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Mandate
The National Seafarers’ Welfare Board (“Board”) is comprised of shipowners, seafarers’ welfare and labour representatives, port representatives and government. The creation of the Board is aligned with provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006), and the Board has the mandate to advise the Government of Canada on issues related to the welfare and well-being of seafarers, while also enhancing and improving seafarer welfare facilities in Canada, and seafarer access to those facilities and other services that they may require.
Governance
The Seafarers’ Welfare Board is composed of:
Board Executive
Chair
Debbie Murray
Senior Director, Policy and Regulatory Affairs,
Association of Canadian Port Authorities
Vice-Chairs (2)
Dan Kimmerly
President, Ships Officers Component,
British Columbia Ferries Marine Workers’ Union
Jason Zuidema
Executive Director, North American Maritime Ministry Association
Secretariat
Julia Murphy
Director, Seafarer Certification,
Marine Safety & Security, Transport Canada
Kelly Tomlinson
Projects Officer and Coordinator, Seafarer Certification,
Marine Safety & Security, Transport Canada
Board Members
Seafarer Welfare organizations
Rev. Judith Alltree
Regional Director, Mission to Seafarers Canada
Deacon Dileep Athaide
National Director for Maritime Ministry, Stella Maris Canada
Chaplain Michelle DePooter
Ministry to Seafarers
Ray Hanna
Lighthouse Harbour Ministries
Capt. Yoss Leclerc
International Sailors' Society Canada
Labour
Rob Ashton
National President,
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union – Canada
Albert Batten
Vice-President, International Longshoremen's Association,
Atlantic Coast District
Vincent Giannopoulos
Vice-President, St. Lawrence and East Coast,
Seafarers' International Union of Canada (SIU)
Peter Lahay
National ITF Coordinator,
International Transport Workers Federation – Canada
Karl Risser
ITF Inspector, International Transport Workers Federation – Canada
Nathan Smith
ITF Inspector, International Transport Workers Federation – Canada
Joy Thomson
National Secretary-Treasurer, The Canadian Merchant Service Guild
Industry
Cédric Baumelle
Director, Marine Operations, Shipping Federation of Canada
Jean-François Belzile
Harbour Master and Director of Marine Operations, Montreal Port Authority
Clifford Faleiro
Senior Operations Manager North America, Saga Welco AS
Bonnie Gee
President, Chamber of Shipping
Lanna Hodgson
Secretary General, International Ship-owners Alliance of Canada
Karen Kancens
Vice-President, Shipping Federation of Canada
Paul Topping
Director, Regulatory & Environmental Affairs,
Chamber of Marine Commerce
Meeting agendas
2024
- April 11, 2024 (PDF, 82 KB)
- January 9, 2024 (PDF, 128 KB)
2023
- September 28, 2023 (PDF, 83 KB)
- February 28, 2023 (PDF, 129 KB)
2022
- February 17, 2022 (PDF, 133 KB)
- April 14, 2022 (PDF, 143 KB)
- June 16, 2022 (PDF, 138 KB)
- September 15, 2022 (PDF, 131 KB)
- November 7, 2022 (PDF, 128 KB)
- December 8, 2022 (PDF, 132 KB)
2021
- February 12, 2021 (PDF, 444 KB)
- March 26, 2021 (PDF, 442 KB)
- May 6, 2021 (PDF, 659 KB)
- June 17, 2021 (PDF, 443 KB)
- July 27, 2021 (PDF, 458 KB)
- November 3, 2021 (PDF, 143 KB)
- December 9, 2021 (PDF, 133 KB)
2020
- October 27, 2020 (PDF, 439 KB)
- December 10, 2020 (PDF, 444 KB)
Related links
- Request a Canadian Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Foreign Certificate Through a Reciprocal Arrangement
- Transport Canada and marine stakeholders establish the Seafarers’ Welfare Board
- Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended