Special Projects

This area of Martin's Marine Engineering Page - www.dieselduck.net features various projects which impact the working lives and professional environment of active seafarers. The objective is to highlight perceived problems with our craft, dissect the issues, and offer solutions, rather than just complain about them.

We present these projects for your consideration and feedback.

Project MPR 2019

Start date		2018-2019
Champion		Martin Leduc, Jodi Gaudett
Persons affected		Marine Engineers in Canada
What's this project about		Transport Canada, the regulating authority for marine shipping in Canada, undertook the updating of the Marine Personnel Regulations (MPR), the laws that govern Marine personel working on Canadian flagged ships. The draft MPR2019 as they are known, aim to align Canada's regulatory regime with the IMO's requirement, especially under the Manilla Admendments of 2010.
Aim / Goal		To evaluate the proposed changes from a Marine Engineering perspective, analyze and provide feedback to Transport Canada.
Last Developments		Initial draft was released in late 2018, and contained major changes in numerous areas, with the aim of the implimentation of the regulations in summer 2019. Due to considerable feedback from various stakeholders mainly from cross Canada consultations sessions, the date has now been pushed back. Subsequent draft have not been made available as of April 2019. Overall the changes for Marine Engineers although significant are mostly topical - name changes and such, the real changes are to be seen in the TP2293 - Certification of Seafarer document - which is also being rewritten. This document has the potential to considerably change the way Marine Engineers are licensed in Canada - a draft has not been released.
Status		Ongoing and of serious concern
Project Website
Contacts		Martin Leduc

 

Project Ships Safety Bulletin Fiasco

Start date		Late 2017 early 2018
Champion		Martin Leduc, Jodi Gaudett, Jim Duffy, etc.
Persons affected		Marine Engineers in Canada
What's this project about		Transport Canada, the regulating authority for marine shipping in Canada, took numerous steps that were inconsistent, producing delays and inconststencies in the licensing of canadian Marine Engineer, expecially int erms of updating requirements to meet the IMO's Manilla convention of 2010. It was clear these steps were not fully apreciated by numerous stakeholders, yet held considerable ramification for the industry.
Aim / Goal		Spread the word and shed light on these actions that appeared ill advised and destabilizing to our Marine Engineering Peers.
Last Developments		Considerable discussion generated, usurp by Transport Canada rolling back changes, and now undertaking a major roll out of the Marine Personel Regulations.
Status		Still a major issue, with considerable impact to ship operators in Canada, and their access to Canadian trained and certified Marine Engineer.
Project Website		The Common Rail forum also a private sub group
Contacts		Martin Leduc

 

Project CIMarE Growth

Start date		2018 (ongoing for many years)
Champion		Jeffrey Smith, Martin Leduc
Persons affected		All Marine Engineers in Canada, and in Particular CIMarE membership
What's this project about		To get the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering to be more proactice in offering feedback to regulators regarding many issues affecting Marine Engineering in Canada; be more representative of its membership.
Aim / Goal		To identify issues,discuss and take a position in regards to how it affects its membership, and articulate this position to regulators and government bodies.
Last Developments		The CIMarE is a national professional organization with established infrastructure in Canada. Although it's ability to fund research and action inititative have been restricted over the years, it successfull operation of MariTech conferences has provided the institute with a great opportunity to change this. Numerous events in Canada, such as mentioned on this webpage, illustrate a clear need to have informed opinions provided to the government bodies rolling out damaging policies.
Status		Previous motions have been put forward to establish such a committee. Three motions were put forward at the AGM in 2018 to activate this committe, fund it, and make sure it able to do its work adequately. National council has asked Bud Streeter, industry "elder", to investigate and champion this file.
Project Website
Contacts		Martin Leduc

 

Project Silja Festival / Coasting Trade Act

Start date		Feb 2012, May 2014
Champion		Martin Leduc, Martin's Marine Engineering Page - www.dieselduck.net
Persons affected		Certificated professionals working in the Canadian commercial maritime industry
What's this project about		Silja Festival is a Latvian flagged ferry used to house workers in Kitimat, BC, for one, possible two years under a Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) Coasting Trade Act waiver. While the ship is operating in Canada the marine crew (engine and deck) are going to be foreign nationals working under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) at rates and conditions that undercut Canadians by up to 75% on wages alone.
Aim / Goal		We have problems with the CTA routinely granting Coasting Trade Act waivers; especially since they only consider implications to "Canadian ship owners" not the rest of the industry stakeholders.  We have a problem with the TFWP being used to undercut Canadian seafarer conditions. We have a problem with the underlying hardships imposed by Transport Canada and its out of touch Certification process which is giving the opportunity for the above scenarios to take root, nullifying the entire process and those who have followed it.
Last Developments		Sept 2014 - CBC was to do a 'GoPublic" piece on this for The National, however they backed out when the Silja Festival increased the number of Canadians employed onboard as catering staff. Marine staff remains foreign. Meeting with local Member of Parliament where grievances highlighted, to receptive, but overwhelmed audience. Letter sent to federal Minister of Transport. Peers, sadly, were generally non responsive despite severe implications. 2016 The Seafarers International Union (SIU) Canada sued the federal government multiple times on the aspect that perhaps a ship could granted CTA waivers, but Canada Borders services was wrong in issuing an automatic right to work for its foreign crew, while Canadian were out of work and available. The government admitted they were wrong in doing that, and the case was settled.
Status		May 2017 - there have been several minor victories, which is good, but considering the absurdity of the whole CTA program, one could say big business interest are firmly in control of decision by government, and there is much to be done. In the case of the Silja Festival, I believe extensive networking resulted in some public pressure, which had limited success; but it's a losing battle, as long as corporate profit take precedence over any other considerations. As it is now with Federal Conservative in government. IN the case of the SIU, I believe this was a major victory.
Project Website		http://www.dieselduck.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2566&sid=f3864d9eb8d2c5b41e3be3b35bac82b6
Contacts		Information

Project Blue Riband

Start date		May 2011
Champion		Martin Leduc, Martin's Marine Engineering Page - www.dieselduck.net
Persons affected		Human capital in the Canadian commercial maritime industry
What's this project about		Blue Riband is a fictional entity, created to amalgamate many ideas into a functional business models, which illustrate the possibility of implementing changes to the way Marine Engineers work in Canada. The main thrust of the concept, is pooling resources from ship operators and stakeholders, to elevated quality and supply of human capital, while allowing the marine engineering professionals a greater ownership of their profession.
Aim / Goal		The aim is to offer solutions to one of the major issues affecting commercial maritime industry in Canada, the lack of human capital, both at sea and ashore.
Last Developments		Sept 2012 - After official launch in Spring 2012 and considerable exposure shortly after, the concept has failed to gain traction, and feedback from parties affected - seafarers, operators or regulators - sadly.
Status		Jan 2013 - Still optimistic, but suspect concept is too big and radical for proper "digestion"
Project Website		www.blueriband.ca
Contacts		[email protected]

Canadian mariner income tax project 

Start date		January 2004
Champion		Martin Leduc, Martin's Marine Engineering Page - www.dieselduck.net
Persons affected		Professional seafarers residing in Canada, who earn wages working outside Canada
What's this project about		Currently, the Canadian Income Tax system sees no difference on where your income is from. A Canadian "foreign going" seafarer is taxed at the same rate as if you were working in a office in Canada, despite being absent from the country and its services for long periods of time. Most nations recognize the importance of seafarers and the new income they bring into their economy, and therefore offer tax incentive; these incentives put Canadian at a distinct disadvantage on the international market.
Aim / Goal		To petition the Canadian Federal Government to change it's tax policies, as they pertain to seafarers residing in Canada, but working outside the territory, to be inline with other nations, removing a serious competitive impediment.
Last Developments		Sept 2012 - The Finance Minister has clearly stated that the Conservative Government is not interested in recognizing the impacts of foreign going seafarers, and according them special tax status. They took further steps thwart any possibility of this goal by extinguishing the OETC in 2012 - a distinctly backward steps towards stated goals of this project.
Status		Jan 2103 - Very low activity towards goal, perhaps a new Government would revisit the idea. Liberal and Conservative Governments have not been receptive.
Project Website		Canada Income taxes for professional seafarers project site
Contacts		Information

 

Courtesy of Sarah Daykin

If you have an idea that would benefit professional seafarer's working environment, and would like to be included in this webpage to spread the word, please contact us.