Tag: Canada

The first ship will not be operational until 2019 The Royal Canadian Navy's plans to acquire six to eight ice-capable Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) are facing yet another obstacle. On Tuesday in the Canadian House of Commons, the 2012-13 Reports on Plans and Priorities were tabled.The reports sum up the expected revenue, expenditures, and projects of each government agency and department in Canada. National Defence's plans and priorities show that the AOPS will be delayed another three years, with delivery now scheduled for 2018.The first ship will not be operational until 2019, and that full operational capability of all of the ships will not be reached until 2023. The Treasury Board gave preliminary approval to the project in May 2007, so by the time the project is finally completed, over fifteen years will have elapsed.This is a very lengthy timeframe and reveals the difficulty that Canada (like most Arctic countries) is having in quickly adapting to the Arctic, where both the operating environment and military needs are changing.During the 2006 election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed to purchase three armed icebreakers. Those plans were shunted aside in 2008 in favor of the cheaper AOPS, which will cost CAN $3.1 billion ...

$27.2-million Shore Power Technology for Ports Program The Honourable DenisLebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that the Government of Canada is continuing its commitment to limit air emissions from the Canadian transportation sector by inviting applications for funding under the $27.2-million Shore Power Technology for Ports Program.The Shore Power Technology for Ports Program will provide cost-shared funding for the installation of marine shore power at Canadian ports. This innovative technology allows ships to plug into the local electrical grid to power the vessel and turn off their diesel engines when docked."Our investment in shore power will reduce emissions from ports, support a cleaner environment and protect the health of Canadians by improving the quality of air we breathe," said MinisterLebel. "This program will boost the competitiveness of Canadian ports, provide new opportunities for growth in the tourism sector, and create jobs across the country."By offering an alternative to running diesel engines, marine shore power will help ship operators to reduce fuel consumption and cut fuel costs. This will help Canadian ports attract new business and remain competitive for the future. Shore power technology will also improve local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some ...

Transport Canada to become a Green Marine supporter Transport Canada and Green Marine have signed a memorandum of cooperation to enhance environmental protection and performance in the marine shipping sector. The agreement was announced to members of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council at its annual meeting in Ottawa. The memorandum of cooperation formalizes a cooperative agreement and designates Transport Canada as a "Green Marine supporter."As part of the agreement, Transport Canada and Green Marine will work together to:enhance the industry's environmental performance benchmarking; support efforts to promote Green Marine goals and successes nationally; collect environmental data and develop environmental performance measurement standards; and identify ways to promote industry best practices, measures and strategies that can further address environmental issues in the marine sector. "Transport Canada's support will play a key role in expanding the program's scope in terms of both content and industry participation," said RaymondJohnston, chair of Green Marine's board of directors. "The memorandum of cooperation recognizes Green Marine as a unique opportunity to promote a culture of continuous environmental improvement on a voluntary basis among shipowners, port authorities, terminal operators, the St. Lawrence Seaway and shipyards."Under the memorandum of cooperation, Transport Canada will also participate as an observer ...

Empress of Ireland sunk in 1914 On its 100th anniversary, the sinking of the Titanic continues to fascinate people around the world. But another shipwreck, almost equal in human tragedy, has slipped from popular memory, even though the vessel helped build modern Canada.The Empress of Ireland sank in 1914 in the St. Lawrence River after colliding with the Storstad, a Norwegian coal ship. A total of 1,012 passengers and crew died (compared to the Titanic's 1,514). The loss of the Empress of Ireland remains the largest maritime accident in Canadian history.Unlike the Titanic, which went down on its maiden voyage, the Empress of Ireland regularly plied the Atlantic Ocean. Between 1906 and her sinking, the Empress completed 95 round trips, mostly between Liverpool, England, and Halifax or Quebec City. It was one of two Canadian Pacific ships - its sister ship was the Empress of Britain - plying the Atlantic between the United Kingdom and Canada, bringing thousands of immigrants, mostly drawn by the prospect of free land on the Prairies.For years, the remains of the Empress lay on the river bottom off Rimouski, Que., where it was picked over by souvenir-hunting divers. It was designated a national historic site ...

Shore Power Technology for Ports Program The Honourable DenisLebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and WaiYoung, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, announced that the Government of Canada is continuing its commitment to limit air emissions from the Canadian transportation sector."The Government of Canada is pleased to launch the Shore Power Technology for Ports Program," said MinisterLebel. "This $27.2-million contribution program will help Canadian ports install shore power, which will reduce air emissions from ships, protect the environment and health of Canadians, and further Canada's economic prosperity."Shore power technology for ports, also called marine shore power or cold-ironing, is a leading-edge technology that allows ships to turn off their diesel engines while docked and connect to an electrical power supply at the port facility. This technology will improve local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some of Canada's largest urban centres and will also contribute to ports' competitiveness."As we have seen with the success of shore power for cruise ships at Port Metro Vancouver, this program will also help Canada's tourism sector to take advantage of growth opportunities, increase tourism revenues and create jobs in all regions of Canada," said MP Young.The Shore Power Technology for ...

Port of Vancouver, BC, Canada re-opened to Hull cleaning and Propeller polishing The global shipping industry remains stuck betweeninternational and regional regulatory requirements andefficient cost effective ship operations.Environmentalistscontinue to keep ships in the spotlight by focusing theirattacks on the air pollution produced by ships. Regionaland local port authorities remain focused on keeping theirwaters free of invasive species and metals like copper,nickel and other harmful chemicals potentially releasedduring routine hull maintenance cleaning and propellerpolishing.Considering the fact that more and more localport authorities are closing the door on hull cleaning andpropeller polishing, theSubsea Solutions Alliancehasbeen focused on finding methods of performing thesecritical maintenance items in an environmentally friendlyway that keeps our regulatory authorities happy andcustomer operations efficient. Investing over 2 years oftime and resources and almost a million US dollars into theresearch and development program for an innovativemethod of Hull Cleaning, the Subsea Solutions Allianceis pleased to announce that our environmentally friendlycleaning machine has been approved for use in the port ofVancouver, Canada.With the port of Vancouver, Canada being closed to hull cleaning for several yearsnow, the Subsea Solutions Alliance could not remain idle, considering the fact that each and every daycustomer inquiries for this critical service continued to pour in to ...

The Harper government has wanted the navy to play a bigger role The Harper government has wanted the navy to play a bigger role in battling Somali pirates in the waters off East Africa, but has been stymied about what to do with potential prisoners, documents reveal.The international effort to contain the pirating of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and beyond is something Canada "strongly supports" and it provides the perfect, low-risk venue for the country to showcase its military ability.A series of briefing notes, obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information from Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office and the chief of maritime staff, show the eagerness over the last two years to take on a renewed mission.But the enthusiasm is tempered by the reality that once caught, there's no place to try pirates."While international law provides that any state may take jurisdiction over piracy in international water, counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia continue to be hampered by a lack of authority in domestic laws, as well as by questions concerning jurisdiction over apprehended individuals suspected of piracy and related crimes," said Nov. 3, 2010 memo to Robert Fonberg, the deputy defence minister.Aside from ...

Canada becomes the first nation to announce its withdrawal from the Kyoto protocol

Canada's Governement has long been hostile to the Kyoto agreement Canada made good Monday onspeculation that surfaced two weeks ago regarding the country's intentions to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol.Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Canada's minister for the environment, Peter Kent,said the decision would save the nation some $14 billion in penalties that would accrue for failure to meet emissions targets agreed to by a previous government in the 1997 pact -- the first international accord aimed at reducing global emissions of planet-warming gases."As we have said, Kyoto -- for Canada -- is in the past," Kent said, according to awire transcriptforwarded by the environment ministry. Kent had just returned fromglobal climate talks in Durban, South Africa. "As such," he continued, "we are invoking our legal right to formally withdraw from Kyoto."Canada's conservative government under Stephen Harper, who assumed the title of prime minister in 2006, has long been hostile to the Kyoto agreement, which wasratified by Liberal Party Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 2002.The Harper government has charged its predecessors with never making any real attempts to comply with Kyoto's emissions limits. It has also issued concerns, shared by the U.S. and other developed countries, that Kyoto's ...

Aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% on local ferry routes The Government of Québec and the Société des traversiers have been working together towards a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% on local ferry routes.To further that purpose, they made a business agreement with Gaz Métro Transportation Solution. This company will supply the natural gas for the two new LNG powered ferries running the Tadoussac-Baie-Sainte-Catherine crossing and one new ferry that will operate the Matane-Baie-Comeau-Godbout service.Norman MacMillan, minister for transport and responsible for the Outaouais region, and Georges Farrah, president and CEO of la Société des traversiers du Québec, unveiled the design and technology choices for the construction of the vessels. The meeting was also attended by Sophie Brochu, president and CEO of Gaz Métro, the company in charge of transportation and distribution of natural gas in Quebec.Tadoussac's ships, which will be delivered by the autumn of 2013 and spring of 2014, will have a vehicle capacity of 47% more than the current ones. Each one will be able to carry 440 passengers and 110 cars. The Matane's ferry will have a capacity of 800 passengers and 180 vehicles. In addition, the ships' configurations, especially ramp ...