QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Dec. 18, 2014) - The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada and MP for Lévis-Bellechasse and Les Etchemins, today announced a major investment on behalf of the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to modernize aids to navigation on the St. Lawrence.
Spread over five years, the $7.8 million investment will be used to purchase and deploy 185 new generation four-season buoys between Québec and Montréal. This project is in line with the Government of Canada's commitment to strengthen Canada's world-class tanker safety system.
Quick Facts
- The 185 new four-season buoys will be illuminated, resistant to severe ice conditions and adapted to the special navigation conditions in the St. Lawrence.
- The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) currently maintains two series of buoys, which require buoy tending in the spring and fall.
- The CCG will conduct a thorough assessment and will consult its industry partners to determine the exact location of the four-season buoys.
Quotes
"Our government is committed to strengthening marine safety in order to protect the public and the environment, particularly in the St. Lawrence. One of the cornerstones of this commitment is the modernization of aids to navigation. With cutting-edge aids to navigation, it will be much easier for mariners to confirm their position in harsh conditions in order to further reduce the risk of grounding and collision. Through these actions, the Canadian Coast Guard will continue to be a world leader in marine safety."
The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada and MP for Lévis-Bellechasse and Les Etchemins.
"The Shipping Federation of Canada applauds this measure for its contribution to enhancing navigation safety. Having illuminated buoys in this navigational area year round will not only make navigation safer, but will also improve its flow. We also believe that this waterway deserves buoyage comparable to the systems in place in other shipping routes across the country so that trade can occur in safe conditions."
Jean-François Belzile, Director of Marine Operations, Shipping Federation of Canada.
Associated Link
Harper government strengthens world-class tanker safety system
Backgrounder
Year-Round Buoys
The $7.8 million investment will be used to purchase 185 new-generation year-round buoys and to deployed on the St. Lawrence river between Montréal and Québec City. These lighted buoys will increase navigational safety on the fluvial section. They are specially designed to withstand the harsh, icy conditions of the St. Lawrence.
In the fall of 2014, 17 year-round buoy prototypes were deployed between Québec City and Montréal for testing. Work was also done to adjust the components of these state-of-the-art buoys, which are adapted to the particular conditions of the St. Lawrence. Testing will continue over the next two years.
This winter, for example, the Canadian Coast Guard will be examining the buoy's hydrodynamic behaviour, its battery as well as the resistance of certain parts of the buoy that are prone to premature wear due to the ice. These new-generation year-round buoys will meet the highest safety standards and be capable of withstanding the harsh, icy conditions of the St. Lawrence.
Two prototypes of buoys were developed to meet the specific requirements of the St. Lawrence River's different sectors. Their general characteristics are as follows:
| Long model |
| Steel buoys installed between Grondines and Sault-au-Cochon (Côte-de-Beaupré) |
| Diameter: 1.3 metres |
| Length: 10 metres |
| Minimum air draught: 2.5 metres |
| Weight: 4,000 kg |
| Short model |
| Steel buoys installed between Montréal and Grondines |
| Diameter: 1.3 metres |
| Length: 9.2 metres |
| Minimum air draught: 2 metres |
| Weight: 3,500 kg |
A photo is available at the following address at http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/984793_Boues_4saisons.jpg.
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Contact Information:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Quebec Region
media.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
418-648-5474
Sophie Doucet
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-992-3474
