On Watch April 7, 2021

• CMISA Updates
• Marine Sector News
• Member Benefits
• Resources
• Marine Careers

The early days of Spring are here, but it’s still cold in Ottawa and as we are back in lockdown it’s the perfect time to pull up an armchair and enjoy this latest edition of On Watch! In recent days, we’ve all watched the drama unfolding in the Suez Canal when the massive container ship, the Ever Given, got stuck and held up hundreds of ships waiting to pass through. About 13% of world trade passes through the Suez Canal, and the disruption will continue to affect global supply chains for months, especially oil, chemicals, and manufactured goods. Although the unfolding drama seemed far away, the domino effects will be felt, even in Canada, and we can expect the cost of goods shipped here to increase. Shipping really does connect us all.

In the meantime, we continue to shine our spotlight (or blow our foghorn) on new members, and we are thrilled to feature a dynamic, mission-driven Canadian company that develops innovative sustainability products and services that help ships (and other self-contained or remote habitats) greener, Terragon Environmental Technologies. 

Happy reading, and please feel free to pass this newsletter on to your colleagues and contacts, and be sure to scroll down to the bottom to check out the latest Government of Canada marine procurement opportunities.

Colin Cooke
CEO

Bright, smart, mission-driven, and passionate – these are the words that immediately come to mind when speaking with Theodora Alexakis, VP Business Development, and Ramona Pristavita, Director of WETT Product Development. Both women hold PhDs in Chemical Engineering and are senior managers at Terragon Environmental Technologies, Inc. Terragon is a small, Montreal-based waste treatment firm that develops simple appliances that treat waste locally with no environmental damage and that allow habitats to re-use waste streams, enabling what they call Total Resource Utilization. This makes Terragon’s applications so suitable for self-contained and off-grid systems like ships, land-based military operations and hospitals, or isolated communities, where waste can’t easily be disposed of. In Canada’s remote northern communities, Terragon works with Indigenous Peoples to train and bring job opportunities that support environmental sustainability.

Terragon’s solutions recover waste streams and transform them into valuable resources for habitats. The MAGS™ and WETT™ appliances convert waste to recover energy, and purify water to recover clean water, respectively, and even soil amendments can be created to be used in food production. In the marine sector, for example, MAGS™ can replace more polluting shipboard incinerators and WETT™ is used to recover water contaminated by oil, as well as sewage. All products are made in Canada, making them valuable additions to Canadian marine supply chains.

Terragon products challenge the status quo and appeal to governments and shipowners who want better performing and more environmentally sustainable equipment. Currently being trialled by the Canadian Coast Guard, there is appetite in Canada to work towards what Theodora calls “the green ship.” Terragon plans on continuing to educate and work with a wider government and industry client base across the world to specify greener and better products in their procurements. Theodora and Ramona value their membership in the Canadian Marine Industries and Shipbuilding Association as the organization helps them get their message out to a targeted marine market that can shape a demand for better onboard solutions.

Terragon embraces the creativity, talent and skills of its small, but diverse and highly educated team. Its 40 employees represent over 16 nationalities, and what binds them together is a shared passion for the environment and a desire to innovate and improve products that do their part in creating a more sustainable future.

The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has released the Overview of the Canadian Marine Industry (2018). The publication provides marine industry strategic information to brief policy and industry decision makers, and examines economic impact, contribution to growth, regional areas of strength, skills and gender, innovation, exports and SMB participation. The report shows that close to $4.1 billion in sales were generated by close to 360 marine firms in Canada in 2018 (both civil and defence marine industrial capabilities), and that the industry and its value chain contributed close to $2.4 billion to the GDP and close to 23,000 jobs. Canada’s marine industry increased its R&D spending by 40% and exports by more than 30% between 2016 and 2018 (representing over $1.1 billion in marine exports), and marine systems captured 55% of the volume of growth. The share of STEM-related occupations was more than 2.5 times the total Canadian manufacturing average. The industry is male-dominated, with male employees accounting for over 80% of marine industry employment. Small and medium-sized businesses represented close to 90% of marine industry firms, capturing close to 40% of the industry’s employment and sales, and were responsible for more than 65% of the overall marine industry R&D and over 45% of its export volume. 

https://cmisa.ca/company/roster/companyRosterDetails.html?companyId=19506&companyRosterId=70

The Marshall Islands-registered M.V. Federal Cedar became the first ocean-going “Salty” vessel to enter the Port of Thunder Bay during the 2021 navigation season. 

St. Catharines, Ontario — Algoma Central Corporation, a leading supplier of marine transportation services, today announced that it has taken delivery of the Captain Henry Jackman, the fifth Equinox Class gearless dry-bulk carrier and the tenth Equinox Class vessel to join the fleet.

The UK's sweeping integrated defense review proposes deep changes to the structure of the nation's armed forces, including a scaleback of ground units to pay for a growing naval fleet. 

OTTAWA -- Canada's top military procurement official says there are no plans to change directions on the construction of a fleet of new Navy warships despite a recent warning about escalating costs from Parliament's budget watchdog.

March 29, 2021 – North Vancouver, BC – Today, Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) announced it has cut steel and started full-rate construction of the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV).

The Canadian Coast Guard is rejecting claims that a Nova Scotia company is improperly dismantling the former navy ship Cormorant.

When Open Ocean Robotics’ boats are out on the seas, they’re manoeuvring their way to areas unreachable by manned vessels. They do it without fear of capsizing and with no gas powering the motor.

A six-metre-long model of a Canadian Navy ship was nearly scuttled in Port Alberni after the company storing it needed to make room for expansion.

Poor quality aluminium imported from China is being blamed for the delayed delivery of the Royal Australian Navy's new $350 million evolved Cape Class patrol boats.

Halifax's iconic Theodore Tugboat is moving to a new home, but this doesn't mean farewell to Nova Scotia forever.

CMISA promotes and supports our industry with activities to:

• Build and maintain ships for Canada and for the private sector (Build & Maintain)
• Support business opportunities for our marine industry members (Support)
• Sustain a network to voice our concerns and promote our solutions (Sustain)

READ MORE

• Request for Proposal for a Vessel and Crew to Support Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Spring 2021 Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program, in Newfoundland and Labrador. The RFP closes on 2021/03/23.

• Request for Proposal for Acoustics and Netting for Spring Herring in New Brunswick and PEI. The RFP closes on 2021/04/08.

• Notice of Proposed Procurement for Fixed Ramp Construction, Cap aux Meules, Quebec. The NPP closes on 2021/04/13.

• Notice of Proposed Procurement for IR Windows for the Thermal Scan of Electrical Circuits on the CCGS Martha L Black Vessel in Quebec. The NPP closes on 2021/04/22.

• Request for Proposal for Multiple VICTORIA-Class Spares (oils and greases, cutting, lubricating and hydraulic, packing and gasket material, O-ring, pressure, temperature and humidity measuring and controlling instruments) for CFB Halifax and CFB Esquimalt. The RFP closes on 2021/04/16.

• Notice of Proposed Procurement for MV Madeleine II Fire Insulation Mat. The NPP closes on 2021/04/13.

• Notice of Proposed Procurement for the Design of a Lantern for Canadian Coast Guard in Quebec. The NPP closes on 2021/04/26.

• Request for Standing Offer (RFSO) for Dive Equipment in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. The RFSO closes on 2021/05/31.

• Notice of Proposed Procurement (NPP) for the LaSalle Causeway Bascule Bridget Steel Repairs. The NPP closes on 2021/04/21.

• Tender Notice for a Letter of Interest (LOI)/Request for Information (RFI) for a Future Naval Training Centre. The LOI/FRI closes on 2021/05/18.

• Notice of Proposed Procurement (NPP) for Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB), Inflatable Boats (IB) and Aluminum Boats (AB). The NPP closes on 2021/12/15.

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