Transportation in Canada 2020 - Overview Report

Oceans Protection Plan

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The Government of Canada continues to deliver initiatives under the $1.5 billion national Oceans Protection Plan to protect Canada’s coasts for future generations while growing the economy. In partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities, this initiative is developing a world-leading marine safety system to meet Canada’s unique needs, and enhance our ability to prevent and improve response to marine pollution incidents, from coast to coast to coast.

Building meaningful partnerships

Transport Canada continued to engage and partner with Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, marine stakeholders, and provinces and territories. Even though the pandemic and the working environment resulted in challenges for everyone, remote engagement still occurred when possible. As of December 2020 there have been over 1,450 engagement sessions held including over 1,075 with multiple Indigenous groups, since 2017.

Transport Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan Dialogue Forum took place in January 2020 in Vancouver. It was the seventh dialogue forum held since 2017 and included 200 registrants. Forum participants were largely external to the federal government, with 115 representing 85 organizations. These included environmental non-governmental organizations, local government, and the marine and shipping industries.

Additionally, Transport Canada has been providing funding to support Indigenous and local communities through programs, such as the Indigenous and Local Communities Engagement and Partnership Program for long-term activities and the Community Participation Funding Program for short term activities.

Throughout 2020, the Oceans Protection Plan relied on virtual platforms to continue engagement with Indigenous communities and organizations and marine stakeholders. The success of Oceans Protection Plan virtual engagement has been in the ability to respond to the needs of Indigenous partners and other stakeholders, especially in remote locations with limited capacity and digital support, by adjusting and being flexible in our engagement approaches, especially as many Indigenous communities are dealing with pressing COVID health concerns.

Enhanced maritime situational awareness

Transport Canada has partnered with 13 Indigenous communities and organizations across Canada for a pilot project to test a new user-friendly, web-based system that increases access to a range of maritime information, including accurate near real-time marine traffic information. Transport Canada is currently expanding the system user base to other marine partners (for example: non-governmental organizations, academia, science organizations, other government departments, etc.) in order to support maritime awareness needs and seek perspectives on system functionality.

Contribution funding was also provided to support these pilots with Indigenous communities through the Program to Enhance Situational Awareness.

Marine Safety Equipment and Training Program

The Marine Safety Equipment and Training is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to improve safety for Indigenous vessels that are active along the Trans Mountain Expansion Project marine shipping route in British Columbia. The program responds to the concerns raised regarding the safety of Indigenous mariners who may face increased interactions with larger vessels, including interactions faced while pursuing traditional activities such as fishing and harvesting. The program will provide funding for equipment and training to 29 eligible Indigenous communities to improve vessel safety and build an understanding of safety on the water.

Northern low-impact shipping corridors

This initiative aims to develop a governance framework to address socio-economic impacts related to shipping in the Arctic, identify priority areas in order to minimize potential effects to wildlife, and respect culturally and ecologically sensitive areas in the North.

In 2019, Transport Canada, and the Canadian Coast Guard completed the first round of engagement sessions with territorial, provincial, Inuit and Indigenous governments, land-claim organizations, industry, academic and non-governmental organizations. The focus of these sessions was to establish partnerships and have preliminary discussions on governance and priority geographic areas along corridor routes.

Phase II engagement activities will include in-depth discussions about what a governance framework could look like, and the Canadian Hydrographic Service will be involved in targeted discussions on sensitive geographic areas. The outcomes of these engagement sessions will help inform policy development.

Anchorages initiative

The goal for managing marine traffic and anchorages in particular is one where commercial shipping is conducted safely for the benefit of all Canadians, while seeking to minimize the impact to the marine environment and surrounding communities. The Anchorages Initiative is creating a framework to manage anchorages outside of public ports to reduce anchorage use and transits by commercial vessels as well as to ensure compliance with a formal code of conduct.

The Interim Protocol for the Use of Southern British Columbia Anchorages was introduced in 2018 to address stakeholder concerns and remains in effect, as work on this complex issue continues. The Interim Protocol includes voluntary measures to balance the use of anchorage locations outside of ports and mitigate disturbances to residents from the light and noise of ships at anchor. A key part of this work includes continuing to engage with Indigenous peoples, coastal communities and marine stakeholders on managing anchorages outside of public ports in southern British Columbia.

Oil Tanker Moratorium Act

The Oil Tanker Moratorium Act (2019) continues to provide an unprecedented level of coastal protection in northern British Columbia. The Act prohibits oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tons of crude oil or persistent oil products as cargo from stopping, loading or unloading at ports or marine installations in the moratorium area, which covers the area from the Canada/US border in the north, down to the point on British Columbia’s mainland across from the northern tip of Vancouver Island, including Haida Gwaii.

Cumulative effects of marine shipping

Transport Canada collaborated with Indigenous Nations to identify valued components for cumulative effects assessments in 4 pilot sites under the Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping initiative. Transport Canada initiated development of a draft national framework for cumulative effects assessments, after collaborating with Indigenous partners, academic experts, and stakeholders.

Transport Canada has initiated regional cumulative effects of marine shipping assessments in six pilot sites across the country, while working with Indigenous peoples, local stakeholders and coastal communities. This work will inform a National Framework for Assessing the Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping; a draft version of this Framework was posted for public comment through Fall 2020, Winter 2021. Through 3 years of engagement, much information has been gathered, including marine vessel activities and resulting stressors of concern. 

Proactive vessel management

Partnerships with a number of Indigenous Nations and organizations in British Columbia and the Arctic to launch 5 pilot projects for the Proactive Vessel Management initiative were developed. Through these projects, voluntary measures are being developed to address vessel traffic issues and conflicts through collaboration with the marine industry and other stakeholders. Lessons learned from the pilot projects will feed into the ongoing co-development of a draft national framework.

Improving drift prediction and near-shore modelling

The Government of Canada is developing and refining new high resolution hydrodynamic models for accurate prediction of ocean characteristics, including surface currents, water level, temperature, and salinity within six high priority ports. These ocean models will allow the Government of Canada to accurately track spills and predict their path and fate, enhancing the protection of coastal communities.

Natural Resources Canada’s oil spill science program has progressed our understanding of oil fate and behaviour, as well as natural degradation pathways, by developing new methodologies and conducting tests jointly with national and international partners.

Safety equipment and basic marine infrastructure for Northern communities initiative

This initiative had up to $94.3M over 5 years (from 2017-18 to 2021-22) to improve the safety and efficiency of resupply operations in northern communities. Two calls for proposals were conducted respectively in 2018 and 2020, committing $91M in funding for projects in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. Projects include warehouses to secure cargo, sealift ramps, mooring bollards, and new infrastructure to improve petroleum resupply operations.

Marine Training Program

The Marine Training Program is a contribution program that aims to facilitate access to marine training for underrepresented groups such as women, Northerners, and Inuit and Indigenous Peoples, by supporting the expansion of traditional learning, e-learning and blended learning programs, and enhance the infrastructure of Canada’s marine training schools. The funding also promotes public awareness of marine training and career opportunities to encourage underrepresented groups to participate in the marine industry. The 3 funded schools under the program have increased accessibility and flexibility to suit unique learner needs by:

  • strengthening course offerings
  • adding community-based training
  • developing marine training programs that reflect Traditional Knowledge, culturally appropriate material, and the learning needs of isolated and remote coastal communities, and
  • offering bursaries

Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Northern component project’s training has been suspended since the start of March 2020. For the other 2 projects under the Southern component, a number of courses have continued online but all the practical training was postponed. Some practical training was able to resume in late fall 2020 by reducing class sizes. Transport Canada continues to monitor the situation as it evolves and will adjust the activities and funding accordingly.

National Aerial Surveillance Program

Under the National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP), Transport Canada conducted 305.3 hours of aerial surveillance between April 2019 and March 2020 over Canadian Arctic waters to monitor shipping activities. There were 384 vessels overflown and zero ship source oil spills observed in this region during this period.

Vessels of concern

Preserving and restoring marine ecosystems by taking measures to address wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels, have been key components of the Oceans Protection Plan. This has included:

  • enhancing the pleasure craft-licensing and vessel registration systems to better identify vessel ownership
  • assessing options to create a long term vessel-owner financed remediation fund
  • developing a national inventory of abandoned or wrecked vessels and a risk assessment methodology to prioritize these vessels for removal
  • bringing the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act into force in July 2019. Since then, over 275 vessels have been addressed using the new authorities under the act, and
  • supporting communities in the removal of smaller, high-priority wrecked or aband1d vessels via the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s Small Craft Harbours Aband1d and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program and Transport Canada’s Aband1d Boats Program. To date, over 200 vessels have been addressed under these 2 programs

Combined, these actions are helping to restore marine habitats and ecosystems in key strategic areas. Under the Oceans Protection Plan, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the federal objective of addressing at least 275 abandoned and wrecked vessels by March 31, 2022 has been met - 2 years ahead of schedule.

Increased international representation

Canada has continued to strengthen its ability to follow, influence and lead internationally on marine safety, security and environmental issues following the creation of a permanent Canadian mission at the International Maritime Organization in 2017. Related initiatives in 2020 have included the ongoing funding of the Canadian Chair at the World Maritime University to promote and advance international marine environmental protection and Canada’s coastal and ocean agenda, as well as the increased participation at the International Maritime Organization by Indigenous groups.

Engaging Canadians

Transport Canada continues to raise awareness about the Oceans Protection Plan and marine safety, including engaging and receiving ongoing input from Canadians through the Let’s Talk - Oceans Protection Plan Portal.