FROM THE PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Protecting our marine transportation corridors ON THE RADAR:

BRUCE R. BURROWS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHAMBER OF MARINE COMMERCE

As we kick off the 2020 shipping season, it has already become clear that there is much work ahead to protect the future integrity of inland and coastal shipping and its ability to deliver economic and environmental progress for the United States and Canada. Marine trade and transportation corridors like the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Waterway have a huge impact on the competitiveness of North American industries, while at the same time reducing road congestion and pollution – as is aptly noted by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao in her column on page 8. The important role that marine plays in national trade and job creation is also recognized in a message from Bernadette Jordan, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, on page 9. In spite of the many benefits of the marine mode, however, challenges persist that are completely preventable. Despite very little ice conditions, the opening of the Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway was delayed to April 1 this year to accommodate higher outflow at a dam to lower Lake Ontario levels to prevent potential flooding for landowners. These actions will lower the Lake by only 9 centimetres to help the IJC being seen to alleviate a 35 per cent risk of flooding. In contrast to these limited benefits, as much as 100 ship transits supporting up to $100 million in economic activity could have happened between March 20-31, and ship operators were also at the ready to help alleviate the backlogs caused by Canadian rail network and port disruptions in February. The threat of interrupting the Seaway season to increase outflow at the dam was also a major issue in 2019, and in the end, shipping continued but with many mitigation measures that caused delays, lost cargo, and extra operating costs. With climatologists predicting more dramatic swings in precipitation as the “new normal” in the Great Lakes region, going forward we need a much smarter, holistic approach to shoreline resiliency that does not rely on one ineffective dam to solve this problem. In our article on pages 14-15, our customers talk about the real repercussions of interrupting Seaway shipping and we make recommendations to government on next steps. Our cover story on pages 10-11 also addresses another of CMC’s top priorities – attracting and retaining talent in the marine sector. One of our greatest challenges is the lack of public awareness about the well-paying and rewarding careers in both the private and public realms of the marine sector. Our article examines how workforce shortages are affecting Canadian shipping and the initiatives now underway to attract people from all walks of life, including the Canadian Marine Industry Foundation on page 12, a partnership between private industry and federal government departments.

We’re also proud to showcase in Marine Delivers Magazine the continuing efforts of our members to deliver for their customers, ensure the safety of their people and protect the environment in which they operate. On pages 17-19, we have an exclusive interview with Deb DeLuca, Executive Director, of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, who talks about the port’s expansion projects and recent environmental strides. On pages 20-21, we reveal how Canadian shipowners are on track to meet GHG reduction targets and are investing in eco-ships, biofuels and LNG capability.

And our article on pages 24-25 reports on how an invention by two Australian boat builders/water enthusiasts is changing the way PortsToronto and the Port of Hamilton are cleaning up harbour waters and improving waste literacy. Marine shipping also plays an often unsung role in supporting national infrastructure and construction projects. Our article on pages 26-27 shines a light on the sheer volume of materials being delivered by ship to build the Gordie Howe International Bridge spanning from Windsor to Detroit. And our profile on LafargeHolcim on page 28 demonstrates how much this construction giant relies on marine to provide the building blocks of our cities across the bi-national region. We also showcase the ambitious $775 million project by the Quebec Port Authority, CN and Hutchison Ports to build a new container terminal at the Port of Quebec on page 29.

As this issue demonstrates, there is so much opportunity with the marine mode for further investment, job creation and environmental innovation. We look forward to working with our government partners and other stakeholders to finding solutions to our challenges so that we can make the most of marine’s full potential. n