Atlantic Canada News

The Canadian government has awarded a contract to shipbuilder Chantier Davie Canada Inc. of Lévis, Quebec, for initial work related to the construction of new Program Icebreakers. Under this $19.6-million contract including taxes, Davie will begin work to develop the initial design.A series of six new Program Icebreakers is planned to replace the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) medium icebreakers that operate in Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence waterways during the winter, and in the Arctic during the summer.This contract enables the shipyard to initiate project planning phases…

Canada's Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Jean-Yves Duclos, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Diane Lebouthillier, announced a contract award following a competitive process, valued at approximately $44 million (including taxes) to Ocean Industries Inc. for the vessel life extension of the CCGS Griffon.Scheduled to take place from June 2025 to October 2026, the vessel life extension work entails refurbishing and repairing the main propulsion motors…

Canada's Irving Shipbuilding on Tuesday cut steel for the seventh Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the first of two for the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet. Celebrated at the Halifax Shipyard, the steel cutting of AOPS 7 marks the official start of construction on the vessel.The Canadian Coast Guard’s AOPS will be tasked with a wide range of missions. Both ships will operate as the Canadian Coast Guard’s primary platform with increased capabilities to support fisheries enforcement on Canada’s east coast…

Algoma Central Corporation announced it has placed an order with Hyundai Mipo Shipyard in South Korea to build two 37,000 DWT ice class product tanker vessels for a total investment of CA$127 million (about US$96.2 million).These new ships will be entered on long-term time charters to Irving Oil under Canadian flag, servicing the energy company’s refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, with deliveries to ports in Atlantic Canada and the U.S. East Coast.Delivery of the new vessels is expected during the first quarter of 2025.

EverWind Fuels, a company founded by private equity veteran Trent Vichie, told Reuters it became the first green hydrogen producer in North America to secure the necessary permits for a commercial-scale facility on Tuesday.Provincial authorities in Canada granted environmental approval for EverWind to begin converting a former oil storage facility and marine terminal at Point Tupper in Nova Scotia into a green hydrogen and ammonia production hub.Green hydrogen is different than conventional hydrogen only in its production…

Engineering firm Waterford Energy Services Inc. (WESI) and vessel owner/operator LeeWay Marine are collaborating to bring hydrogen fuel supply to Atlantic Canada for marine applications.The two Canadian companies said early front-end engineering and design (E-FEED) has commenced for a Phase 1 Pilot. The collaboration has identified strategic locations for the provision of shore-based hydrogen fuel supplies. In addition, vessels of opportunity have been surveyed for fuel conversion feasibility.

For many, the ocean is life. It provides transportation, work, commerce, food, recreation—tales as old as time and shared by people across the globe. These stories are lived day to day, passed down between generations, and shared with the public through various media. Maritime museums assume responsibility to share these histories while honoring the communities shaped ocean exploration and commerce. In a decade where ocean health and climatic events have become a primary focus…

CCGS Terry Fox, one the largest icebreakers in the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) fleet, has returned to service with new Thordon propeller shaft bearings after concluding that fitting laminate phenolic bearings would extend drydock time and costs.The 88-meter-long vessel, built in the 1980s, had been operating Thordon’s water lubricated elastomeric polymer bearings on both shafts for 24 years. Then in 2018 the port shaft was retrofitted with a European made laminate phenolic-type bearing as part of a shaft alignment contract with the manufacturer.In December 2020…

On July 20, the tanker Cabo de Hornos delivered an estimated 450,000 barrels of crude oil to the Irving Oil refinery’s Canaport storage facilities in Saint John, N.B.What made Cabo de Hornos’s delivery different was that it was the first time crude oil had arrived in Saint John by ship from Alberta. It came via the Trans Mountain pipeline to the Westbridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C., and then through the Panama Canal.By the end of April next year, a second tanker will arrive at Canaport carrying 350,000 to one million barrels of Western Canadian crude oil. In this case, the oil will have come via pipeline from Alberta to a crude oil exporting terminal in Texas or Louisiana.For most of the Saint John refinery’s 50 years of operation…

Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has completed Delivery of Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Capt. Jacques Cartier, the Canadian Coast Guard’s newest state-of-the-art Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV), the second OFSV delivered by Seaspan."The milestone in the shipbuilding process took place exactly five months and two days after the delivery of her sister ship, the CCGS Sir John Franklin. These two ships are the first large vessels delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the Government of Canada’s plan to renew the federal fleet with ships built in Canada for Canadians," said a press note.In addition to major partners like Thales Canada who are responsible for the vessel’s Electronic Systems and Vard Marine…

Halifax Shipyard has commenced initial builder’s sea trials for Canada’s lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the future HMCS Harry DeWolf.The lead AOPS departed Halifax Shipyard at 0945 and, using its diesel-electric engines, moved to the Bedford Basin to start initial builder’s sea trails associated with anchor handling, the integrated bridge and navigation system (IBNS), fin stabilizers, Multi-Role Rescue Boat (MRRB) launch and recovery, and communication systems.Initial builder’s sea trials will continue over the next few weeks and will be followed by formal sea trials and acceptance by the Royal Canadian Navy. This will span into the first quarter of 2020.At 103 meters and 6…

The Royal Canadian Navy’s second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the future HMCS Margaret Brooke, was launched yesterday, Nov. 10, 2019, at Halifax Shipyard.The launch of the second of six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy, marks a significant milestone for Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and the revitalization of the Royal Canadian Navy’s combatant fleet.The 103-metre future HMCS Margaret Brooke transitioned from Halifax Shipyard’s land level facility to a submersible barge on Nov. 8, 2019 and launched in the Bedford Basin today.The ship is now pier side at Halifax Shipyard where work continues to prepare the ship for sea trials and handover to the Royal Canadian Navy late next year.The future HMCS Margaret Brooke joins Canada’s lead AOPS…

The developer of augmented and mixed reality technology Kognitiv Spark will be providing the Royal Canadian Navy with the opportunity to test drive a Mixed Reality Remote Assistant Support (MIRRAS) system, as part of a project that aims to improve maintenance and repairs aboard active naval vessels.The project aims to validate technology adopted from Kognitiv Spark, whose software is designed for use with the Microsoft HoloLens.The software leverages Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence to improve efficiencies with ship operations including repairs, maintenance and knowledge transfer.This system can be used by RCN Marine Technicians and Weapons Engineering Technicians…

As momentum continues to slowly ramp up in the offshore sector, Horizon Maritime said it has grown its fleet with the addition of another multifunctional offshore support vessels (OSV) from Houston-based Tidewater Marine.The new vessel, Tidewater Enabler, joined Horizon’s fleet in August and is capable of supporting various specialized marine applications, the company said. The OSV  is designed for operations in harsh weather conditions and features a 100-metric-ton/2,000-meter subsea crane…

The Hebron oil project off the coast of eastern Canada has produced its first oil, operator Exxon Mobil said on Tuesday, in a boost to Atlantic Canada's output after years of weak crude prices. At its peak Hebron will produce up to 150,000 barrels per day (bpd), Exxon said. It will help Atlantic Canada offshore production climb 44 percent to 307,000 bpd by 2024, according to estimates from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. The platform is located 200 miles (350 kilometres) off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in depths of 300 feet (92 metres) and the oil field…

The 2017 cruise season in Halifax will be the busiest to date. A record number of passenger visits and vessel calls will get underway on April 24, 2017 with the arrival of the Amadea, a Phoenix Reisen vessel. “We are very excited about the year ahead,” said Cathy McGrail, Interim Vice President, Operations, Halifax Port Authority. From April 24 to October 31, the Port of Halifax is expecting 179 vessel calls carrying approximately 275,000 cruise guests. For local tourism providers, planning for the upcoming season is well underway. “Those of us fortunate enough to live here know how special our region is,” said Dennis Campbell, CEO, Ambassatours Gray Line. “What drives us is the opportunity to share our attractions, our history and our culture with people from around the world.

More than 100 people representing over 70 companies attended Seaspan Shipyards’ second annual Atlantic Canada Industry Day hosted in Halifax today. During the session, attendees received an update on Seaspan’s progress on its National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) Non-Combat package of vessels and associated supply chain opportunities. “Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Seaspan has embarked on many years of sustained shipbuilding on the West Coast that is already delivering results to Canada, its taxpayers and the overall Canadian economy,” said Brian Carter, President – Seaspan Shipyards. “We are progressing well on the construction of the first two of three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard with the third one to begin later this year.

Dubai-based port operator DP World has signed a long-term lease agreement for the expansion and operation of the multi-purpose Rodney Container Terminal (RTC) at Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada. The global trade enabler will start running existing operations on 1 January 2017 and work in partnership with the Saint John Port Authority on a planned expansion programme expected to be completed in 2021, with the lease continuing for 30 years after. The Rodney Container Terminal is a multi-purpose terminal handling container traffic in Saint John, the only Atlantic Canada port that is served by the country’s Class I railways, Canada National Railway (CN) and Canada Pacific Railway (CP) and is CP’s only Atlantic gateway port.

DP World has signed a long-term lease agreement for the expansion and operation of the multi-purpose Rodney Container Terminal at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The global trade enabler will start running existing operations on 1 January 2017 and work in partnership with the Saint John Port Authority on a planned expansion programme expected to be completed in 2021, with the lease continuing for 30 years after. The Rodney Container Terminal is a multi-purpose terminal handling container traffic in Saint John, the only Atlantic Canada port that is served by the country’s Class I railways, Canada National Railway (CN) and Canada Pacific Railway (CP) and is CP’s only Atlantic gateway port.

The Canadian Government has committed $51.9 million to support Atlantic Canada ferry services, announced Canada’s Transport Minister Marc Garneau. The funding, announced as part of Budget 2016, will support operations, maintain and repair ferry assets and dispose of the MV Princess of Acadia, which was taken out of service in July 2015 and replaced by the MV Fundy Rose. The funding has enabled the one year extension of contracts for interprovincial ferry services in Atlantic Canada…

With the release of today’s federal budget, Canada’s ferry sector is praising the actions taken by the government to improve fleet renewal across Canada. This includes waiving the tariff on the importation of vessels of all sizes and making strategic investments in locations throughout the country. “Today’s budget will have a real impact on passengers throughout the country,” said Serge Buy, CEO of the Canadian Ferry Operators Association (CFOA). The tariff, initially created…

The Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, may be getting a new lease on life with the arrival on August 3 of the CMA CGM Vivaldi at Halterm International Container Terminal. The 8478-TEU, 334-metre long Vivaldi is the largest container vessel to berth at Halterm and on Canada’s East Coast. Up till now, the biggest container vessels calling at Halifax were in the 7500-TEU range. CMA CGM Vivaldi docked with a cargo of containers from China, Vietnam and Malaysia for import into Canada and outbound containers for the ship’s next ports of call — New York, Norfolk and Savannah. The ship then would return to Port Klang via the Suez Canal. An even bigger ship, known as a super post-Panamax ship built for 9200 TEU is scheduled to arrive in Halifax next month.

Trelleborg’s offshore and marine systems operations will, for the first time, showcase a number of its latest product developments at the Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show (ACPS), Newfoundland, later this month. These include thermal insulation, over bend and fire deluge systems, as well as subsea buoyancy and fender solutions. Trelleborg will present its U.S. Coast Guard approved Elastopipe; a corrosion-free alternative to carbon steel deluge systems made from synthetic rubber, as well as its SeaCushion fenders.