Northern Canadian Sealift Delivery Northern Exposure 2 Conference, Transport Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, March 2013 François Gaudreau Outline - Who are we? - What are we doing? - In what kind of environment? - In what kind of changing environment? Who are we? Nunavut Nunavik -Our main Ports of loading are Ste. Catherine, Bécancour and Churchill; -Our Operations Management Office is located in Ste. Catherine, on the St-Lawrence Seaway; -We have other offices in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Winnipeg; -Our clients are Governments, Government Agencies; General Contractors, Contractors, Mining Companies, Freight Forwarders, Individuals. -NSSI was incorporated in 2000; -Maritime transportation service provider for 25 Nunavut communities and numerous Mining and remote sites; -Government of Nunavut designated Maritime Carrier for 24 communities and 2 summer sites (Umingmaktok and Kingaok); -TTI was incorporated in 2007; -Maritime transportation service provider for all 14 Nunavik communities, Mining and remote sites; What are we exactly doing? What kind of cargo? Our Core Fleet Claude A. Desgagnés -20 000 m3; -2 x 150 MT Cranes; -Built in 2011. Zélada Desgagnés -20 000 m3; -2 x 180 MT Cranes; -Built in 2009. Sedna Desgagnés -20 000 m3; -2 x 180 MT Cranes; -Built in 2009. Rosaire A. Desgagnés -20 000 m3; -2 x 120 MT Cranes; -Built in 2007. Anna Desgagnés -24 000 m3; -7 Cranes-Derrick; -Built in 1986. Camilla Desgagnés -16 000 m3; -1 x 50 MT Crane; -Built in 1982. In what kind of Environment? -Up North, mostly North of the 60 th parallel; -In small communities; -In remote sites; -In mining sites; -Where there are no infrastructures; -Where tides are huge; -Where there’s ice; -Where the seas can be rough; Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut Ekalugad Fjord, Nunavut Agnico Eagle Mines, Nunavut No Infrastructure, self sufficient, 1/ 2 No Infrastructure, self sufficient, 2 / 2 Sea going vessel / lightering operation Lightering tug / barge Sea going vessel / lightering operation, Cape Dyer, Nunavut Unloading on the shore, Nunavut Carte No infra Unloading on the shore, Nunavut Unloading on the shore, Pond Inlet, Nunavut Iqaluit Beach, tidal area Iqaluit No Infrastructure for Fuel resupply either Petro-Nav Where there is Ice, Hudson Strait Sometimes, lots of ice, Frobisher Bay Sometimes, lots of ice, Frobisher Bay Where the seas can be rough Basic Infrastructure, Nunavik In what kind of Changing Environment? Climate changing; … Does it mean longer shipping season? Yes Does it mean new markets? Yes Does it mean unexpected difficulties? Yes Shipping season -Used to be from last days of July to last days of October… Nowadays; first loading mid June and we are back approximatly November 10; -Used to be 3 ‘’waves’’ of departure with each of our vessels… Nowadays; we regularly do 4 voyages with the same vessel, we even did 6 voyages with one vessel in 2011… Longer shipping season, Deception Bay, Nunavik, November 15 New markets -Up until 6 years ago we were not servicing the Kitikmeot (Western Part of Nunavut); Nowadays, we resupply, through the North- West passage, some communities/remote and mining sites located in the Western Arctic; New Markets, Bellot Strait, N-W Passage, 2008 Bellot Strait, N-W Passage Unexpected Difficulties -Grounds, beaches, lay down areas are sometimes very soft; We think that in some areas, the melting permafrost creates ground conditions that are not easy to work with…almost each year we ‘’sink a loader’’ in the mud… Conclusion Thank you! .