Heddle Shipyards awarded $135-million contract to refit Coast Guard ship
A multi-year project at Heddle Shipyards’ Port Weller Dry Docks will create more than 200 jobs after the company was awarded a $135.5-million contract to extend the life of Canadian Coast Guard Ship Terry Fox.
A release from Heddle said the nearly three-year project will involve extensive engineering, planning and procurement phases, with shipyard work scheduled to begin December 2023.
“The CCGS Terry Fox vessel life extension project is transformational for Heddle Shipyards and Ontario,” said Shaun Padulo, Heddle’s president and chief executive officer.
The company said it is the largest single project in the history of the Coast Guard’s vessel life extension program, adding it will create broad economic and social benefits for St. Catharines, Niagara region, Ontario and Canada.
“The award of the project marks the conclusion of Phase 1 of our five-year business plan developed in 2021 and will provide Heddle with the platform to become Canada’s partner for future vessel life extension projects and the construction of vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy.
“I am extremely proud of our people and excited for our future. Our goal was to bring Ontario into the national shipbuilding strategy in a meaningful way, and the Terry Fox is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Padulo in the release.
Work on the Terry Fox is expected to be complete by the summer of 2025.
Welland Tribune
Seaway lists ’22 season closing dates
In line with offering a predictable Great-Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway trade corridor, the following targeted dates for the closing of the navigation season for the respective sections are being communicated in a timely manner. While preserving the sustainability of the navigation season is very important, we are also mindful that unanticipated environmental conditions may occur during the closing period. Should this happen, the dates outlined below for the Montreal-Lake Ontario Section or the Welland Canal may change.
Closing Dates: Montreal-Lake Ontario Section
The Corporations have decided to waive the operational surcharges on December 21, 22, 23 and 24. Any transit of the Montreal-Lake Ontario Section of the Seaway after 23:59 hours, December 24, if permitted, will be subject to prior written agreement. Arrangements are to be made at the St. Lambert office. Irrespective of operating conditions, all vessels must be clear of the Montreal-Lake Ontario Section at 12:00 hours (noon) on December 31, 2022.
Closing Dates: Welland Canal
Any transits of the Welland Canal after 23:59 hours, December 26, if permitted, will be subject to prior written agreement. Arrangements are to be made at the St. Catharines office. As part of a season pilot program this navigation season, all vessels must be clear of the Welland Canal at 12:00 hours (noon), January 7, 2023, operating conditions permitting.
Closing Dates: Sault Ste. Marie Locks and Canal (United States)
Closing of the Sault Ste. Marie Locks (U.S.A.) is currently scheduled for January 15, 2023.
Sault Ste. Marie city commission continues work on Carbide Dock project
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – During a recent meeting, the Sault Ste. Marie City Commission approved two more grant applications for the ongoing Carbide Dock project.In 2017, the commission approved the dock rehabilitation project. The project will make all parts of the dock usable, as currently the portions of the dock closest to the water are in too much disrepair.
The project will replace approximately 1,100 linear feet of the existing condemned dock structure to create a working waterfront. There will also be several updates to the dock, including secure storage areas, improved storm water management facilities, and a critical connection from the Easterday Avenue truck route to the riverfront.
The city has been applying for grants ever since approving the project. In 2018, the city commission estimated the city would need at least $20 million in total to complete the entire project.
The city has still not received a bid to take over the project as the projected cost is too high. In the years since the project was introduced, the city commission has applied to several different grants to raise the needed funds.
The commission made several decisions to help the project decrease costs and raise funding. First, the commission approved the leasing of a Carbide Dock slip to Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC. The slip is currently condemned and was originally considered in the cost of the project. Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC has agreed to a seven-year lease on the slip and in that time will make their own renovations, which would have cost the city more than $4 million.
In addition to cutting the cost of the slip by leasing out the property, the city commission also applied to two separate grants.
Recently, the budget for the project was decreased to increase the chances of securing a grant, but additional funding is still required. The commission approved the application of a grant to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. MDOT has agreed to match $1 million in order to qualify for the grant.
If the grant application is successful, the project will receive an extra $5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The second grant application was to the Fuel Transformation Program for the addition of shore power. This grant did not have a specific dollar amount but will cover the cost of adding safety lights to the dock area. The addition of power to the docks and shore is necessary for the dock. This work will also help the slip reconstruction proposed by Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC.
Sault News
New Neebish Island ferry to be dedicated Nov. 9
SAULT STE. MARIE – The Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA) is hosting a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 9 to commemorate the Neebish Islander III officially entering service.
The Neebish Island ferry is one of the only ways for Neebish Island residents and tourists to get back and forth between Neebish Island and the mainland, and its current ferry has been in service for decades.
Originally constructed in 1944, the Neebish Islander II has carried thousands of cars, people and other luggage to and from Neebish Island for years. After almost 80 years of service, officials said the Neebish Islander II is reaching a point where it’s too run down to continue for much longer. While the ship still works safely, the cost of repairing and maintaining the old ship has grown too high, causing EUPTA to introduce its successor, the Neebish Islander III.
“The Neebish Islander II was built in 1944 and has long outlived its useful service life,” said Pete Paramski, director of EUPTA. “The new one can haul 160,000 pounds and has no height limitations for what it can carry.”
While only slightly larger than its predecessor, the new ferry is made by modern standards and is a considerable upgrade to the previous ship. With a carrying capacity of 160,000 pounds, the new ferry will be able to carry more people and more vehicles to and from the island with every trip and will cost less to maintain.
In addition to its increased capacity, the new ferry will be more effective at breaking through ice, making for faster and safer trips in the winter months.
“It’s going to be much more ice worthy,” said Paramski. “The old one was kind of fragile, whereas this one is built a lot stronger with thicker steel.”
The new ferry will go into service, pushing the previous ferry into retirement, as soon as it is cleared for use after the dedication ceremony. The ship still has to pass test trips with the U.S. Coast Guard and will require the crew to be retrained to use the upgraded ship. The new ferry will begin its service sometime next week.
Construction on the ship began in October 2021 and finished last month before being shipped off to its new home port in Barbeau, Michigan, where EUPTA will host its dedication ceremony.
The ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, will be the ship’s first introduction into the world. EUPTA will unveil it at the Neebish Island Ferry dock in Barbeau.
Sault News
