We are pleased to announce that on December 1st 2009, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable John Baird, reappointed Mr. Tom Calkin, of Bedford, Nova Scotia, as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, for a period of two years.

Mr. Calkin holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. He is a certified management consultant and a member of the Nova Scotia Association of Professional Engineers. Since 1988, Mr. Calkin has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Duncan Thomas & Associates, a company that specializes in corporate restructuring and merchant banking services. From 1980 until 1988, Mr. Calkin served as Vice-President, Western Region, of Stevenson Kellogg Ernst & Whinney, a management consulting firm. Mr. Calkin’s extensive board experience includes a term as Chair of the Nova Scotia Enterprise Development Board and he is currently Chair of the Halifax Harbour Bridges.

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority held its first Annual Public Meeting on June 9th, 2009, in Saint John, New Brunswick. The Authority gave a presentation of their 2008 financial results and strategic direction to attendees from the Port of Saint John and other interested stakeholders.

The Authority will hold future Annual Public Meetings at locations throughout the Atlantic Provinces. We would like to thank all those who attended our inaugural meeting.

Departing as a Member of the Authority is Doug Tilley, a Public Interest Representative from St. John’s NL. Mr. Tilley was appointed to the Board on April 13, 2005, and made many contributions, particularly as chair of the Governance and Regulation Committee.

In April 2008, the Atlantic Pilotage Authority (APA) created a compulsory pilotage area in the water approaches to Voisey’s Bay, Labrador (the principal port is Edwards Cove in Anaktalak Bay). Voisey’s Bay becomes the seventeenth compulsory pilotage area for the APA. The APA has been monitoring the development of the Voisey’s Bay nickel mine since the late 1990’s. In 2004, the Authority commissioned a risk assessment using the Pilotage Risk Management Methodology (PRMM) in order to assess whether pilotage in this area should become compulsory.

The “Strait Eagle”, (formerly the “Placentia Pilot”) has been re-launched in the Strait of Canso. Owned and operated by Superport Marine Services Ltd, the boat has been completely rebuilt after being badly damaged in an accident in Placentia Bay in May 2006.