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Richard Corfe News

18 Nov 2010

Bowles Leads St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.

The Board of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Terence F. Bowles as President and CEO, effective November 1. Bowles was President and CEO of the Iron Ore Company of Canada from 2001 to 2010. A chemical engineer with an MBA from McGill University, he previously had a long and varied career at Quebec Iron and Titanium, culminating as its President. He replaces Richard Corfe, who is retiring after nearly 28 years with the organization.

10 Sep 2010

Seaway Sets Stage for Busy Fall Season

Grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway increased by 51 percent to 830,000 metric tons in August compared to the same period last year as international demand began to ramp up in the wake of production shortages in Russia. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that American grain shipments reached 303,000 metric tons in August, an increase of 62 percent compared to the same period last year, while Canadian grain shipments increased by 45 percent to 527,000 metric tons. Year-to-date numbers, however, reflect an 18 percent increase to 743,000 metric tons for U.S. grain shipments and a 15 percent decrease to 2.8 million metric tons for Canadian grain shipments from March 25 to August 31compared to the same period in 2009.

18 Aug 2010

Seaway Cargo Shipments Up 17% First Half of Season

Cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway continue to be buoyed by demand for iron ore and steel slabs with an overall increase of 16.6% year-to-date compared to the same period last year. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that marine vessels carried 14.8 million tonnes of cargo from March 25 to July 31 — an increase of over 2 million tonnes compared to the 12.7 million tonnes handled during the same period last year. Total shipments during the month of July were down 4.8% compared to the same period in 2009 due to lower coal and grain traffic. However, iron ore continued to perform strongly during the month with a 30% increase to 892,000 tonnes. Imports of steel slabs, in the category of break bulk, rebounded to 45,000 tonnes. Richard Corfe, President and CEO of the St.

08 Apr 2010

Ice Study on St. Lawrence Seaway

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) together with Transport Canada, the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), the U.S. St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, and the Canadian Mohawk Council of Akwesasne have finalized a three-year Joint Observational Study (JOS) that assessed the potential impacts caused by icebreaking activities on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The study’s conclusion, endorsed by all participants, is that no adverse impacts to the shoreline could be observed as a consequence of ice breaking activity. Using a baseline characterizing the impact of natural ice break-up and clear-out…

12 Jan 2010

Seaway Concludes 50th Anniversary Season

The St. Lawrence Seaway concluded its 50th anniversary season on December 28 with the passage of the JW Shelley. The vessel transited the Iroquois Lock at 7:37 p.m. on route to Lake Ontario. The Seaway navigation season for 2009 spanned 274 days. The Welland Canal, which has been in operation since 1932, remained open to navigation until December 30, as the CSL Tadoussac transited Lock 1 at 3:04 p.m. and cleared Port Weller entering Lake Ontario at 3:22 p.m. Total Seaway cargo volume for 2009 is estimated to amount to 30.5 million tonnes, the lowest volume witnessed since the early 1960's. The 25% decrease in cargo volume compared to 2008 can be attributed to the depth of the recession, which sharply curtailed movements of iron ore and steel on the waterway.

01 Apr 2009

St. Lawrence Seaway Celebrates 50 Years

The St. Lawrence Seaway celebrated its 50th anniversary on March 31, at the St. Lambert Lock. Inaugurated in 1959 by Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower and proclaimed as one of the ten most outstanding Canadian engineering achievements of the past 100 years, the Seaway stands as evidence of an enduring asset. Since its inception, over 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo valued in excess of $375b has been transported via the Seaway. “The Seaway has been successful for the last 50 years and, despite today’s challenging economic conditions, we are pressing ahead with a number of initiatives to position the system for success during the next 50 years”, emphasized Richard Corfe, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC). Mr.

19 Mar 2009

Ballast Water Inspections Improve, GL/Seaway

A new U.S. government report released March 13 showed a notable increase in the number of ballast tank inspections of oceangoing commercial ships entering the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System from outside U.S. or Canadian waters. Ship operators also improved their compliance with ballast water requirements in 2008 compared with 2007, the report says. The 2008 Summary of Great Lakes Seaway Ballast Water Working Group released by the U.S. Coast Guard examined the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Seaway System ballast water ship inspection program. The report finds that 99 percent of all oceangoing ships bound for the Great Lakes Seaway System ports from outside U.S. or Canadian waters in 2008 received a ballast tank exam, compared with 74 percent in 2007.

07 Jan 2009

Seaway Concludes 50th Nav Season

The St. Lawrence Seaway concluded its 2008 navigation season on December 30th with the passage of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Martha L. Black. The vessel, which transited the St. Lambert Lock at 01:12 hours, established a Seaway navigation season for 2008 that spanned 280 days. The Welland Canal remained open to navigation until December 31st, as the Canadian Coast Guard’s Griffon cleared bridge 21 adjacent to Lock 8 at 02:31 hours. Total Seaway cargo volume for 2008 is estimated to amount to 40.7 million tonnes. The decrease in cargo volume is due principally to lower imports of steel products and exports of grain. The Seaway marked a number of significant achievements in 2008, including the establishment of uniform ballast water management standards for all vessels.

11 Nov 2008

Seaway Corp. Trade Mission to Italy, Turkey

On Nov. 10, in Genoa, Italy, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between the Great Lakes Seaway Corporations’ Highway H20 Port Partners Program and the Ligurian Ports in Northern Italy was finalized at a formal signing ceremony. The document was signed by the Canadian St.Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation President and CEO Richard Corfe and Secretary General Giambattista D’Aste, Port of Genoa. The MOC aims to establish a cooperative partnership between U.S. and Canadian ports in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System and the Ligurian Ports of Genoa, La Spezia and Savona. As specified in the MOC, the forms of cooperation will include discussions for expanding marine transportation and trade…

29 Mar 2004

St. Lawrence Seaway Opens

The Montreal/Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened today with the transit of the M/V Halifax at the St. Lambert Lock. Destined for Toledo carrying a load of iron ore from Sept-Iles, the 17,752 tonne bulker has a complement of 25 sailors. The Seaway has opened on or before March 31st in 15 of the last 20 years. The official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway occurred on the Welland Canal two days ago, marking its 46th consecutive shipping season. At that ceremony, Richard Corfe, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) unveiled the first billboard in a striking educational campaign to promote the many benefits to be derived from the increased use of the marine mode - reduced congestion…

17 Aug 2004

Seaway Traffic Hits 5-Year High

Richard Corfe, President of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, today announced that the Seaway traffic results for the year to date have risen to levels not seen since the late 1990s. "Traffic has been brisk since the beginning of the year," stated Corfe. A sluggish economy and competition from other modes combined to reduce Seaway traffic and revenue in recent years. The Corporation responded with a new strategic plan focused on market development and innovation to take maximum advantage of the opportunities available for the Seaway system. "We can't claim responsibility for the upturn in the economy, which is certainly driving most of the traffic increase this year," admits Corfe.

05 Jan 2005

St. Lawrence Seaway Closes

The St. Lawrence Seaway officially closed for the season on December 30, 2004, with the passage of the McKeil Marine integrated tug and barge, McCleary’s Spirit, through the St. Lambert Lock at 5:51 a.m. in the Montreal/Lake Ontario section. The Seaway opened its 46th shipping season on March 25 and remained open for 281 days in 2004. The Welland Canal section closed at 5:19 p.m. on December 31, with the transit of the Canada Steamship Lines vessel CSL Niagara. “We are pleased to report excellent traffic results, with an overall estimated 5.3% increase in tonnage this year,” said Richard Corfe, President of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

29 Jan 2003

CG Commandant to Speak at Conference

More than 400 U.S. and Canadian government, commercial and environmental officials will meet for a two-day conference beginningWednesday, January 29 at the Sheraton Cleveland City Center. Known as Marine Community Days, this event brings together the U.S. and Canadian members of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway marine community to discuss a broad range of issues. Discussion topics will include: Homeland Security, the Maritime Transportation System, maritime security, navigation, environmental issues and dredging. This year’s theme is “Canadian/US Partnership” and features quest speakers: Adm. Thomas Collins, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Vice Adm. James Hull, Commander Atlantic Area, Julian Goodyear, Reginal Director, Central and Artic Region, Canadian Coast Guard, Maj. Gen.

18 Oct 2005

Great Lakes Execs, IMO Talk Invasive Species

A 22-member binational delegation from the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System met today in London with Jean-Claude Sainlos, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Director of Marine Environment. The delegation was lead by Seaway Corporation chiefs, Administrator Albert Jacquez of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and President and CEO Richard Corfe of the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. The delegation discussed ballast water and aquatic invasive species issues, which is presenting the world’s marine community with a growing environmental challenge. The meeting underscored the importance of the partnership between the government and industry in the Great Lakes St.