Monthly Archives: March 2020

CCGS Louis St. Laurent

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March usually brings the Coast Guards sole Heavy Icebreaker the CCGS Louis St. Laurent into port. The ship arrived overnight, and anchored in the basin. With the end of the federal governments fiscal year coming, the fleet looks to be transferring fuel.

The CCGS Edward Cornwallis is due to undergo refit in Shelburne at the end of the month, so it makes sense to transfer off unneeded fuel to another vessel.

CCGS Sir William Alexander holding off BIO

the CCGS Sir William Alexander also entered port, and this morning, and after waiting of BIO took to Anchorage 11 in the Basin. If the William Alexander moves alongside the LSL, it would suggest this may be a balancing the budget type exercise then a transfer before refit.

Cruise Season Delayed.

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The Port of Halifax has delayed The 2020 cruise season until July 1. This does not apply to smaller vessels carrying 500 people or less (passengers plus crew). This follows the direction provided by Transport Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Yesterday Princess cruises suspended operations for 2 months, Viking Cruises cancelled trips for 2 months, and Virgin delayed the inaugural season of their ship Scarlet Lady.

The Port Authority also announced that The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market building will not open on Saturday, March 14, 2020. This is to contain the spread of COVID-19. The building will remain closed indefinitely.

Cruise Ships to be banned from Canada?

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With the Cruise season set to begin in Halifax in a month, The Times Colonist is reporting that the Feds may ban cruise ship arrivals as early as next week due to Novel Corona Virus concerns. The federal government has already suggested Canadians avoid travel on cruise ships.

Infections seem to spread like wildfire aboard Cruise ships, and a ban seems like a prudent health measure. Recent incidents include:

  • The Grand Princess, which tied up in Oakland yesterday, after holding offshore due to virus concerns. 228 Canadians were repatriated and will now be quarantined at CFB Trenton for 14 days.
  • Regal Princess and Caribbean Princess were held off Florida pending the testing of crew members who were previously aboard the Grand Princess. Those crew transferred more the 14 days before the current voyage, and are asymptomatic. Regal Princess has called in Halifax in previous years.
  • the Costa Fortuna was turned away by several ports over Covid 19 Fears. Costa Luminosa Denied port call at Antigua. Costa is also a Carnival brand.
  • MSC Cruises have serveral ships denied port calls over virus concerns.
  • Egypt has reported cases among passengers on a Nile River Cruise.
  • The Diamond Princess earlier suffered hundreds of cases off Japan. Canadians were also repatriated to Trenton from this ship.

Cruise Junkie is reporting details of all issues.

Carnival Corp, the parent of Princess Cruises, is obviously feeling the heat after some very public concerns about the virus on its ships. Carnival Brand Holland America Lines recently changed its cancellation policy, and tweeted that it was being inundated with requests. Holland America Calls (almost) weekly for the duration of the cruise season.

RCGS Resolute Released from Arrest, Sails

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The RCGS Resolute sailed from Buenos Aires on the 5th, giving a destination of “For Order”, but an ETA of the 15th. The ship is currently making 6.1kn off the coast of Brazil. the ETA puts it around Rio De Janeiro if current speed continues. I have heard that Fred Olsen Cruises may be interested in Chartering the ship.

The ship was arrested in Buenos Aires, this past October over several unpaid bills.The ships owner stepped in to pay the outstanding amounts rather then risk loosing the vessel in a court ordered sale. The Ships Owners, BUNNYS ADVENTURE & CRUISE SHIPPING COMPANY is Privately held, and was registered in the Bahamas in 1993.

A source in Argentina told me that claims were settled for 2 bunkers suppliers (European), 3 agencies from Panama, Costa Rica and Argentina, and 22 crew members. There were some other claims that also settled with the ships owners.

Despite claims of entering some form of formal bankruptcy proceeding, One Ocean has yet to do so.

CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier Arrives.

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the Brand new fisheries science vessel CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier arrived in Halifax Friday night, The ship was the second built by SeaSpan as part of the NSPS in Vancouver.

Sunday morning A welcome procession was held featuring a Sail past of CCGS G. Peddle S.C, CCGS Courtenay Bay, CCGS Cape Roger, and CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier. The sailpast happened around 8am, and the vessels turned in the basin and headed for BIO by 8:45.

March 21- The Largest Container ship to Call on Halifax.

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The CMA-CGM Thomas Jefferson is due at PSA Halifax on March 21. At 14,414 teu, she will set the record for largest container ship to call. The previous record was set last January by CMA-CGM Libra at 11,388. sister ship CMA-CGM Abraham Lincon is also scheduled, as is the 13800teu APL Sentosa.

Largest ship to call in Canada was the Cosco Himalayas at 14,500teu. It’s first call was in Prince Rupert in 2017, and still holds the record.

Both Records will fall this june when the 15072 teu CMA-CGM Panama arrives, beating both east and west records. the ship is currently Due June 6th.

Columbus JAX service.

All the Recent record beaters have operated on the CMA-CGM Columbus JAX service, which sails from asia to both the east and west coasts. 18 vessels provide weekly service, and 1 voyage takes 126 days.

Its time to rename the CCGS Edward Cornwallis.

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This week in the Herald, I make the case to retire the name Edward Cornwallis from the coast guard ship that bears it when it emerges from a substantial refit next January. The minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Bernadette Jordan commented they haven’t had the discussion but are open to it.

The name Provo Wallis would be a good choice to re-instate, as the ship that carried that name was retired in 2011. Provo Wallis was born in Halifax, and died as the highest ranking Admiral in the RN with 96 years of service. Halifax Magazine featured The Amazing Career of Provo Wallis in June 2019

for those who viewed the removal of the statue as destruction of Heritage, in 2018 i wrote:

The removal of the Cornwallis statue was cited by many as the destruction of heritage. While the statue itself was integral to the original design of the park, and the lands surrounding it, Cornwallis was a dubious character in history, and despite being the “founder” of Halifax, doesn’t really warrant a statue on a pillar in the centre of town…

However, given the massive outcry over the loss of the statue as heritage, let me suggest a number of actual pieces of history that are being mishandled by various levels of government, and in many cases literally falling apart from neglect and in need of public outcry.

-In the neighborhood of Cornwallis Park, the Elmwood hotel needs the protection of the delayed Barrington South Heritage conservation district
-The Dennis Building sits empty and risks Facadism
-Georges Island is being neglected by the federal government
-York Redoubt’s WW2 defenses are crumbling
-Point Pleasant Park’s WW2 forts are falling into the ocean
-the Khyber is crumbling
-Lighthouses are being neglected EVERYWHERE
-Two heritage buildings at Bloomfield are falling apart
-McNabs Island is being neglected by DNR
-Young Avenue is being slowly destroyed
-Getting a Dartmouth heritage museum (really the entire city needs a proper museum)
-Better access to the cities archives (they’re in Burnside)
-Getting federal tax credits for heritage buildings (private members bill was voted down by the Liberal majority)
-Changes to the Province’s Heritage Act to disallow, as of right, demolitions of registered structures

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