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Transport Canada issues

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:31 am
by The Dieselduck
An interesting email I received last week, and my reply. It brings up an interesting topic, in general, Transport Canada Marine Safety interactions with its Marine Engineers. I just wanted to share it with the community to see if other people feel this, or have comments about the service they receive from their respective TCMS office.

Names and locations changed to protect the innocent...

---------------------------------------------
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xxx
> Sent: January 4, 2018 11:55 AM
> To: Martin
> Subject: transport Canada
>
> Hi Martin
>
> I wish to take exams at Transport Canada. For a young guy like
> myself I run into problems like not being treated fairly and perhaps
> questioned and viewed in different ways by examiners. I realize that
> some offices treat people more fairly than other offices, have you
> heard anything bad about the (xxx) office as far as them giving
> people a hard time when writing 3rd class or 2nd class? I heard
> (other xxx) is fair but it is a 5 hour drive for me as opposed to a 2 hour drive. Any information would help.
>
>
> On Jan 4, 2018, at 3:34 PM, Martin @ www.dieselduck.net <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I don't know what to tell you, TC is what it is.
>
> From my point of view I am not impressed in their treatment of any
> marine engineer, I am not sure what is going on, but there seems to be
> a government wide failure in delivery of consistent and quality
> services. Perhaps the fact that they are not being paid on time
> (Phoenix Pay System) has had profound effects on morale, that we are
> now feeling. But then again, "shopping for an examiner" has been going
> on for as long as I have been dealing with TC, so I am not sure they
> have a particular problem with you per se, and I am not surprise to hear it from you.
>
> Kindest regards,
>
> Martin
>

Thank you for your reply. It helps a lot.

Re: Transport Canada issues

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 3:37 pm
by Revolver
My dealings with the St.John's examiner's;
Stan, I've found reasonable.
Santa, I mean Mike M, more often than not I found unreasonable. As if he's looking to fail you, trick you and trip you up.

My biggest annoyance is they only offer exams every second week, and take 1.5-2 months at least to correct them. Which makes the process quite long.

I had also earned a ticket in Halifax with some crazy ol fella, did EKG/EKM/Orals in 2 days with him and it was a quick, and mostly, painless process - had a good yarn during orals, seemed like he really liked to shoot the shit about this stuff haha ;)
I recommended to anyone looking to do a ticket that Halifax was a good place to go.

Re: Transport Canada issues

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 3:46 pm
by wes
I have been treated like a piece of garbage at the TC office in Toronto (!!) several times. I will not go there again, and would reccommend others to avoid the place. The inspector there is condescending and very unhelpful... and I swear on my fathers grave that I was nothing but polite the entire time. All this was just for renewing a license... I can only imagine what it would be like trying to upgrade. I have heard from some of my best friends who've done orals there, that the person makes fun of / belittle's their experience, as if they had it tougher?? Very disheartening..as if we all haven't sacrificed years of our lives and put much effort into our trade. After all that, to be treated like a simpleton...no thank you.

Re: Transport Canada issues

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:40 am
by D Winsor
Well what do you expect! T/C inspectors are now in a "Dead End" job and they know it.

Time was that the primary roll of the T/C inspector was to conduct certification examinations, conduct regular inspections of machinery & hulls, conduct annual safety and port state inspections, carry other international regulatory inspections and do accident/casualty investigations alongside the TSB.

Now the Inspectors no longer do any kind of annual Safety, Machinery, or Hull Inspections on anything larger than a fishing vessel including vessels owned by the Government. That's all been delegated out to the Class Societies. The inspectors were also, up to a month or so ago, looking at loosing what may be considered their most important roll that of Certification and Examination of Marine Personnel. Leaving them to only be able to "Rubber Stamp" the Certification of Competency of Marine Personnel vetted by others

So under these circumstances I would guess morale around T/C offices is very low. Especially for those not close to retirement and with limited prospect of employment elsewhere in the industry when the Government eventually gets out of the Marine Inspection business all together. Retaining just enough Inspectors to keep us in compliance with International Regulations to do such things as "Port State" inspections. Why pay to have regional offices and inspectors to check sea time and course certificates for the issuing & renewal of a licences or certificates? A clerk in a "Service Canada" office can do that and send the information off to Ottawa or wherever for "Approval"

I admit low morale is not an excuse for condescending or outright bad behavior and poor service but one would have to admit it is definitely a factor.

Re: Transport Canada issues

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:20 am
by JK
Personally, I've have never been the recipient of this behaviour but I have heard plenty from others regarding it.

A friend of mine is working on his 1sts and told me yesterday in the span of a couple of weeks he was told he didn't have to write to, yes indeed he does.
It is a disgrace that people are being treated like this by the Feds.

Re: Transport Canada issues

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:37 pm
by Atlantic
I wrote my exams at Halifax office and everyone there was great! Very helpful. I find lots of it is how you approach them. They don’t make the rules they just try to follow them. Some guys go in with chip on their shoulder and argue with them about everything. Having said that I heard to stay away from the St John’s office.