Master of Ceremonies

Mr. Marc Fortin
Director, Seaway and Domestic Shipping Policy
Transport Canada

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon    
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Canada

A review of recent and ongoing efforts to promote shortsea shipping in a North American context followed by a discussion of how the conference will endeavour to build upon these activities towards the development of a shared shortsea shipping strategy for North America.

Mr. John Vickerman    
Principal, Board Member
TranSystems Corporation

Participants discussed the role of shortsea shipping in serving North America’s existing and emerging regional trade corridors and gateways. Discussion also focused on meeting associated infrastructure demands of expanded shortsea shipping services.

Moderator

Ms. Ruth Sol
President
Western Transportation Advisory Council (WESTAC)

Speakers

Mr. Allen Domaas    
President and CEO
Fraser River Port Authority

Mr. Hugh Conroy    
Project Manager, Whatcom Council of Governments
Whatcom Council of Governments

Mr. Ernesto Garcia Marin    
Manager of Marketing
Port of Coatzacoalcos, México

Luncheon Speaker

The Honourable Secretary Norman Y. Mineta 
Secretary of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation

Session Three – Institutional and Regulatory Issues

A selection of experts discussed a range of institutional and regulatory issues with implications for a fully developed shortsea shipping system in the North America.

Moderator

Mr. Donald Morrison
President
Canadian Shipowners Association

Speakers

Dr. Mary Brooks    
Professor
School of Business Administration
Dalhousie University

Dr. James Corbett    
Professor
Graduate College of Marine Studies
University of Delaware

Mr. Robert G. Allan, P.Eng    
President
Robert Allan Ltd.
Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

Mr. Gregg Ward
Vice President
Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry

Mr. Rodolfo Mora Cordero
President
Mexican Chamber of Shipping

Session Four – Shipper Perspectives

North American shippers discussed cost and service decision factors, emerging opportunities, and potential challenges to expanding the use of shortsea shipping.

Moderator

Mr. Werner Knittel
Vice President, BC Division
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

Speakers

Mr. Mike Ocepek
Director
Weyerhaeuser

Mr. Michael Pipia    
Port Operations Manager
North East International Logistics
General Motors Corporation

Session Five – Shortsea Shipping Applications and Innovations Explored

Operators and innovators discussed the potential and associated challenges for new marine applications and innovations in the context of increasing modal efficiencies, improving connectivity, and taking advantage of emerging market opportunities.

Moderator

Mr. James Frost
Principal
MariNova Consulting Ltd

Speakers

Mr. David King    
President
CSL International

Mr. James Henderson    
Business Development Manager
CG Railway Inc.

Ms. Nicole Trépanier     (in French only)
Director General
St. Lawrence Shipoperators

Master of Ceremonies

Mr. Marc Fortin
Director, Seaway and Domestic Shipping Policy
Transport Canada

The Honourable Kevin Falcon, M.L.A.
Minister of Transportation
Government of British Columbia

Keynote speakers discussed the role of shortsea shipping during coastal relief efforts and its evolving role in preparedness planning.

Speakers

Mr. Robert Kunkel    
Chairman
Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program (SCOOP)

Mr. Mike Andrews    
Regional Manager, South West Region
Provincial Emergency Program
Province of British Columbia, Canada

Co-presenter
Mr. Doug Allan
Project Manager
Joint Emergency Liaison Committee

Session Six – Focus on Marine Labour and Skills 

Labour, employer representatives and industry experts discussed shortsea shipping from the perspectives of skill/human resource requirements, labour agreements and productivity, emerging employment opportunities, and the development of labour-chains towards greater feasibility of shortsea shipping.

Moderator

Mr. John Clarkson
Associate Dean
BCIT School of Transportation

Speakers

Ms. Roslyn Kunin, CM, Ph.D
Principal
Roslyn Kunin and Associates, Inc.

Capt. Raymundo Mata Contreras    
Deputy Director of Merchant Marine
Secretary of Communications and Transport. 

Mr. Onkar Athwal    
Vice-President - Operations
BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA)

Captain Kelly Sweeney
Serving Master Mariner
Contributing Editor of Pacific Maritime Magazine

Mr. John S. Tirpak    
Vice President Government Sales 
American Shipping Group 

Special Presentation - Gulf of Mexico Trade Corridor Transportation

Mr. Gary Springer    
Secretary General
The Gulf of Mexico States Accord

Session Seven – Environment, Shipbuilding, and Technology

Environmental experts discussed marine transportation in relation to major environmental issues, focusing on the interaction between shipbuilding, technology, and existing and emerging environmental standards and regulations in North America.

Moderator

Ms. Jean McKeever
Associate Administrator for Shipbuilding
U.S. MARAD 

Speakers

Mr. Dennis McLerran    
Executive Director
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency / West Coast Collaborative

Mr. Steve Clarey    
Director of Marketing
General Dynamics NASSCO

Mr. Alberto Garza-Santos    
Chief Executive Officer
PASA / Ecomar México

Strategy Building

Officials participated in a discussion of conference outcomes, including concrete industry efforts and public policy actions affecting waterborne transportation.

Panellists

Mr. Rick Bryant    
President and CEO
British Columbia Chamber of Shipping

Ms. Kristine Burr
Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy
Transport Canada

Mr. John Jamian
Acting Maritime Administrator
United States Department of Transportation
Maritime Administration

Mr. Cesar Patricio Reyes Roel    
General Coordinator on Ports and Merchant Marine
Secretary of Communications and Transport, Mexico