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Ontario News

26 Feb 2024

Serco Joins VARD's Team Vigilance for Canadian Navy Build

(Image: Vard Marine)

Serco has signed on a team assembled by Vard Marine Inc. to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Kingston Class Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels (MCDV) under Pillar Two of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.Vard Marine, a Fincantieri company, launched VIGILANCE in 2023 to "provide the RCN with a state-of-the-art, capable, operationally flexible, and globally deployable multi-mission naval vessel" that is designed, built and equipped in Canada.Other Team Vigilance partner companies include Ontario Shipyards…

13 Feb 2024

Wreck of WWII-era Cargo Ship Found in the Great Lakes

(Photo: Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society)

The wreck of a World War II-era freighter has been discovered in over 600 feet of water around 35 miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.Over the last 7 years, shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain has been studying remote sensing data in the search for shipwrecks in Lake Superior. After coming across a particularly deep anomaly, he reached out to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) for help in identifying the potential wreck. In 2023 GLSHS Director of Marine Operations…

05 Jan 2024

Heddle Shipyards Rebrands as Ontario Shipyards

(Photo: Ontario Shipyards)

Canada's Heddle Shipyards announced it has rebranded as Ontario Shipyards.The name change was made to "reflect the next phase of [the] company's growth and future success", it said in a statement, noting that the new name also embraces the province's shipbuilding legacy."The province of Ontario was once the epicenter of shipbuilding in Canada, with more than 80 commercial and government vessels built at the Port Weller Dry Docks and many more at the historic Thunder Bay Shipyard.

11 Dec 2023

Canada’s Fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship Launched

(Photo: Irving Shipbuilding)

The Royal Canadian Navy’s fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette, was launched December 9, 2023, at Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard.A full two months ahead of schedule, the 103-metre future HMCS Frédérick Rolette transitioned from Halifax Shipyard’s land level facility to a submersible barge on December 8 and launched in the Bedford Basin. The ship is now pier side at Halifax Shipyard where work continues in preparation for sea trials…

30 Oct 2023

St. Lawrence Seaway Reopens Following Tentative Deal to End Strike

© GrB / Adobe Stock

The union representing St. Lawrence Seaway workers in eastern Canada said it reached a tentative labor agreement on Sunday, ending a week-long strike that shut down a key North American trade route linked to the Atlantic Ocean.The Unifor union, representing some 360 workers, said it agreed to a deal with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp (Seaway) that would cover engineering, maintenance, and other worker groups in Ontario and Quebec provinces.Other details of the agreement, which would need to be ratified by the workers, were not shared.

06 Sep 2023

Great Lakes Iron Ore, Limestone Trades Rise in August

(Photo: Lake Carriers’ Association)

Shipments of iron ore and limestone on the Great Lakes for the month of August both increased compared to 2022, up 8.6% and 4.4% respectively, according to latest figures from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).The 5.5 million tons or iron ore shipped in August was 3.5% above the month’s five-year average, while limestone cargos were above the month’s five-year average by 3.7%, LCA said. Limestone loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.3 million tons, an increase of 5% compared to 2022.

31 Aug 2023

New SAR Vessel Enters Service for the Canadian Coast Guard

(Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard's newest search and rescue (SAR) lifeboat has officially entered service at the Lifeboat Station in Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador.Built by Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, Ontario under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy, the high-endurance CCGS Gabarus Bay is designed, equipped and crewed to respond to mariners needing assistance at sea.In December 2022, CCGS Gabarus Bay was the 13th SAR lifeboat accepted by the Government of Canada and was delivered to Burgeo in April 2023.

23 Aug 2023

Heddle Shipyards Welcomes Mohawk College Students for Skills Program

(Photo: Heddle Shipyards)

Canadian ship repair and construction company Heddle Shipyards has teamed up with Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario for the Try-A-Trade: Ship Repair and Fabrication Program.The training program through Mohawk College covers technical skills development, health and safety training, literacy and basic skills assessment, as well as employability skills development.Students will then complete an eight-week paid placement at Heddle Shipyards, rotating through departments like blasting and painting…

14 Aug 2023

Commercial Fishing on the Great Lakes is a Family Affair

© Hank Erdmann / Adobe Stock

Although the number of fishermen who make a living on the waters of the Great Lakes is much diminished from a half century ago, the region's commercial whitefish fishery continues to be viable and profitable.Henriksen Fisheries is one of about a dozen commercial entities in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan, focused on trap netting whitefish in Green Bay and the waters surrounding the Door Peninsula.Charlie Henriksen started his family-owned fishing business in Door County in 1987.Originally from Illinois…

03 Aug 2023

Great Lakes Iron Ore, Limestone Trades On the Rise

(Photo: Lake Carriers’ Association)

Shipments of iron ore and limestone on the Great Lakes rose in the month of July, according to latest figures published by trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.8 million tons in July, an increase of 8.9% compared to a year ago, while limestone shipments rose 4.7% to 4.2 million tons, LCA said. The respective trades were above the month’s five-year average by 4.8% and 6.6% respectively.Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 25.6 million tons, an increase of 34.3% compared to the same point in 2022.

31 Jul 2023

Canada's Dock Workers, Employers Reach Labor Deal

© haseg77 / Adobe Stock

Dock workers on Canada's West Coast and their employers said they reached a new labor agreement, averting an immediate strike, as they sought to end a dispute that has disrupted operations at the country's busiest ports.The International Longshore and Warehouse Canada Union (ILWU) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) are recommending the ratification of the deal, they said in a joint statement late on Sunday.

13 Jul 2023

New Lifeboat Enters Service for the Canadian Coast Guard

CCGS Chedabucto Bay (Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard on Wednesday welcomed the CCGS Chedabucto Bay into its fleet at the Lifeboat Station in Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia.The Bay Class vessel, built by Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Quebec and delivered earlier this year, is the 14th of 20 new search and rescue lifeboats that will be dedicated into service by the Canadian Coast Guard across the country.The shore-stationed self-righting lifeboats are specifically designed, equipped and crewed to respond to search and rescue incidents at sea.

11 Jul 2023

Welland Canal Ship Traffic Resumes

© eranda / Adobe Stock

Two-way marine traffic resumed Monday night on the Welland Canal in Ontario, Canada after a power outage on Sunday led to a temporary suspension of navigation.The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), which manages and operates the Canadian assets of the St. Lawrence Seaway, said its maintenance personnel and contractors were able to restore service to Lock 1 by Monday afternoon and reopen Lock 7 by 10:30 p.m. that night.No one was harmed at any point during the outage or repair operations…

10 Jul 2023

Ship Traffic Halted After Power Outage Hits Welland Canal

© skyf / Adobe Stock

Vessel traffic through Ontario's Welland Canal has ceased after a power outage damaged equipment in two of its locks, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) said.The not-for-profit corporation, which manages and operates the Canadian assets of the St. Lawrence Seaway, said the outage occurred at 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, damaging hands-free mooring equipment in Locks 1 and 7. "SLSMC took immediate steps to ensure the safety of the public, personnel, vessels, infrastructure and the environment…

07 Jul 2023

Great Lakes Limestone Trade Slides

(Photo: Lake Carriers’ Association)

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.1 million tons in June, a decrease of 17.6% from a year ago, according to latest figures published by trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). This June’s loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 17.4%.Loadings out of U.S. quarries totaled 2.5 million tons, a decrease of 15.2% compared to last year, while shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 610,702 tons, a decrease of 26.4%, LCA said.Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at nearly 8.1 million tons, a decrease of 16.9% compared to 2022.

10 Jan 2023

Canadian Coast Guard Takes Delivery of Two SAR Lifeboats

Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Chedabucto Bay (Photo: Chantier Naval Forillon)

The Canadian Coast Guard on Monday marked the delivery of the 13th and 14th search and rescue lifeboats: the CCGS Gabarus Bay and the CCGS Chedabucto Bay. The vessels were built by Hike Metal Products Ltd from Wheatley, Ontario and Chantier Naval Forillon from Gaspé, Quebec, respectively.The CCGS Chedabucto Bay will be stationed in Clark’s Harbour, Nova Scotia while the CCGS Gabarus Bay will be stationed in Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador.In 2018, Gaspé, Quebec’s Chantier Naval Forillon and Wheatley…

29 Dec 2022

Operation Coal Shovel: US Coast Guard Kicks Off Great Lakes Icebreking

USCG Cutter Neah Bay assisted the M/V James R. Barker (carrying 54,000 tons of taconite) stuck in Detroit East Outer Channel on Wednesday. The Barker and three vessels in the convoy were moving again carrying a total of 99,000 tons of taconite and over 19,000 tons of sand. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday commenced Operation Coal Shovel, a domestic icebreaking operation to maintain commercial vessel traffic from southern Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, to the St. Clair / Detroit River system, and into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario including the St. Lawrence Seaway.U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers work together in these waterways as conditions worsen throughout the winter to ensure the ability to conduct search-and-rescue, exigent community service, and the facilitation of navigation to meet the reasonable demands of commerce.Both the U.S.

02 Nov 2022

Great Lakes Limestone Up 10.7% in October

(Photo: Lake Carriers’ Association)

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.9 million tons in October, an increase of 10.7% compared to a year ago, according to latest figures from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Limestone cargos were also above the month’s five-year average by 10.9%.Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.2 million tons, an increase of 9.7%, while shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 736,157 tons, an increase of 15.3%, LCA said.Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 25 million tons, an increase of 1.5% compared to 2021, LCA said.

01 Nov 2022

Heddle Shipyards Wins Terry Fox Life Extension Job

CC BY-SA 3.0

Heddle Shipyards said it has been awarded a $135.5 million dollar contract for the Vessel Life Extension (VLE) of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Terry Fox.The nearly three-year project will involve an extensive engineering, planning and procurement phase, with shipyard work scheduled to begin in December 2023. This multi-year project will create and sustain over 200 hundred jobs at the Port Weller Dry Docks through the summer of 2025 when the CCGS Terry Fox is scheduled for redelivery.

25 Oct 2022

USACE Christened New Derrickboat Kolber

(Photo: Andre' M. Hampton / USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, on Monday held a christening ceremony for the Derrickboat Kolber. This new derrickboat is 160 feet long, has a beam of 60 feet and a depth of 12 feet. The large crane is a SeaTrax series 60 Model S9302. Its design and construction were contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Marine Design Center. The barge was designed by TAI Engineers of New Orleans, and constructed by Metal Trades, Inc., of Hollywood, S.C.The Kolber’s…

21 Oct 2022

New Lock at the Soo: Unlocking the Great Lakes

(Image: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District works on unlocking the Great Lakes by providing a much-needed resiliency at the Soo Locks with the construction of the New Lock at the Soo. The New Lock at the Soo will be the same dimensions as the Poe Lock, 1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide and 30 feet deep.Often called the “linchpin” of the Great Lakes navigation system, the Soo Locks are located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan between the upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario. The Soo Locks enable bulk carrier vessels to safely bypass the swift-moving St.

06 Oct 2022

Canadian Coast Guard to Test Biodiesel, Build Hybrid-electric Vessel

CCGS Caribou Isle (Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) announced a pair of initiatives aimed at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, including the start of a biodiesel testing project and the launch of the next phase in the construction of the Government of Canada’s first hybrid electric vessel.Earlier this month, following the award of a contract to procure biodiesel from Windsor, Ontario based Sterling Fuels, CCG became Canada's first government agency to trial a 20% biodiesel blend in one of its vessels, the navigation aids tender CCGS Caribou Isle.

21 Oct 2022

Lakes Limestone Trade Down 3.7% in September

(Photo: Lake Carriers' Association)

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in September, a decrease of 3.7% compared to a year ago, according to latest figures published by the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA). Limestone cargos were below the month’s five-year average by 2.7%.Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, a decrease of 5.4% from 2021, while shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 675,023 tons, a decrease of 1.3%, LCA said.Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 21.1 million tons, a near match compared to a year ago, LCA said.