Atlantic Pilotage Authority

Last updated
Atlantic Pilotage Authority Canada
Type Crown corporation
FoundedFebruary 1, 1972 (1972-02-01)
Headquarters Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Area served
All the Canadian waters in and around the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador [1]
Key people
Sean Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer; David Anderson, Chief Operating Officer
Services Pilotage
Owner Government of Canada
Website www.atlanticpilotage.com

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority Canada (French : Administration de Pilotage de l'Atlantique) is a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada, which was established as a result of recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Pilotage in Canada, by the Pilotage Act, Section 18, [2] on February 1, 1972 [3] mandated to assist in pilotage in all Canadian waters in and around the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Pilotage incidents

At the time of the Halifax Explosion in 1917, both the SS Imo and the SS Mont-Blanc were being guided by professional pilots. [8]

On July 10, 2010, a French research ship, Fulmar , operated in Halifax harbour (where pilotage is mandatory) without a pilot, and reportedly came "frighteningly close" to two other ships. [9]

Criticism

In 2016, the Auditor General of Canada panned the authority, criticizing it for economic losses driven by artificially low pilotage rates, failed upkeep of corporate systems, lack of strategic planning, and issues with conflict of interest. [10] [11] The report was reviewed by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Explosion</span> 1917 maritime disaster in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Mont-Blanc, laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond district of Halifax. At least 1,782 people were killed, largely in Halifax and Dartmouth, by the blast, debris, fires, or collapsed buildings, and an estimated 9,000 others were injured. The blast was the largest human-made explosion at the time. It released the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT (12 TJ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Canadas military

The Royal Canadian Navy is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2023, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submarines, 12 coastal defence vessels, eight patrol-class training vessels, two offshore patrol vessels, and several auxiliary vessels. The RCN consists of 8,400 Regular Force and 4,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by 3,800 civilians. Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee is the commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and chief of the Naval Staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Capital and most populous municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2022, it is estimated that the population of the Halifax CMA was 480,582, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Coleman (train dispatcher)</span> Canadian train dispatcher

Patrick Vincent Coleman was a train dispatcher for the Canadian Government Railways who was killed in the Halifax Explosion, but not before he sent a message to an incoming passenger train to stop outside the range of the explosion. Today he is remembered as one of the heroic figures from the disaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Harbour</span> Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural harbours in the world. Before Confederation it was one of the most important commercial ports on the Atlantic seaboard. In 1917, it was the site of the world's largest man-made accidental explosion, when the SS Mont-Blanc blew up in the Halifax Explosion of December 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Overview of the culture of Halifax (Canada)

Hosting the region's largest urban population, Halifax, Nova Scotia is an important cultural centre in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is home to a vibrant arts and culture community that enjoys considerable support and participation from the general population. As the largest community and the administrative centre of the Atlantic region since its founding in 1749, Halifax has long-standing tradition of being a cultural generator. While provincial arts and culture policies have tended to distribute investment and support of the arts throughout the province, sometimes to the detriment of more populous Halifax, cultural production in the region is increasingly being recognized for its economic benefits, as well as its purely cultural aspects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maritime pilot</span> Mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters

A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who has specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots know local details such as depth, currents, and hazards. They board and temporarily join the crew to safely guide the ship's passage, so they must also have expertise in handling ships of all types and sizes. Obtaining the title "maritime pilot" requires being licensed or authorised by a recognised pilotage authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Churchill</span> Port in Manitoba, Canada

The Port of Churchill is a privately-owned port on Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Routes from the port connect to the North Atlantic through the Hudson Strait. As of 2008, the port had four deep-sea berths capable of handling Panamax-size vessels for the loading and unloading of grain, bulk commodities, general cargo, and tanker vessels. The port is connected to the Hudson Bay Railway, which shares the same parent company, and cargo connections are made with the Canadian National Railway system at HBR's southern terminus in The Pas. It is the only port of its size and scope in Canada that does not connect directly to the country's road system; all goods shipped overland to and from the port must travel by rail.

The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is a major generator of economic activity in Atlantic Canada.

CSS <i>Acadia</i> Former Canadian research ship

CSS Acadia is a former hydrographic surveying and oceanographic research ship of the Hydrographic Survey of Canada and its successor the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sailing Directions</span> Details of routes for coastal navigation

Sailing Directions are written directions that describe the routes to be taken by boats and ships during coastal navigation and port approaches. There are also products known as Sailing Directions, which are books written by various Hydrographic Offices throughout the world. They are known as Pilot Books, because they provide local knowledge of routes and landmarks, which would typically be provided by a local marine pilot. As such, they are used frequently by naval and government vessels, who are exempted from 'Compulsory Pilotage' in many ports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Boardwalk</span>

The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk is a public footpath located on the Halifax Harbour waterfront in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Shipyard</span>

The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

SS <i>Mont-Blanc</i> French cargo ship

SSMont-Blanc was a cargo steamship that was built in Middlesbrough, England in 1899 for a French shipping company. On Thursday morning, December 6, 1917, she entered Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada laden with a full cargo of highly volatile explosives. As she made her way through the Narrows towards Bedford Basin, she was involved in a collision with Imo, a Norwegian ship. A fire aboard the French ship ignited her cargo of wet and dry 2,300 tons of picric acid, 500 tons of TNT, and 10 tons of guncotton. The resultant Halifax Explosion killed approximately 2,000 people and injured about 9,000.

SS <i>Imo</i> Norwegian steamship

SS Imo was a merchant steamship that was built in 1889 to carry livestock and passengers, and converted in 1912 into a whaling factory ship. She was built as Runic, renamed Tampican in 1895, Imo in 1912 and Guvernøren in 1920.

Relations between Boston, Massachusetts, United States and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada date back to the founding of Halifax in 1749, when Boston businesses had an interest in the new settlement for shipping and fish trade. The bond between the two cities became stronger following the Halifax Explosion in 1917, after Boston sent significant aid and disaster relief to Halifax. Boston is the capital of Massachusetts, Boston is the most populous city in the multi-state region New England, and Massachusetts is the most populous state in New England. Likewise, Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is the most populous city in the multi-province region Atlantic Canada, and Nova Scotia is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. New England and Atlantic Canada border each other by land and sea along the Canada–United States border. Boston and Halifax are both are major port cities on the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABCO Industries</span>

ABCO Industries is located on the waterfront of the UNESCO World Heritage Site-designated port town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilotage Act 1987</span> United Kingdom legislation

The United Kingdom's Pilotage Act 1987 is an Act of Parliament that governs the operation of maritime pilotage. The Act repealed the previous pilotage legislation in its entirety, the Pilotage Act 1983, which itself had repealed the Pilotage Act 1913.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Channel pilot cutter</span>

A Bristol Channel pilot cutter is a type of sailing boat used until the early part of the 20th century to deliver and collect pilots to and from merchant vessels using ports in the Bristol Channel. Each pilot worked individually, in competition with other pilots. Especially after 1861, the level of competition required larger and faster cutters, as pilots went "seeking" at much greater distances. The resulting boats were known for their ability to sail in the most extreme weather, for speed and sea-kindliness. They were designed for short handed sailing, often manned only by a man and an apprentice, with one or sometimes two pilots on board.

The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority is a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada, which was established as a result of recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Pilotage in Canada, by the Pilotage Act in February 1972. Initially incorporated as a limited company in May 1972, it became an independent Crown corporation in 1998. The corporation is responsible for pilotage through Canadian waters in Manitoba and Ontario, as well as waters in Quebec south of the Saint-Lambert Lock. In international waters, pilotage is a shared responsibility between the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority and American pilot associations.

References

  1. "Compulsory Areas". Atlantic Pilotage Authority. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  2. "Atlantic Pilotage Authority". Atlantic Pilotage Authority. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  3. "Tariffs & Regulations". Atlantic Pilotage Authority. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  4. "Compulsory Areas". Atlantic Pilotage Authority. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  5. "Atlantic Pilotage Authority 1/3". Info Source. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  6. "The state of Canadian pilotage". Baird Maritime. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  7. "The History of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority". Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  8. Maybee, Janet (2015-10-16). Aftershock: The Halifax Explosion and the Persecution of Pilot Francis Mackey. Nimbus+ORM. ISBN   978-1-77108-345-4. ©SANDY MCCLEARN The professional pilots employed by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority have thorough knowledge of the local pilotage area, including port infrastructure and subsurface characteristics. They must have knowledge of the ...
  9. Bousquet, Tim (July 23, 2010). "Harbour near-misses". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  10. Thompson, Elizabeth (November 29, 2016). "Money-losing Crown corporation gets scathing review from auditor general". CBC News.
  11. Government of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2016-11-29). "Special Examination Report—Atlantic Pilotage Authority". www.oag-bvg.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  12. "PACP - Atlantic Pilotage Authority". House of Commons (Canada). Retrieved 2023-05-26.