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Quebec News

26 Mar 2024

Davie Awarded Contract for Canadian Icebreaker Design

(Image: Government of Canada)

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…

05 Mar 2024

Fire Breaks Out On Containership Off Canada

(Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

A fire has broken out on board a Liberian-registered containership off Canada's East Coast, the Canadian Coast Guard said.At around 11 p.m. on Sunday, the MSC Sao Paulo V issued a call for help after a blaze erupted in the engine room of the 294-meter-long vessel. The ship had left Montréal in the morning and was approaching the Les Escoumins pilot station while en route to Portugal when the incident occurred.By Monday afternoon, the containership crew had informed the Coast Guard that the fire was under control…

21 Feb 2024

Canadian Coast Guard Awards Contract for Icebreaker Life Extension

(Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

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…

25 Jan 2024

SAAM Towage Taps Markey for Winch Retrofit Project

File photo; Point Valiant (Photo: Dennis Jarvis / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Markey Machine won a first-ever contract from SAAM Towage to retrofit the controls on a Timberland towing winch aboard the Point Valiant, a tug based in Vancouver, B.C.SAAM first outlined the project to Markey last May, then hired Sentinel Survey, Markey’s after-market service division, to undertake on-site inspection of the winch. Following inspection, Markey offered its Class I winch-control package, and SAAM responded with an order near the end of December. The winch controls package will be provided in mid-2024.“Markey’s achievements in workboat winches are widely known…

03 Nov 2023

Davie Acquires Helsinki Shipyard

Helsinki Shipyard (Photo courtesy Davie)

Canadian shipbuilding group Davie announced it has finalized its acquisition of Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard Oy, which has struggled to gain new business due to Western sanctions against Russia.The deal has been nearly a year in the making, starting from December 2022. By March 2023, Davie exercised an exclusive option to purchase the assets of Helsinki Shipyard. In April a business purchase agreement was signed, and on July 4 Davie secured a new 50-year land lease from the city of Helsinki.Financial terms of agreement were not disclosed…

30 Oct 2023

St. Lawrence Seaway Reopens Following Tentative Deal to End Strike

Š 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.

23 Oct 2023

Canadian Coast Guard Orders Hybrid Research Vessel

Rendering of the new Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel. Credits: Robert Allan Ltd.

Shipbuilder Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Quebec has received an order to build a new Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel (NSFRV) for the Canadian Coast Guard.Expected to join the Canadian Coast Guard fleet as early as 2027, the new vessel will be the agency's first-ever diesel-electric hybrid vessel with a battery energy storage system, designed to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.Announced last week by Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard…

21 Sep 2023

Baltic Workboats Delivers New Launch for the Laurentian Pilotage Authority

(Photo: Baltic Workboats)

The Laurentian Pilotage Authority (LPA), based in Montreal, Canada, provides pilotage services in Canadian waters in and around the province of Quebec where cold weather can often be an issue for marine operators. So when it came time to order a new pilot boat, the LPA sought a vessel that could stand up to the region’s frigid conditions.The pilots turned to Estonia-based Baltic Workboats for the design and construction of the ice-capable Shipeku, a new 17-meter aluminum pilot…

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.

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.

28 Jun 2023

New Propeller Coating for Eastern Pacific Shipping Fleet

Source: GIT

Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) is introducing Graphite Innovation & Technologies’ graphene-based, biocide-free propeller coating across its fleet after positive results on an LPG tanker.Graphite Innovation & Technologies (GIT) says the eco-friendly, highly durable, and ultra-low friction foul release coating, XGIT-PROP, is an effective way to improve and maintain the vessels’ CII ratings over the drydocking cycle.The coating is a three-layer graphene-based coating technology that is specifically designed to withstand harsh operational conditions and reduce the need for propeller polishing.

15 Feb 2023

Canadian Coast Guard Set to Kick Off St. Lawrence River Icebreaking

CCGS Mamilossa (Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard announced it plans to commence spring icebreaking operations on the St. Lawrence River between Montréal and Québec on the morning of February 20, or sooner if the weather conditions were to create an increased risk of the stalling of coastal pack ice.Icebreaking will continue thereafter on several streams, rivers, and river mouths in Quebec.Annual operations on the St. Lawrence River, including those near Lac-Saint-Pierre, are designed to break coastal pack ice into smaller pieces, thus preventing large blocks of ice from drifting and blocking navigation channels.

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…

08 Sep 2022

Q&A: Growing Blue Economy Opportunities for US Exporters in Canada

Tracey Ford

Canada is one of 20 markets to be featured at the Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy export forum September 20-22, 2022The growing demand for marine technologies is generating new export possibilities for U.S. companies. To help American businesses pursue these opportunities, the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) is hosting Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy, in Providence, Rhode Island, Sept. 20-22, 2022. Based at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada Senior Commercial Specialist Tracey Ford is leading a delegation with a Canadian buyer to the event.

15 Aug 2022

Solo Paddler Battered by Weather, Welcomed by Strangers, on 'Reverse the Bad' Odyssey

Mark Fuhrmann - steady progress, beautiful nature. seen here with his trusty kayak at Perce Rock, Quebec

After two months in his kayak, 64-year-old Mark Fuhrmann has succeeded in covering 2,000km of his 10,500km ‘Greater Loop’ paddle. Although battered by high winds, and fighting against large swells and difficult tides, the intrepid Canadian has made his way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Quebec City, and is now on the boundary of Montreal. His year-long loop will eventually take him back to Halifax, by which time he hopes to have raised over EURO 100,000 for Doctors Without Borders and Captains Without Borders.Extreme commitmentFuhrmann…

16 Jun 2022

Great Lakes-Seaway Cargo Rose 7% in 2021

(Photo: Michael Hull / Chamber of Marine Commerce)

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway ships carried an estimated 149 million metric tons of cargo to and from domestic ports, and to overseas markets during the 2021 shipping season — an increase of 7% over pandemic-stricken 2020, a new report from the Chamber of Marine Commerce shows.“This report paints a clear picture that the bi-national Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System supported the economic recovery and growth of many of our key industries in both Canada and the U.S. The…

23 May 2022

CSL’s New Laker Equipped with Berg Electric Drives

(Photo: Berg Propulsion)

Emissions reductions have been confirmed for the first laker to feature a diesel-electric drive train, after the initial weeks in service of Canada Steamship Lines’ new self-unloader Nukumi. The vessel arrived in Halifax in time to take up duties for the 2022 Great Lakes season complete with patented Direct Drive Electric technology from Berg Propulsion.Built by China’s Chengxi Shipyard, the delivery also marks a bulk carrier market debut for Direct Drive Electric - an integrated solution developed by Berg to make high efficiency electric propulsion easier to adopt.The 26…

23 May 2022

BP, Rio Tinto in Year-long Marine Biofuel Trial

Credit: BP

Mining giant Rio Tinto has entered an agreement with the oil major BP to start a one-year biofuel trial to reduce carbon emissions from Rio Tinto’s marine fleet. Under the trial, BP is supplying Rio Tinto with marine biofuel for approximately 12 months. The fuel will be trialed on Rio Tinto’s RTM Tasman bulk carrier on a mix of Transatlantic and Atlantic-Pacific routes, in what has been described as "one of the longest-duration marine biofuel trials to date." "Sustainable biofuels…

31 Mar 2022

CSL's New Diesel-electric Laker Arrives in Halifax

(Photo: Steve Farmer / CSL)

CSL’s new diesel-electric self-unloading bulk carrier—the first of its kind on the Great Lakes—arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 27, following its maiden voyage from the Chengxi Shipyard in Jiangyin, China.The new purpose-built Nukumi will enter service in late April, transporting deicing salt from Windsor Salt’s Mines Seleine mine in the Magdalen Islands to stockpiles throughout Quebec and Eastern Canada.The 26,000 dwt ship is the first diesel-electric laker and the first single point loader to operate in Canada.Equipped with diesel-electric tier 3 engines and a unique hull design…

11 Mar 2022

Bulk Carrier Suffers Engine Failure off Eastern Canada

(Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

A Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Comanche has gone adrift after reporting engine failure overnight off Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Canadian Coast Guard said on Friday.No injuries or pollution have been reported.The Coast Guard said it is responding to the incident and that its patrol vessel CCGS Cygnus is on scene along with tugs to stabilize the vessel from further drifting."We will continue to work with the owner to coordinate response to the MV Comanche to mitigate any threat to the vessel…

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.

08 Feb 2022

STQ Inks Maintenance Deal with Wärtsilä for Two Vessels

Two LNG-fueled ferries operated by STQ will be covered by five-year Wärtsilä Optimised Maintenance Agreements. (Photo: SocietÊ des Traversiers du Quebec)

Technology group Wärtsilä reports it has signed an Optimized Maintenance Agreement with the Canadian ferry operator Societé des Traversiers du Quebec (STQ). The five year long-term agreement covers two vessels, the Jos Deschenes II and the Armand Imbeau II, each of which operates with Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines. A similar agreement was signed earlier covering another STQ ferry, the F.A. Gauthier. The latest contract was signed in October 2021 and carries an option to extend…

01 Feb 2022

Great Lakes' First Diesel-electric Bulker Starts Maiden Voyage

(Photo: Canada Steamship Lines)

The first diesel-electric bulk carrier built to operate on the Great Lakes has set sail on its six-week maiden voyage from Chengxi Shipyard in Jiangyin, China to Halifax, Canada.Canada Steamship Lines' new 26,000 dwt self-unloader Nukumi is scheduled to enter service at the start of the 2022 navigation season. The purpose-designed vessel will be used to ship deicing salt from Windsor Salt’s Mines Seleine mine in the Magdalen Islands to stockpiles throughout Quebec and Eastern Canada.Equipped with diesel-electric tier 3 engines and a unique hull design…