PANEL PICKED TO REVIEW CANADA MARINE ACT

PANEL PICKED TO REVIEW CANADA MARINE ACT    Canada’s Transport Minister David Collenette has picked a panel of industry experts to review the Canada Marine Act.
   The panel consists of Chairman Richard Gaudreau, a practicing attorney and professor of marine transportation management at the University of Quebec; Allan Donaldson, executive director of the Ontario Marine Operators Association; David Gardiner, president of the Western Transportation Advisory Council in Vancouver; and Frank Metcalf, a barrister and solicitor in Halifax.
   “This expert panel will consult with stakeholders across the country in order to identify ways to streamline and enhance the Canada Marine Act,” Collenette said.
   The Canada Marine Act created the first single, comprehensive legislation for the country’s maritime industry. The Act places the country’s 19 ports under the management local port authorities. Operational control over the Canadian portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway was transferred to a not-for-profit entity controlled by the users of the seaway, and improvements were made to pilotage authorities.
   The Canada Marine Act, which was passed in June 1998, contains a provision requiring a review of the legislation every five years. “The review will examine issues related to the implementation of the CMA, with particular emphasis on the provisions of the Act, and assess the functioning of the marine sector under the new legislative regime,” Transport Canada said.