Marine Engineering / Nautical Sciences: Water Transportation Business

Activities dependent on the ocean make a substantial contribution to the Canadian economy. Canada’s marine industries represent a source of economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Direct activity spans a number of industries and sectors like commercial fishing, manufacturing, construction, and tourism. When accounting for the associated supply-chain and income-related effects, ocean-based activity impacts every major industry in Canada and benefits every province and territory.

Operators in this industry provide deep-sea, coastal and inland water transportation. Deep-sea and coastal water transportation includes the movement of passengers and freight over major waterways, both scheduled and unscheduled.

Water transportation has been a crucial way of moving commodities, products, and people for millennia. Nowadays, vital commodities such as coal, oil, and gas are carried by ships to fuel the global economy. The water transportation industry is arguably one of the most complex transportation industries. Around 80 percent of all goods are transported by sea, mainly by container ships.

Today, B.C. is at the forefront of marine technology, from establishing one of the world’s first and largest undersea digital observatories to developing deep water submersibles and remotely operated vehicles. More than 1,000 marine companies are headquartered in B.C.

B.C.᾽s maritime sector is the largest in Canada, generating approximately $4.0 billion in total output, and sustaining jobs for 34,250 people. The sector plays a critical role in the provincial economy by connecting coastal communities and hosting essential infrastructure, including shipyards, ports and other maritime facilities.

Banner season for Canada Place cruise terminal, Port of Vancouver welcomed an estimated 1.25 million passengers in 2023, a new record and a 54% increase compared to 2022. This includes 15 of Canada Place’s 20 busiest days ever for cruise passengers, all occurring in the past six months. There were 332 cruise ship calls between April and October 2023, a new record for the Canada Place cruise terminal and an increase of 9% compared to 307 visits in 2022., and Canada Place cruise terminal was recognized as North America’s best cruise terminal

Vancouver, B.C.: The final cruise ship of the 2023 season, Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, will depart from the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver tomorrow, marking the end of a robust year for the local cruise industry.