 10, 2019 the steel cutting ceremony took place at Jiangsu Jinling Shipyard, Co. Ltd. in Yizheng, China (a subsidiary of the Nanjing Jinling Shipyard) for four oil/deck cargo barges being constructed for the Government of the Northwest Territories in Northern Canada.Steel blocks will be constructed at the Yizheng shipyard and then barged approx. 50 kilometers up the Yangtze River to Nanjing Jinling Shipyard for final assembly. Following steel cutting the construction is expected to take 9 months…

14 Oct 2019

Australia Hosts GloFouling Event

The GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships project has concluded its inaugural Research and Development Forum and Exhibition on Biofouling Management, in Melbourne, Australia (1 to 4 October).Bringing together experts, regulators and industry representatives to discuss the latest advances in research, regulations and technologies related to marine biofouling across all maritime sectors, this is set to become the project’s biennial “signature event”.Over 170 participants and 40 speakers took part in a program that focused on how biofouling affects different maritime industries, including shipping, aquaculture and ocean renewable energies…

13 Aug 2019

Cruise Ships Dump 90% of Grey Water in BC

1.54 billion liters of grey water were generated by ships off the British Columbia coast in 2017 - the equivalent of more than 600 Olympic-size swimming pools, said a study.World Wildlife Fund Canada says cruise ships traveling between Washington state and Alaska are responsible for dumping "the vast majority" of the potentially toxic grey water that ends up off the B.C. coast each year.Cruise ships accounted for 1.37 billion (almost 90%) of the 1.54 billion liters of grey water generated off the B.C. coast in 2017, the study revealed.Grey water — the drainage from dishwater, galley sinks, and showers — may contain contaminants ranging from grease, oil and flame retardants to disinfectants, fecal coliform and micro-plastics, among other substances.

05 Aug 2019

Canada Lifts Ship Speed Restrictions

Transport Canada,  the department within the Government of Canada,  says it’s lifting speed restrictions for cargo ships in the Gulf of St. Lawrence after recent surveillance failed to detect North Atlantic right whales in shipping lanes.There weren’t any whales in the shipping lanes where speed had been reduced, Transport Canada pointed out, adding that the lower speed limit had driven cargo ships out of the lanes so they could take more direct routes through areas where the animals are known to gather.Over the past month, Transport Canada’s National Aerial Surveillance Program has greatly intensified surveillance with 240 flight hours over 44 missions, which is more than one a day.

21 Jul 2019

Canada Fines Ship on Whale Safety

Transport Canada has issued a $6,000 fine to a vessel that allegedly breached mandatory speed limits introduced by the federal government in parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales, Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced.Endangered whales such as the majestic North Atlantic right whale deserve to swim danger-free in Canadian waters. That is why the Government of Canada has introduced several measures to address risks they face by marine shipping and fishing activity.One of the implemented measures includes speed restrictions in certain zones in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and when a vessel contravenes the restriction…

11 Jul 2019

Quieting Ships to Protect Environment

Acentech, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based noise, vibration and acoustical consulting firm, has issued its final report to Transport Canada concerning the Quiet Ship Workshop held at the International Maritime Headquarters (IMO) in London.For Canada, this issue is part of a broader concern with the health of the oceans and waterways that surround the country and its marine eco-systems.Canada’s oceans are home to 42 distinct populations of whales, in particular, the Southern Resident Killer whale, the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga and the North Atlantic Right whale, one of the most endangered of all large whale species.Over 140 subject-matter experts from around the world gathered at this event for two and a half days.

19 Jun 2019

Canada to Build Two Ferries at Davie

Government of Canada is entering into contract negotiations with shipbuilder Chantier Davie of Lévis, Quebec, for the construction of two new ferries for Transport Canada.Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, announced that the Government of Canada is entering into contract negotiations with Chantier Davie of Lévis, Quebec, for the construction of two new ferries for Transport Canada.The contract value and construction timelines will be determined once negotiations with the shipyard are completed. The Government of Canada will…

19 Feb 2019

When it comes to Water Treatment, Experience Counts

Scienco/FAST, an experienced manufacturer of Marine sewage devices (MSD) recently received an extraordinary service order. Or, maybe it’s not that extraordinary.Scienco/FAST, a St. Louis, Missouri-based manufacturer has, over many years, had plenty of experience in dealing with archived orders. In fact, the firm just had a call from a client that needed to replace a part on a previously installed Scienco/FAST system. So what? Well, it turns out that the system was installed onto a domestic tugboat, way back in 1975. That more-than-43-year-old workhorse is still in service. And, so too is the Scienco/FAST system that’s been on board since it was launched.For its part, Scienco/FAST says that this is just one, of countless typical examples of how long the overbuilt Marine/FAST units can last.

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