TP14107B CANADA MARINE ACT | review Publications related to the Canada Marine Act: TP13937 – Review of the Canada Marine Act - Guidance Document (May 2002) Please direct your comments, orders and inquiries to: Transport Canada Marine Policy (ACF) Place de Ville Tower C, 25th Floor, Area B 330 Sparks Street Ottawa ON K1A 0N5 Telephone: (613) 991-3536 Fax: (613) 998-1845 E-mail: [email protected] This document is available online at www.tc.gc.ca © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, (Transport Canada) 2003 ISBN 0-662-67359-X Catalogue No. T22-120/2003 TP14107B (06/2003) *TP14107B* THE CANADA MARINE ACT – BEYOND TOMORROW Report of the Review Panel to the Minister of Transport CANADA MARINE ACT | review TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT Dear Minister: In accordance with your request of May 26, 2002, that the Canada Marine Act Review Panel undertake consultations with marine stakeholders pursuant to the review specified in section 144 of the Canada Marine Act (CMA) and your Terms of Reference for the review, the CMA Review Panel is pleased to present to you its Final Report – Canada Marine Act: Beyond Tomorrow. Respectfully submitted, Richard Gaudreau Allan Donaldson Chair David Gardiner Frank Metcalf, Q.C. 3 CANADA MARINE ACT | review Table of Contents introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................7 chapter 1 | THE REVIEW PROCESS AND THE PANEL’S MANDATE .............................................................11 chapter 2 | THE CANADA MARINE ACT – ITS GENESIS AND THE PANEL PERSPECTIVE .....................15 chapter 3 | CONTEXT OF THE REVIEW AND THE ISSUES ............................................................................19 chapter 4 | GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................................23 chapter 5 | RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE CANADA PORT AUTHORITIES ............................25 Investment in CPAs by the Government of Canada ............................................................26 Access to Government Program Funding .....................................................................................26 CPAs’ Borrowing Limits ..................................................................................................................26 Financing Alternatives ..................................................................................................................27 Gross Revenue Charge ...................................................................................................................28 Payments in Lieu of Taxes ...........................................................................................................28 Fees and Leases ...............................................................................................................................29 Federal Real Property ....................................................................................................................30 Purchase, Disposal and Exchange ................................................................................................30 Proceeds of Sales ...........................................................................................................................31 Environment ......................................................................................................................................32 Liability ...........................................................................................................................................32 Environmental Information ...........................................................................................................32 Merger of CPAs .................................................................................................................................33 Governance ........................................................................................................................................34 chapter 6 | RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY .......................................35 Location of Head Office.................................................................................................................36 Enforcement ......................................................................................................................................36 Notice of Meetings ..........................................................................................................................37 5 contents chapter 7 | RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING PUBLIC PORTS .............................................................39 chapter 8 | RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING PILOTAGE .......................................................................43 Arbitration ......................................................................................................................................43 Composition of Pilotage Authority Boards of Directors ................................................44 chapter 9 | RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING FERRIES .........................................................................45 chapter 10 | OBSERVATIONS ...............................................................................................................................47 National Transportation Policy ................................................................................................47 The St. Lawrence Seaway ...........................................................................................................48 The Environment ...........................................................................................................................50 Marine Services Fees ...................................................................................................................51 Public Awareness of Marine Transportation .......................................................................51 Intergovernmental Cooperation ..............................................................................................52 Security ............................................................................................................................................52 Pilotage ............................................................................................................................................53 appendix A | SUBMISSIONS AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS .........................................................55 appendix B | LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................................57 appendix C | LIST OF OBSERVATIONS ...............................................................................................................65 6 CANADA MARINE ACT | review Introduction We are a trading nation. One in three Canadian jobs depends upon our export performance. The current economic recovery is export-driven, and a safe, affordable, integrated national transportation system is essential to Canada’s competitiveness at home and abroad. A vital component of this system is marine transportation. The marine sector contributes $2 billion a year to the gross domestic product and moves 224 million tonnes of international trade. Canada needs a clearly defined marine strategy which will serve as one of the key elements of the economy and support the growth and development of our international trade. (emphasis added) These thoughts might have been penned as Standing Committee on Transport, which an introduction to this report, but in fact, that metamorphosed into the National Marine message – just as valid today and probably Policy of December 1995. Several years later more urgent than ever – forms the basis of the Canada Marine Act (CMA) was passed to the introduction to a 1995 report to support and breathe life into the National Parliament by the House of Commons Marine Policy. 7 introduction Most stakeholders acknowledge that the consensus that the CMA needs to be CMA has contributed to the improvement improved to achieve its goals, which of marine transportation. The 19 new Canada include implementing Port Authorities created by the CMA have enjoyed increased autonomy and efficiency …a National Marine Policy that provides in many areas of their management and Canada with the marine infrastructure operation. Commercialization of the that it needs and that offers effective management and operations of the support for the achievement of local, St. Lawrence Seaway and divesture of ferry regional and national social and services reflect similar successes. Stakeholders economic objectives and will promote are nonetheless concerned that the marine and safeguard Canada’s competitiveness transportation sector lacks the legislative and trade objectives. (section 4 (a)) provisions and governmental encouragement to generate Some presentations stated, the optimum conditions for The Panel would like and the Panel believes, that increasing and maximizing to thank everyone Canada is losing hard-won the system’s benefits to who participated international traffic to our country. in the CMA Review competing U.S. ports and is for their time and at risk of continuing to do so. Pursuant to the requirements Others suggested that rising effort providing such of the CMA, the Minister of Canadian transportation costs substantive and Transport, the Honourable are beginning to