Recent News
Memorandum of Understanding Among the Government of Canada, the Government of Finland, and the Government of the United States of America Regarding a Trilateral Framework for the Production of Arctic and Polar Icebreakers and other Capabilities
Canada will be releasing its content in short order but the US offered this information just before the holidays.
Electric Lobster Boat Nears Launch by Indigenous Fishery in Cape Breton
The Membertou First Nation, along with three Canadian partners, has been developing the zero-emission vessel since December 2023 and is leading the development and build-out of an all-electric lobster fishing vessel.
Minister Duclos Says it Should be Relatively Easy to Sell Trump on Icebreaker Pact
Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos insists it will be “relatively easy” to convince incoming U.S. president Donald Trump not to scuttle an icebreaker production pact with Canada. That comes after Trump said at a news conference last week that the U.S. should go it alone — a comment he made while complaining about the trade deficit with Canada.
Kongsberg Consolidates Maritime Business Units
Kongsberg has unveiled plans to integrate the maritime-focused business Kongsberg Digital into Kongsberg Maritime to further align its portfolio with future customer needs and technological advancements in the maritime industry.
Alfons Håkons Adds Powerful Ice-Class Tug to its Fleet
Family-owned towing, icebreaking and salvage service company Alfons Håkans has added Ajax, one of the most powerful tugboats in Finland to its Baltic Sea fleet. It is a Robert Allan design, showcasing RAL’s ice-class capabilities.
Thordon Bearings Expands Baltic Presence with Axioma Servisas Appointment
As part of its strategy to penetrate new and emergent markets, Thordon Bearings has appointed Axioma Servisas as its sales, service and distribution lead for Lithuania.
Thunder Bay Shipyard Gets Some Work
The owners of the Thunder Bay shipyard have landed a contract that will result in the idled yard mobilized for the winter. Hamilton-based Ontario Shipyards Inc. will use local labour to do repair work on the bulk carrier Federal Yoshino.
Vard Working on Integration of Nuclear Reactors into Ship Design
Norwegian-headquartered shipbuilder and designer Vard announced it has joined the Nuclear Propulsion of Merchant Ships project, joining collaborators exploring the use of next generation nuclear reactors as a power source for ships.
2024 Admiral’s Medal Goes to Robert Allan
The 2024 Admirals’ Medal Award goes to Robert Allan of the renowned Robert Allan Ltd. naval architectural and marine services company in Vancouver, and recognizes his outstanding leadership, both nationally and internationally, in the design of commercial working vessels of all types, but with a particular focus on the specialized tugboat market.
Potential Regulations to Increase Access to Marine Emergency Services and to Improve Response to Pollution Incidents
This is a reminder that comments in response to the Discussion Paper on potential regulations to increase access to marine emergency services and to improve response to pollution incidents are welcomed until January 31, 2025. Written comments or requests to schedule a meeting may be sent to OPP.EMEM.HNS-PPO.AGUM.SNPD@tc.gc.ca.
Shipyard Squeeze: Shipping’s $188B Ordering Spree is Overloading Global Capacity
The biggest vessel-ordering program since the eve of the global financial crisis is putting a squeeze on the shipbuilding industry’s capacity to construct new vessels. Owners plowed more than $188 billion into newbuilds in the first 11 months of last year, on course for the strongest pace in terms of both value and capacity since 2007.
Canada’s Beloved Theodore TOO Temporarily on Leave After Taking on Water
Theodore TOO, the 65-foot life-sized replica of Canada’s cherished Theodore Tugboat, took on water in December and was partially submerged, resting gently on the bottom in shallow water beside a dock at the Ontario Shipyard in Port Weller.
B.C. Ferries Submits Application for ‘Largest Capital Investment’ in its History
After facing problems with aging vessels in its fleet — breakdowns, delays and cancellations — the company has filed an application with the B.C. Ferries Commissioner to go ahead with building five new large vessels. If approved, the vessels would be operational between 2029 and 2031, according to the company, serving routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. B.C. Ferries would then retire four of its old vessels. Two more of these vessels are planned for later, bringing the total to seven by 2037.
Most Coastline Arctic Infrastructure Faces Instability by 2100
A new study has produced the first map of all coastal communities and infrastructure across the Arctic, showing the vulnerability of the built environment to threats from climate change. Erosion is currently the biggest threat to Arctic coastlines; some places are already experiencing erosion up to 20 meters (67 feet) per year. But rising seas and shifting storm patterns are predicted to emerge as threats in coming decades, accompanied by the ever-present threat of permafrost thaw.
HMCS Protecteur, the Longest Naval Vessel Ever Constructed in Canada, Launched
The future HMCS Protecteur is the fifth ship designed, built, and launched by Seaspan under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. With a length of 173.7 meters, HMCS Protecteur is the longest naval vessel to ever be built in Canada. It will be joined by its counterpart, HMCS Preserver, in the coming years.
Minister Blair Congratulates Successful Canadian Innovators Joining the 2025 NATO DIANA Cohort
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has announced the successful innovators in 2024’s competitive challenges, including seven Canadian firms.
Blumetric Announces Closing of Oversubscribed Offering and Concurrent Private Placement
BluMetric Environmental Inc. is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced and oversubscribed brokered private placement, with Clarus Securities Inc. as sole agent, conducted under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, and has also closed its concurrent non-brokered private placement.
Vard Electro Names New General Manager
Marine electrical systems provider Vard Electro, part of Fincantieri’s Vard Group, with operations around the world and here in Canada, has named Hans Tore as its new General Manager.
Marine Insurance: The Unseen Backbone of Global Trade
Marine insurance quietly underpins the complex web of global supply chains, yet its role as an essential component of the global economy often goes unnoticed. Covering potential perils from storm damage, to running aground, to collisions, and even to piracy, it keeps global commerce afloat, ensuring containerized goods travel safely and reliably from one part of the world’s economy to another.
Chinese Shipping Company, Shipbuilders Designated “Military Companies” by U.S.
The U.S. Department of Defense released on the Federal Register and included a "Notice of Chinese military companies operating in the United States."
UK Calls for Mandatory Thermal Imaging After Stena Europe Engine Fire
UK investigators are urging the International Maritime Organization to mandate thermographic equipment for hot surface detection following a serious engine room fire aboard the passenger ferry Stena Europe.
More than a 3 Hour Tour: S.S. Minnow, a Piece of TV History, Still Afloat in Nanaimo
For those of a certain vintage, the S.S. Minnow, one of four boats used in the Gilligan’s Island TV series that aired in the 1960s, has been restored to its former glory.
Coalition Grows to Launch GHG Levy on Shipping
A levy on greenhouse gas emissions could be one of the single largest shipping news items of the year with a growing coalition now aiming to force this much-discussed environmental measure through when member states gather at the International Maritime Organization in April for the meeting of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC).
Two groups want to dismantle vessels in Port Alberni
One is a non-profit and another is a long-standing business in the community.
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