Pilotage Authorities

In Canadian waters designated “compulsory pilotage areas,” certain vessels are required to have a marine pilot, or pilotage certificate holder, on board to guide the vessel’s transit.

The pilotage authorities derive their mandate from the Pilotage Act. Pilotage authorities are legislated to be financially self-sufficient and as such receive no appropriations from the government. As Crown corporations, the authorities operate at arm’s length from their sole shareholder, the Government of Canada. While the shareholder provides policy direction for the corporation’s ongoing operations, as stated in the Financial Administration Act, the authorities’ Boards of Directors ensures that the corporation fulfils its mandate by setting the corporation’s strategic direction, organizational goals, and monitoring their implementation. Authorities report to Parliament through the Minister of Transport.

The Pacific Pilotage Authority (PPA) is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its organization is made up of three executives, six management staff, six administrative/accounting staff, 17 dispatchers and 39 launch employees. The PPA also employs a small number of pilots to operate exclusively within the Fraser River district. However, the overwhelming majority of pilotage assignments are carried out through a service contract with the British Columbia Coast Pilots Ltd. In 2018, eight Fraser River pilots completed 1,130 assignments and 115 contract pilots (89 full-time, 17 seasonal and nine half-time) completed 12,249 coastal assignments, for a total of $92.6 million in pilotage revenues and $90.6 million in expenses. The PPA owns five pilot boats.

The PPA operates in five distinct compulsory pilotage areas (i.e. districts) – four coastal districts and one Fraser River district. Of the 8,500 to 9,000 pilotage assignments completed each year, pilotage services are delivered primarily to cruise ships and international shipping vessels transporting containers, forestry products, and grain between North America and Asia.

Pacific Pilotage Authority Website

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority (APA) head office is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2018, the APA had 84 employees, including 50 employee pilots, ten officers and administrative staff, 18 pilot boat crew and six dispatch staff. The Authority reported revenues of $28 million and expenses of $27 million in 2018, and completed 8,720 assignments. A total of 23 vessels are used to deliver service for the Authority; the APA owns 11 pilot boats stationed in four ports.

The APA provides pilotage services for roughly 8,500 assignments in 17 compulsory ports in the Canadian waters surrounding the four Atlantic Provinces, including the waters of the Bay of Chaleur, Quebec. Foreign flagged vessels provide the great majority of the APA’s business. The APA also endeavors to provide pilotage service to other areas, referred to as non-compulsory areas, upon request. The Authority primarily services tankers, container ships and cruise ships.

Atlantic Pilotage Authority Website

The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority (GLPA), headquartered in Cornwall, Ontario, delivers pilotage services within the Great Lakes and pilotage waters of Churchill, Manitoba. Its organization is made up of three executives, 11 administrative staff, eight dispatchers and three part-time employees. In 2018, the PPA employed 60 licensed marine pilots to complete 8,798 assignments, for a total of $35.4 million in pilotage revenues and $35.1 million in operating expenses. The GLPA does not own any pilot boats; all pilot boat services are through contract.

The GLPA operations are divided into six compulsory pilotage areas (i.e. districts), which include waters contiguous with the United States. GLPA pilots perform harbour, river and lake pilotage services within domestic and international waters for a variety of vessel types carrying a range of cargos. The overwhelming majority of these assignments are performed on foreign flagged, ocean-going ships during the navigation season of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The GLPA co-ordinates operations with the United States Coast Guard. The use of pilotage certificate holders instead of pilots is more common in the Great Lakes than any other region in Canada.

Great Lakes Pilotage Authority Website

The Laurentian Pilotage Authority (LPA) is headquartered in Montréal, Quebec. As of December 31, 2018, the LPA had a total of 49 permanent and temporary employees, including seven management staff, 14 administration and operations staff, 15 dispatchers, and 13 boat crew. Per the Pilotage Act, the LPA has no employee pilots but rather provides pilotage services in the region through service contracts with two pilot corporations: the Corporation of Mid St. Lawrence Pilots and the Corporation of Lower St. Lawrence Pilots. In addition, there are two pilotage certificate holders operating on domestic vessels in the St. Lawrence River. In 2018, the Authority reported revenues of $105.7 million and expenses of $106.5 million, and completed 24, 950 assignments. The LPA currently owns and operates two pilot boats.

LPA operations are carried out in three compulsory pilotage districts: Port of Montréal, the navigable waters between Montréal and Québec City, and the navigable waters between Québec City and Les Escoumins, including the Saguenay River. The LPA primarily services bulk carriers, oil tankers and container ships. In 2018 the LPA began operating its own simulator services. This simulation center is intended to enable the LPA to perform internal incident/accident examinations, develop pilotage and navigation best practices, carry out admission exams to obtain pilot licences, and perform risk analyses.

Laurentian Pilotage Authority Website