The Canadian System

As set out by Parliament in 1972 and amended in 1998, the Pilotage Act provides the framework for the regulation and provision of pilotage services in Canada. It has served the country, and marine transportation in particular, very well and compares favourably with anywhere else in the world.

The defining characteristics of the Canadian pilotage system are:

paramountcy of the public interest — particularly through independence from commercial pressure;
rigorous standards to be licensed as a pilot and to maintain this license;
responsiveness to the unique requirements of Canada's four principal maritime regions;
accountability to government, the public and industry stakeholders.

Safety

The pilotage system's most important measure of success must be the degree to which it is able to ensure the safe navigation of vessels. Statistics from the four Canadian Pilotage Authorities show that the incident-free rate for piloted vessels consistently stands at 99.9%. The few incidents that do occur are of very low consequence. This impressive safety record has been sustained over many years, despite the increasing number and size of vessels using the waterways.

This excellent safety record, in an environment where so many hazards exist, has not occurred by chance. It is, first, the result of rigorous pilot recruitment criteria, training and examination before a pilot license is issued. These high standards emphasize the importance of an intimate knowledge of local waters, and specialized training on the most up-to-date ship equipment and simulation facilities. A rigorous pilot proficiency program completes this process.

Second, the safety record reflects the fact that pilots are able to apply their expertise and exercise their professional judgement without hindrance from commercial pressure, allowing them to take the appropriate measures to mitigate the risk to navigation when it is too high.

The ability to ensure that pilots can always act in the public interest is assured by the independence of the pilotage system itself. Both the requirement for, and the provision of pilotage is the responsibility of Canada's four Pilotage Authorities. These Authorities which are not-for-profit crown corporations, operating in the Atlantic, Laurentian, Great Lakes and Pacific regions, balance the needs of commercial shippers with the requirement for safe navigation.

Cost

All of this comes at no cost to the public; the cost of pilotage is paid by those who use it. When compared to other jurisdictions around the globe, the pilotage tariff charged to users is very low.

For ship owners, pilotage costs represent approximately 2% of a vessel's total operating costs. Statistics Canada reports indicate that this relationship between pilotage costs and total vessel operating costs has been consistent over time.

Because the cost to shipping lines for pilotage is just a tiny fraction of the overall cost of their operations, it follows that these charges have virtually no impact on modal preference, choice of shipping route or rates charged to shippers.

Please click here for more information about Canadian pilotage tariffs and how they compare with those of other jurisdictions around the world.