Transport Committee on Nov. 27th, 2014

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

For any change that's going to affect the Pacific pilotage regulations and, in addition, for anything that we believe could pose a risk to the environment or to the pilotage operations.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Transport Canada then looks at your risk assessment? Is it submitted to Transport Canada?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

The end result is. Yes. It's called a PRMM, a pilotage risk management methodology. It's a formalized process and is passed on to Transport Canada at the end result.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

How does Transport Canada handle that risk assessment? How do they evaluate it? Do they rubber-stamp it? Do they require changes to it? What is the interaction once Transport Canada has it?

I may direct that to Mr. Lachance.

[Sylvain Lachance]

Thank you.

In most parts as well, we will be observers in the PRMM, and when it's passed on to us, we will examine it. If it's not adequately conducted, we will certainly request changes if they're needed.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Is there any public consultation with respect to potential operational changes that are undertaken either by the pilotage authority or by the regulator?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

There is full public consultation. For each one we do, we notify first nations communities in the area so that it's across the entire board.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Okay.

You note in your testimony, Mr. Obermeyer, a particular change related to the guidelines for crude oil tankers over 40,000 dead-weight tonnes. Are there particular national standards related to what types of changes are applied? Or is there local flexibility, depending on a particular pilotage authority, to make these changes? What factors are they dependent upon?

I guess what I'm driving at is whether or not there are certain matters that could be based on a national floor for a standard, or whether or not flexibility based on local conditions is most desirable for pilotage authorities.

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

The west coast has always had quite a robust joint review process. Many of the guidelines, practices, and procedures that we have in place are of long standing. Most predate my time.

What we do on a constant basis is revisit those practices and procedures, look at what we are presently doing today, and re-evaluate. That's what occurred with the Haro Strait-Boundary Pass change. That had been a practice since 1989, I believe, but with the implementation of the additional tanker traffic that we expect, there was a decision made jointly—by “jointly”, I mean ourselves, the pilots, and the industry—to relook at it. We did some fast-time simulations and made our decisions based on that, with industry's full support.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much.

Your time has expired, Mr. Watson.

We'll now move to Mr. Komarnicki for seven minutes.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Thank you, Chair.

I will direct some of my thoughts and questions to Mr. Obermeyer.

I find that the pilotage program makes such infinite sense and is probably one of the single most important aspects in terms of safety. The pilots obviously are aware of the waters and the peculiar issues related to the transport and the coastline and so on.

You mentioned that there are seniors and juniors. Seniors, I would expect, are those who have been around for some time and are familiar with this, and then there are those who are just coming on. What is the proportion of seniors to juniors and how do you get people to understand and know the waters, the coastline, and so on?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

It's a long process, sir. Before you can come in as a pilot, you have to have the knowledge and expertise on the coast, and that's usually about 10 years, as a tug or ship's captain on the west coast of Canada. You then go through the whole exam process. If you pass all the exam processes and get through the oral section, you go through a minimum of nine and a half months of training as an apprentice, up to a maximum of two years. That gets you your first class II licence, and you are limited in size for vessels. Then there's a seven-year process before you are able to do the biggest cruise ships and the largest tankers.

Overall, what we refer to as a senior pilot is an unrestricted pilot. They no longer have a size limitation or a class limitation on their licence.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

How are we doing in the progression from junior to senior? Is that flowing well?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

If you had asked me that question a year ago, I would have said maybe not too great, but this year we hired 12 more apprentices and we're looking at an additional 12 next year. The way we're looking now is about 60-40.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

When a vessel comes in, at what point is there a change? What does pilotage involve if you're a senior pilot?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

We have quite a unique system on the west coast of Canada. The vast majority of the coastline is covered by compulsory pilotage. When the vessel arrives about 48 hours outside of Victoria, as an example, inbound to Vancouver, our dispatch will be notified. We will look at the size and particulars of that vessel and dispatch a pilot accordingly, making sure that the pilot who joins that ship is licence-appropriate.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Now, what about when you're docking? Once the vessel is docked, is that the end of the responsibility of whoever's in charge, or is there someone else taking over at that point?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

Once the vessel is alongside and has two and one on each end—two bowlines, two stern lines, and one spring on each end—the pilot will sign off. He only signs off once he believes the vessel is safely alongside and there will be no further danger to it.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Are there any different regulations in place, or safety management systems, to the point of docking and post-docking?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

For post-docking, it would all fall under the port authority's jurisdiction, where their regulations would hold sway.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

I note that you talk about having eight employees—full-time operational, I would take it—and then 100 contract pilots.

What's the difference between the two; why some employees and why some contract? Are there differences there that are significant or important with respect to safety or not?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

There are differences. The employee pilots are what we call fast-water pilots. Their primary job is to operate on the Fraser River, which is a little system on its own. If you don't do it every day of your life, you will lose the ability to know where the sandbar is moving or where the dangers are. The 100 pilots are the BC Coast Pilots, and they look after the rest of the coastline.

We have five areas. In area 1, the Fraser River, are the eight employee pilots. In areas 2, 3, 4, and 5, the rest of the coast, are the BC Coast Pilots contracted to us.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Obviously you can be in charge in training of your employees and their general improvement along the way. How do you achieve that with the contract pilots?

[Capt Kevin Obermeyer]

Under our mandate, we have to operate a safe and efficient pilotage system. The Pilotage Act gives us certain responsibilities and authorities, and that's one of them.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

It's certainly comforting to know that your record is as good as it is. Most of that, I think, would be attributable to the way the pilotage system works.

You mentioned that you are in transition, so to speak, in terms of safety management systems relative to international standards and international safety. Do you have safety management systems in place now and you're transitioning? Is that what's happening?