Farid Wins Safety Award

Captain Zak Farid received Transport Canada's Marine Safety Award for 2007 in recognition of his contributions to Canadian marine safety. The award was presented in a brief ceremony held today in Ottawa, at the biannual meeting of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council.

Captain Farid was a member of the Canadian Delegation to the International Maritime Organization for several years. He is well respected for his long-standing contributions to the work of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council. He is a fellow of the Nautical Institute, B.C. Branch and is chair of the Navigation Aids and Navigation Safety Sub-committee of the Pacific Coast Marine Review Panel. He is lead auditor conducting International Safety Management (ISM) Audits for B.C. Ferries and is one of the safety inspectors for Vanuatu Flag vessels arriving in Canada. Captain Farid also holds the honour of being master of Canada's first hovercraft running on a commercial basis.

The Canadian Marine Advisory Council is a consultative body that represents parties with a recognized interest in shipping, navigation and marine pollution prevention. The council is chaired by Transport Canada and meets twice a year to examine marine issues. The Transport Canada Marine Safety Award was established in 1997 to stimulate an awareness of marine safety in Canada and to recognize persons, groups, companies, organizations, agencies or departments that have contributed, in an exceptional way, to this objective.