Friday, 16 September 2016 08:38
Future of Transportation in Canada
On April 27, 2017 the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau began consulting Canadians, stakeholders, and provinces and territories, and Indigenous groups to hear their views and discuss ideas for a long-term agenda for transportation in Canada. The Minister focused on five themes: Safer transportation – How can we keep travellers and communities safe? Trade corridors to global markets – How can we get the best economic benefits from Canada's key trade routes to global markets? Green and innovative transportation – How can new technologies help us? The traveller – How can we provide Canadian travellers with better service as well as more, and more affordable choices? Waterways, coasts and the North – What improvements to the marine transportation system do you think would balance economic growth, greater environmental protection, and boating safety? View our response to the Minister on the Future of Canada's Transportation System.
Tuesday, 16 August 2016 11:59
Submission on the SARA draft action plan
The Federal Government has issued a draft Action Plan for consultation as part of this species’ recovery strategy, as required by the Species at Risk Act (SARA). These species were listed as Threatened and Endangered in 2003 and have not seen any noticeable positive change since then. Consequently, there is significant pressure on the Government to implement measures quickly. In fact, the government has already received over 9,000 submissions during this consultation, many of which identify shipping as a major contributor to underwater noise, and are demanding that the government implement a “moratorium” and stop any growth in marine transportation activity that might add to the noise profile until such time as the cumulative impact is understood. SARA is a powerful law and there are regulatory options in this law that could have a significant impact the marine industry. …
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:10
Policy Objectives for 2016
Canada is well-positioned to increase trade in North America and globally which will build prosperity for Canadians and businesses across Canada. Such trade will positively leverage numerous industries, including agriculture, wood products, manufacturing, tourism, natural resources, and renewable and non-renewable energy. Promoting a safe, efficient, and competitive transportation framework is essential to Canada’s prosperity and competitiveness in a global marketplace. This must be achieved in a sustainable manner that respects the importance of the marine eco-system and its value to Canadians. A safe, efficient and competitive marine transportation framework should include: A Canadian Coast Guard that has the statutory authority to manage and enforce international and national regulations for marine transportation while providing key services to Canadians, including environmental response, icebreaking, search and rescue, marine traffic management and management of navigational aids. Establishment and promotion of trade corridors on the…
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:08
Establish Marine Corridors to Enable Trade
Canada’s reputation as a world leading trading partner should include a clear governance framework for managing and protecting trade corridors through comprehensive marine spatial planning. This should be delivered under the auspices of federal agencies with strengthened roles and clear responsibilities. The current framework relies upon the statutory authority of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and to a limited extent, Environment and Climate Change Canada through its agency, Parks Canada. This inevitably leads to a patchwork of initiatives and often does not include the necessary expertise or data to support informed planning. The current approach is not optimizing protection of the environment or trade. Canada is a trading nation with over 60 per cent of our annual gross domestic product and one in every five Canadian jobs being directly linked to exports. This strong position could grow substantially with further trade…
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:06
Enhance Canada's Supply Chain Competitiveness
Canada has been gradually increasing its market share of international trade volumes in the Asia Pacific. The success of the Western Gateway can be attributed to strategic investments in infrastructure, competitive pricing and labour stability. Building on this success is a significant amount of private sector investment in Canadian ports and marine terminals. An efficient and cost–effective transportation system is critical in supporting these investments. With further commitments to increase federal funding in infrastructure, it is critical that the cumulative impact of cost recovery for infrastructure, added services and competition for rail service does not erode competitiveness of Canadian gateways. Competitiveness in our trade corridors can be realized by: A regional process that is tasked with overseeing the competitiveness of our gateways from an overall cost and regulatory compliance perspective. Such an authority should aim to reduce red-tape and cost…
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:04
Build Canada’s Marine Safety Framework for the Future
Canada has an enviable marine safety record that continues to deliver transportation in diverse and challenging conditions. This is the product of a strong safety culture, comprehensive international and national regulations, and a pollution preparedness and response framework that has evolved to respond to the growth in marine commerce in Canada. While Canada’s marine industry enjoys an excellent safety record, it must seek continuous improvement, especially as growth in Canadian and international trade is expected in the future. Canada’s safety framework must be sufficiently adaptive to recognize the increased interest by regional and local communities to be more involved in the protection of the environment in which it operates. Furthermore, the safety framework of tomorrow should incorporate advanced technologies that could provide advanced warning of potential risks, increased transparency, and support supply chain efficiencies. An effective Canadian Marine Safety Framework…
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 15:00
Develop Comprehensive Fact-Based Policy and Regulations
Commercial marine shipping prefers predictability in the regulatory environment, especially as the capital investments associated with vessels and infrastructure are significant and must be made for a horizon outward of twenty years. In certain situations, regulations affecting the marine industry have been made in isolation and without a comprehensive understanding of the technical, operational, and commercial realities of shipping. In addition to having a predictable regulatory environment, commercial marine shipping is regulated globally and must be prepared to trade in new global markets. In order for this to happen, a predictable and harmonized regulatory approach is essential, especially with Canada’s major trading partners. The Marine Transportation Framework of the future should include: Access to key supply chain data so as to accurately influence transportation policy and regulatory development; The integration of scientific research from the public and private sector; A…
Tuesday, 05 April 2016 22:09
Government of Canada Proposed Moratorium On the Shipment of Crude Oil
The Government of Canada has indicated its intent to establish a moratorium on the shipment of crude oil off coastal waters of Northwestern British Columbia. Currently, this region does not include any marine shipping of crude oil. The export movement of crude oil by ship cannot occur without the product first moving by another mode of transportation to the coast, such as by pipeline or rail. This initial movement of the product must be approved by specific federal government regulators at a minimum, and can include an additional provincial review process and subsequent approval. A moratorium on marine transportation would set a negative precedence and should not be a substitute for existing strong international and federal regulations. It may also contravene Canada’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, if such a policy decision…