Magazine

Industry Insight: Growing Canada’s newest gateway…Brad Pettit, President, Stewart World Port…Pettit and his father, Ted Pickell, are building capacity and increasing efficiencies as the West Coast’s most norther ice-free port provides another gateway option to get Canada’s resources to market.

With a good staple of tugs, fishing boats, barges, ferries, cruise ships and naval and coast guard vessels keeping B.C.’s shipyards busy, it was a good report all round in this snapshot of the shipbuilding and repair industry on Canada’s West Coast.

While researching the Canadian West Coast shipping market, Andrey Bondarenko, Managing Director for Varamar’s Project & General Cargo Division, found a gap. “Varamar offers a service that doesn’t currently exist in the West Coast market,” he said.

When Byron Bolton first started out in the marine industry little could he have known that he would end up as the largest heavy-gauge aluminum boat manufacturer in North America. With four companies making up the Bolton Marine Group — KingFisher Boats, Renaissance Marine Group Inc. (which includes Duckworth, Weldcraft and Northwest Boats), Armstrong Marine USA Inc., and the most recent acquisition of Daigle Marine — Bolton is able to share insights on the aluminum boat building market for recreational boating, commercial use, law enforcement and military applications on both sides of the border.

By Darryl Anderson, Managing Director, Wave Point Consulting

A number of common themes ran through discussions with terminal operators for this year’s update, none more so than efforts to increase capacities through modernization and operational efficiencies. Aside from the sensible business case made for increasing capacity, gains are also being seen in lowering carbon footprints…

Industry Insight: A passion for boats, a head for business…Byron Bolton, CEO, Bolton Marine Group…Bolton shares insights into the aluminium boat building market for recreational boating, commercial use, law enforcement and military applications on both sides of the border.

The shipping industry along our coastline has evolved over the centuries thanks to ingenious inventions such as the paddle, that enabled ancient mariners from no longer needing to pole their way along shallow inland waterways with rafts, to eventually being able to travel in deeper waters offshore through the invention of the dugout canoe. With the invention of the sail, human paddlers were replaced with the power of the wind, allowing for the transport of heavier loads over ever-greater distances and resulting in the eventual arrival of European explorers and settlers to our shores.

Dr. Kate Moran, President & CEO, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), has spent her entire career focused on the oceans. To call her an expert on issues like climate change or the impact of a carbon-based economy on the world’s seas would be an understatement. While recognizing that there is no silver bullet in moving from fossil fuels toward alternative energies and negative emission technologies, Dr. Moran is an optimist.

While the National Energy Board (NEB) reconsideration report reached the same conclusion as their original submission — that the project is in the best interests of the country — the report also highlighted issues that will impact the entire shipping industry.