Dear Member,
As noted in CL 11349, the Federation is a member of the new Federal / Provincial Supply Chain Recovery Working Group that has been created to help restore the flow of goods and re-establish the supply chain following the devastating flooding that occurred in British Columbia last week. The group includes representation from all relevant sectors – including rail, highway, marine, agriculture, retail and fuel – and is led by Transport Canada, Emergency Preparedness Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The Working Group’s initial focus is on developing options for ensuring the movement of essential goods and materials through the province. As infrastructure gradually reopens, the group will also work to prioritize and advise on the best use of limited capacity to transport goods across all transportation modes, while balancing community needs and the national economic interest. As part of this process, the group will also consider options for diverting traffic or establishing new logistics chains in the province.
Given that the group is meeting on a daily basis during the initial stages of the crisis, we invite members who operate / represent ships on the west coast to let us know whether they have any issues / information regarding the flooding’s impacts on their operations that they would like us to bring to the working group’s attention (e.g. anchorage availability, vessel diversions, fuel availability, contingency planning, etc.).
Your assistance in sharing such information will enable us to ensure that ocean carrier issues are well reflected in the group’s discussions and in the government’s decision making processes going forward. Input can be provided at any time to either myself (kkancens@shipfed.ca), Chad (callen@shipfed.ca) or Bill (bmckinstry@shipfed.ca).
In addition to the above, we will also continue to provide members with regular updates on the group’s deliberations and work overall, and to seek input on specific issues as they arise.
Sincerely,
Karen Kancens
Vice President