APRIL 18, 2023 – REGISTER NOW for the Pacific Chapter (CILTNA) Reception/Presentation: “The Changing Face of the BC Marine Industry: The Evolution from Forests to Fuels”

Date/Time
Date(s) - 18 April 2023
5:00 pm PDT - 7:00 pm PDT

Location
Terminal City Club

As globalization and geopolitical tensions have impacted international trade and Canada’s economy, it has also changed the way we operate our domestic fleets and terminals on the West Coast.

Over the last 40 years the maritime industry in BC has been undergoing a progressive, major transformation. Over the past 100 years, forestry in BC was king and its existence was the lifeblood of the west coast marine industry.

Today, servicing major new coastal energy projects and the expanded facilities in BC ports has led to major investment in highly advanced vessels and the need for highly trained and qualified mariners. This has opened doors to develop the modern mariner, yet comes at a time of local and worldwide shortages of qualified seafarers.

In our second event in the series “Evolution of the Pacific Gateway: Facing the Challenges of a New Era” we will discuss the specific challenges faced by the marine industry in attracting and retaining a diverse and skilled workforce when opportunities for workers in all sectors seem infinite.

The Pacific Chapter (CILTNA) is pleased to invite you to a Reception/Presentation featuring:

Panel:

Moderator

Alex Rueben, Executive Director, Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI)

Captain Alex Rueben, PEng, MSM, retired from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 2012 after 35 years of service. A marine engineer, he held various senior appointments in the RCN concluding as Chief of Staff of the Navy on the Pacific Coast. Upon retirement from the RCN, Alex built and operated the Industrial Marine Training and Applied Research Centre (IMTARC), now known as the Camosun Coastal Centre, serving as Executive Director from 2012 to 2017.

He served as the Chair of a British Columbia Workforce Table on the Shipbuilding and Repair Industry and as Chair of the Board of the Resource Training Organization of British Columbia. Alex was the founder of the West Coast Shipbuilding and Repair Forum and helped found the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI) where he has been the Executive Director since January 2018. Alex also helped found the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) and remains part of its Advisory Council.

Alex has a BEng in industrial engineering from the Royal Military College and an MBA from Queen’s University.

Paul Hilder, President, Council of Marine Carriers (CMC)

Prior to his appointment as President of the Council of Marine Carriers in February 2022, Paul’s career had spanned over 40 years in the domestic and international maritime sector both at sea and onshore in operations support and senior management roles,

He began his seagoing profession on family-owned fish boats working in the BC salmon industry, but realized early on, greater things destined. His career progressed into the marine transportation sector where he spent

time sailing as an Apprentice during the waning days of oil exploration in Canada’s Arctic and later on the BC coast in the domestic tug and barge industry.

Coming ashore in the mid 1990’s, Paul shoreside operations experience include time working with local tug operators and internationally in, the offshore industry, shipbuilding, and specialized heavy lift sectors of the maritime industry. Paul has held positions in Dispatch, Vessel Operations, Chartering, New build construction, and most recently in Executive Management.

During his career, he gained a wide array of knowledge and experience in operations, marine engineering, safety and training, labor relations and auditing management systems such as ISM, OHSAS 18001(Safety) and ISO 14001 (environmental).

Paul’s time at the Council began as the domestic industry enters an exciting period of change, with challenges in workforce recruitment, and as energy markets develop requiring modern fleets of powerful, high tech tugs.

Captain Nathan Boutilier, Vice President BC Coast Pilots

Capt. Nathan Boutilier has born and raised on Vancouver Island in the coastal community of Sayward, B.C. At age 15 Nathan began commercial fishing during the summers, this was the beginning of his marine career. After learning about the role of a BC Coast Pilot, Nathan set his course to become a licensed Pilot. Obtaining the Marine Certificates required for mate and master then transitioning from commercial fishing to tugs and general cargo vessels. Allowing him to gain the required local knowledge and sea-

time on the BC Coast to write the Pilotage Exam. Nathan was successful in obtaining his Pilots’ License in 2013. He takes great pride in his organization’s critical role in protecting the marine environment and supporting the economy.

This highly rewarding career also allows him to work with different vessel and mariners from all over the world. Nathan recalls “Piloting vessels in and out of Vancouver and up and down the coast never gets old, there’s a rewarding feeling for a pilot after each assignment to know they have put the knowledge and training to use, while providing a high level of safety to our coast.”

Michael Lowry, Senior Communications Manager Western Canada Marine Response Corporation

Michael Lowry is the Senior Communications Manager for WCMRC. He is a strategic communications and public relations consultant with more than 15 years’ experience in domestic and international settings across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. He has designed and developed successful communication campaigns for some of BC’s most influential organizations, including Harbour Air, Pacific Blue Cross and Columbia Power.

Michael has a BA in Communications from the University of Calgary and a B.Sc. in Politics and International Relations from the London School of Economics.

When:       April 18, 2023

4:30pm – Registration

5:00pm to 7:00pm – Reception/Presentation

Where:     Terminal City Club

837 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 1B6

Cost:

Members: $45.00

Non-Members: $60.00

Students: $25.00

Bookings