Nouvelles

Jane Adey · CBC News Imagine you're an offshore worker on a helicopter flying to an oil platform and you hear the words "prepare to ditch" from your pilot. Adrenalin surges through your body as you raise your arms across your chest and assume the brace position. But will you remember what to do? Will panic take over? A St. John's company is working with the Marine Institute to help offshore workers become more comfortable in the air and better prepared for emergencies. Brainstorming a solution Ten years ago, in the days after the crash of Cougar 491, Anthony Patterson began thinking about how to improve safety in the offshore. His company, Virtual Marine, was in the early days of developing simulators for lifeboat training in the water. But Patterson, whose team specialized in marine simulations, knew his company had some technologies that could apply to the air. "We brainstormed on how we could create a better training experience," said Patterson, and they developed a small helicopter simulator. "We're very good at modeling boats in the water and then even the helicopter floating in the water, but the part about the helicopter flying through the air, of course, we had no expertise with that whatsoever," said Patterson. That's when Cougar Helicopters got on board. Virtual Marine brought its helicopter simulator to the lead pilots at the company. With the simulator, they flew the different kinds of manoeuvres they'd use if they had to ditch at sea. The simulator collected the data. and Virtual Marine embedded it into their simulation system to create the flight paths in an emergency. The simulator consists of a large box made to look like exactly like the inside of a helicopter. A motion bed, attached to the underside and controlled by a computer, allows workers to feel the same kind of movement as they would during a flight. The seatbelts are the same, the windows are the same and the views out the windows are the same as they would be in real life. It's important that the simulator be as realistic as possible for Liz Sanli, a researcher in ocean safety at the Marine Institute with expertise in skill learning over time. She's focused on how workers learn and how much they retain when asked to perform a task again at a later date. "So we're looking at how we can train during practice to help them remember all those steps when they're in a stressful situation down the road," said Sanli. Right now, workers are trained in a swimming pool on how to escape a helicopter submerged in water but training for the actual flight occurs in a classroom. By sitting inside a helicopter flight simulator, Sanli says, the workers' experience is more accurate. "You're getting that experience of physically doing the task so you get to go through the steps you get to experience them you can sometimes experience mistakes in a safe environment and learn from those mistakes rather than just watching somebody else do it, for example," said Sanli. "You also can simulate some of the feelings, so you can hear the sounds, you know that you're in a different environment and that can better match some of the more advanced training or perhaps even a real emergency." Sanli measures anxiety levels of participants and follows how well the protocol sequence is followed under a variety of conditions. She monitors what happens when trainees are seated in different positions and when they train in light and in darkness, getting as much information as possible to make training efficient and effective. "It's a big responsibility to have this evidence to make decisions when it comes to regulations, when it comes to decisions about training to have it based in evidence. It's safety that's at stake," said Sanli. For now, research on the simulator continues with hopes it will soon augment the training done by offshore workers. Patterson,says ten years after 17 lives were lost in the offshore, he's glad to have contributed what he could to try and make the industry safer. "This really was something that was more than a job," he said. "It was something that we had to do, to do our part to bring safety to the community. Everybody in the company, we all worked extra hours. I'd say this is the one that all of our engineers have the most pride in, accomplishing this task." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/helicopter-cougar-crash-safety-offshore-1.5048792

DRAKKAR, a world-class company specialized in operational outsourcing within sectors including aerospace, and Avianor, a complete commercial aviation cabin integration specialist and MRO organization, have finalized a partnership agreement which will enable Avianor to accelerate its growth strategy. With the help of Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance, Avianor strongly believes the strategic and Canadian-based company DRAKKAR is the best partner to secure the future of Avianor. Following this transaction, effective as of Feb. 28, 2019, the Avianor board of directors now consists of Earl Diamond, CEO of Avianor; Sylvain Savard, president and founder of Avianor; along with two new members from DRAKKAR, Denis Deschamps, president and CEO of Drakkar & Partners; and Benoit Hudon, president and CEO of the company's manufacturing business unit. Over the past 24 years, Avianor has become a leader in the aviation industry by distinguishing itself through innovative problem solving, maintaining a skilled workforce and a flexible corporate culture. Although Avianor will remain an independent operation, DRAKKAR will now provide Avianor with strategic, tactical, financial, operational, business development and training support to help the company accelerate and achieve its consolidation and growth plan while meeting customers' satisfaction. Part of this plan also includes the renovation of a new and additional facility with over 100,000 square feet of hangars and offices with airside access at Montreal-Mirabel International Airport (YMX). “This new partnership reinforces the global positioning of our business as a high-caliber outsourcing team with the ability to optimize operations while keeping in mind productivity, efficiency and quality,” said Deschamps and Hudon. “With over 25 years of experience and expertise in outsourcing, this is a major turning point for our manufacturing business unit as it opens the door to the convergence and deployment of its global service offer. “DRAKKAR Manufacturing fits perfectly with our vision of creating our own innovative manufacturing ecosystem in one of our leading sectors, working collaboratively with our employees, partners, customers and suppliers as well as our own infrastructure,” added Deschamps and Hudon. “For us, this association with DRAKKAR reflects our determination and willingness to meet the needs of our existing and future clients and shows our concrete commitment to perpetuate Avianor activities over the long term and secure hundreds of jobs here in Quebec at the Mirabel Airport,” said Savard and Diamond. “With a current workforce of over 2,500 people and a solid experience in operations management, DRAKKAR will help us achieve the operational efficiency required of a large enterprise while ensuring personalized service is provided to all our clients.” “It is a proud moment for Aéro Montreal to see these companies conclude a partnership agreement with the objective of uniting their forces and combining their complementary expertise to create a strong added value within the industry,” said Suzanne M. Benoit, president of Aéro Montreal. “In addition to fostering economic growth and job creation across Canada, this type of partnership contributes to an even stronger, more competitive and prosperous Quebec aerospace industry. “It is a common and shared priority to ensure the visibility and influence of the companies that make up our industrial cluster, and in order to do so, we must effectively offer the OEMs more integrated solutions.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/drakkar-and-avianor-partner-to-fuel-growth-of-quebec-aerospace-cluster

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Defence department's procurement chief says the Royal Canadian Air Force might not need the seven used Australian F-18 aircraft being purchased for parts afterall. Canada is buying 25 used F-18s from Australia, with 18 of those to be flown and seven to be either stripped down for parts or used for testing. The aircraft to be flown will augment the existing RCAF CF-18 fleet until a new generation fighter jet can be purchased. But Pat Finn, the Department of National Defence's Assistant Deputy Minister for Materiel, said there may be no need for the seven F-18s. “The seven, whether or not we actually take them at this point, we're still looking at that,” Finn recently told the Commons defence committee. “What we're actually finding is the number of spares that they've been able to provide to us is more than adequate. Rather than take aircraft apart and go through that cost, we're taking the spares. We may not, in fact, at this point look at any of the seven.” It is unclear whether there will be a reduction in the cost of the purchase or the overall project cost if the seven airframes are not acquired. The DND also clarified what is happening with the engines on the Australian F-18s. Rumours have been circulating in the retired military community that the engines are being stripped out of the planes and given back to Australia. “Only the engines from the first two Australian F-18s (four engines total) are being returned to Australia, at their request,” explained DND spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier. “Australia needs those engines to meet their own operational requirements.” In order to take advantage of an advanced delivery date for the first two Australian aircraft, Canada agreed to return those aircraft's engines to Australia, but the plan is to get an equivalent number of engines back at a later date, he added. “Canada has sufficient engines in reserve to support this plan and this will have no impact on operations,” Le Bouthillier stated. “We therefore found this to be a reasonable request, and agreed to it.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/rcaf-may-not-need-7-of-the-25-used-australian-f-18s-says-defence-procurement-chief

Le 14 mars 2019 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes La politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement souligne l'importance de fournir aux femmes et aux hommes des Forces armées canadiennes l'équipement et le soutien dont ils ont besoin pour bien s'entraîner et réaliser leurs opérations. Le ministère de la Défense nationale a donc annoncé aujourd'hui l'attribution d'un contrat de soutien en service (SES) pour aider à maintenir et à renforcer les systèmes de communication et d'information dont dépend l'Armée canadienne pour informer et diriger les opérations terrestres. Le contrat de SES du matériel de renseignement, surveillance, acquisition d'objectifs et reconnaissance (ISTAR) a été attribué à Rheinmetall Canada pour une valeur de 57,49 M$. Ce système prend en charge les composants et les logiciels ISTAR qui assurent des échanges de données sans difficulté entre l'équipement de « détection » et de collecte de renseignements, tels que les véhicules aériens télépilotés ou les radars au sol, et le système de commandement terrestre, contrôle, communications, informatique, renseignement, surveillance et reconnaissance (C4ISR). Il s'agit de l'un des quatre contrats appuyant le système de C4ISR. Ce dernier est un système tactique hautement intégré composé de nombreux sous-systèmes de capteurs, de communication, de réseautage et de gestion de l'information. Il fait partie de tous les véhicules de l'Armée canadienne, de toutes les plates-formes d'armement et de tous les quartiers généraux afin d'aider à coordonner et à mener des opérations modernes. Ce système est aussi composé de plusieurs composants matériels, logiciels et microprogrammés, et agit essentiellement comme système nerveux central des forces déployées. Le contrat soutiendra environ 50 emplois hautement spécialisés au Canada. Citations « L'une de nos principales priorités est de fournir à nos femmes et à nos hommes en uniforme ce dont ils ont besoin pour faire le travail important que nous leur demandons. Ce contrat permettra de s'assurer que les commandants peuvent recevoir de l'information à partir d'équipements clés comme des radars au sol, ainsi que des systèmes de guerre électronique et d'aéronefs pilotés à distance afin qu'ils puissent prendre des décisions opportunes pour assurer le succès opérationnel. Le contrat soutiendra également 50 emplois au Québec et en Ontario. » – Le ministre de la Défense nationale, Harjit S. Sajjan Faits en bref Au mois de novembre 2017, une demande de propositions a été lancée pour le contrat de soutien ISTAR. Le 19 octobre 2018, le contrat a été attribué à Rheinmetall Canada. La durée du contrat est de cinq ans. Le contrat de soutien ISTAR est l'un des quatre contrats de SES du système de C4ISR. Ensemble, ces contrats fournissent des services essentiels qui comprennent des travaux techniques qui touchent au matériel et au logiciel, la résolution de problèmes logiciels, la correction de tout problème lié à l'équipement ainsi que l'analyse et le maintien de l'état du système. Le SES prend également en charge l'équipement spécifique du système de C4ISR comme les radios. Liens connexes Investir dans les Forces armées canadiennes Protection, Sécurité, Engagement : La politique de défense du Canada https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2019/03/garder-les-forces-armees-canadiennes-branchees.html

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Parliamentary Budget Officer's recent report provides more details about the used Australian F-18s that Canada is purchasing. Eighteen of the 25 will eventually be flying, while the other seven will be used for spare parts and testing. Here are details taken from the PBO report: According to PBO calculations, the Canadian fleet is both slightly older and has experienced more usage than the Australian fleet. The average Canadian F-18 had accrued over 6,000 flying hours by the end of the 2017-2018 fiscal year. These calculations are supported by media reports indicating that by 2014, the CF-18s had accumulated over 5,700 flying hours on average, with over a third of the fleet already having flown over 6,000. Canada's Department of National Defence has stated that the aircraft being purchased from Australia's F-18 fleet are very similar to those currently in operation within the RCAF. The fleet arrival profile consists of 2 aircraft in 2018-2019, 2 aircraft in 2019-2020, 8 aircraft in 2020-2021, and 6 aircraft in 2021-2022; The aircraft will enter service approximately 6 months after being received; The aircraft will each accumulate about 160 flying hours per year, in accordance with the recent experience of the Canadian CF-18 fleet; Each Australian F/A-18 has accumulated an average of 6000 flying hours over the course of its operational history with the Royal Australian Air Force;. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/used-australian-f-18s-will-fly-160-hours-annually-for-rcaf

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Canadian Forces says it is bringing in new initiatives to boost the numbers of pilots and the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk recently outlined some of those for Members of Parliament. At the Commons defence committee Feb. 28 Wynnyk pointed out the issue of pilots who are assigned to staff jobs but who want to keep flying. He suggested there could be changes that will allow that but didn't provide many details. Wynnyk did note that the call will be sent out for retired pilots to come back to the RCAF. “We're reaching out to retired individuals from the Canadian Forces and seeing if they'd like to join and particularly making it more flexible for pilots who have retired to go into the reserves to perhaps look at ways of getting into Cold Lake, Bagotville, or wherever we need to fly them,” he told MPs. Wynnyk also mentioned “potential bonuses” but didn't provide details. Late last year RCAF commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger told MPs the reasons behind the fighter pilots leaving but money appeared to be low on the list of issues forcing pilots to leave. “Certainly the feedback from those who are releasing is it's a question of family, challenges for their family,” Meinzinger explained to the Public Accounts committee. “There's a dimension of ops tempo, work-life balance, predictability in terms of geographical location, and then typically fifth or sixth are comments about financial remuneration.” “We find that, unless there's a degree of predictability and positive career management over that individual, we often find individuals who are vexed,” Meinzinger further explained. “They come up to a point where they may not have anticipated they were going to move, or we're asking them to move their family to a location where perhaps their spouse cannot find employment.” Another factor is that some fighter pilots are not happy being streamed into administrative jobs. They want to keep flying. “We find a lot of individuals often don't wish to move to headquarters and work in an office versus work in an aircraft,” the RCAF commander acknowledged. “We recognize that and respect it. But that dialogue, which must happen at the margin, before we force an individual to move, is very, very important.” The U.S. Air Force has had mixed results with its bonuses offered to stem the exodus of various pilots to commercial aviation jobs. Last year the USAF announced that, for the first time, some bomber, fixed-wing combat search-and-rescue, special operations, mobility and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots would be eligible for the same maximum bonus that were previously given only to fighter pilots, Stephen Losey of Air Force Times wrote in December 2018. That maximum is $420,000 but to receive that a pilot must commit to serving 12 more years. “But turning on the cash spigot appears to have had limited effect,” Losey wrote. “According to statistics provided by the Air Force, the overall percentage of eligible manned aircraft pilots agreeing to take the bonuses — known as the take rate — increase from 44 percent in 2017 to 45 percent in 2018. That halted two years of declines, after the take rates dropped from 55 percent in 2015 to 48 percent in 2016, and to 44 percent in 2017. But even though the take rate ticked up, overall number of pilots signing up for retention bonuses dropped from 476 to 418, the statistics showed.” Losey's article is here: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/12/10/alarming-number-of-mobility-pilots-decline-bonuses-to-keep-flying-overall-bonus-take-rates-tick-up-slightly/ https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-military-wants-retired-pilots-to-come-back-trying-to-make-system-flexible-to-allow-for-that

EDMONTON, le 6 mars 2019 /CNW/ - Qu'il s'agisse de mettre au point des technologies satellitaires avant-gardistes, de construire le Canadarm ou de déployer des systèmes de radar spatiaux, le Canada exerce un leadership en matière de sciences et de technologies spatiales depuis plus de 60 ans. Les investissements dans les sciences, l'innovation et la recherche ouvrent de nouveaux horizons de croissance économique, créent des milliers d'emplois pour des Canadiens travaillants, et nous aident à mieux comprendre le monde dans lequel nous vivons et la place que nous y occupons. Le ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et du Développement économique, l'honorable Navdeep Bains, a dévoilé aujourd'hui la nouvelle stratégie spatiale pour le Canada, qui met l'accent sur la valeur stratégique de l'espace et de l'exploration spatiale pour le Canada. L'engagement du Canada à participer au projet du Gateway lunaire constitue la pièce maîtresse de la stratégie, qui est intitulée Exploration, imagination, innovation : Une nouvelle stratégie spatiale pour le Canada. La stratégie qui vise à exploiter des créneaux forts de notre pays, comme la robotique, tout en faisant avancer les sciences et l'innovation dans des domaines de pointe comme l'intelligence artificielle (IA) et les technologies biomédicales. En outre, pour préparer la prochaine génération à occuper les emplois de demain, l'initiative Astronautes juniors misera sur le pouvoir d'inspiration de l'espace pour amener les jeunes à s'intéresser aux sciences, aux technologies, à l'ingénierie et aux mathématiques, qui s'inscrivent dans le large éventail de compétences et d'activités liées à l'espace. La stratégie décrit comment le gouvernement entend positionner l'industrie spatiale canadienne pour tirer pleinement profit de l'économie mondiale croissante dans le domaine spatial, tout en assurant que le Canada tire son épingle du jeu. Dans le cadre de la stratégie, les entreprises innovatrices du secteur spatial recevront l'appui d'un programme d'investissement qui leur est réservé, ce qui leur permettra de croître et de prospérer au Canada et à l'étranger. La stratégie met aussi la priorité sur l'exploitation des sciences et des technologies de l'espace pour résoudre des enjeux importants sur Terre, et propose notamment ce qui suit : Investir dans les technologies de communication par satellite pour la large bande, notamment pour assurer la connectivité dans les régions rurales et éloignées; Étudier comment dispenser de meilleure façon les services de soins de santé dans les communautés éloignées au moyen des leçons apprises dans l'espace; Financer la mise au point et la démonstration de sciences et de technologies lunaires dans divers domaines notamment l'IA, la robotique et la santé; Mettre à profit les données uniques recueillies à l'aide des ressources spatiales canadiennes pour appuyer la croissance des entreprises et mener des activités scientifiques de pointe, y compris en ce qui a trait aux incidences des changements climatiques sur l'atmosphère. L'exploration spatiale nous permet de mieux comprendre notre planète et l'Univers, tout en favorisant la recherche et les découvertes et en ouvrant de nouvelles possibilités commerciales au Canada qui rehausseront la qualité de vie de la population. Le gouvernement du Canada mettra la stratégie à profit pour appuyer les prochaines générations d'innovateurs et d'explorateurs, et pour donner aux Canadiens les moyens de décrocher les emplois de demain dans des industries d'avenir. Les faits en bref La stratégie tient compte des perspectives et des points de vue recueillis par le Comité consultatif de l'espace. Le 28 février 2019, le gouvernement du Canada a annoncé un investissement de 1,9 milliard de dollars sur 24 ans dans la prochaine génération de robotique spatiale intelligente alimentée par l'IA pour le Gateway lunaire, un projet dirigé par les États-Unis. Le gouvernement a aussi fourni 150 millions de dollars sur cinq ans à l'appui du Programme d'accélération de l'exploration lunaire (PAEL). Le PAEL financera le développement et la démonstration de sciences et de technologies lunaires dans divers domaines notamment l'IA, la robotique et la santé. L'initiative Astronautes juniors propose des activités et un concours en vue d'offrir une formation à des jeunes au siège social de l'Agence spatiale canadienne à Saint-Hubert, au Québec, en compagnie de véritables astronautes. Le secteur canadien de l'espace emploie 10 000 travailleurs hautement qualifiés. Il génère 5,5 milliards de dollars par année dans l'économie canadienne, et représente, en moyenne, 2 milliards de dollars de ventes à l'exportation. L'espace est une source de débouchés commerciaux lucratifs pour nos entreprises. Morgan Stanley prévoit que le marché mondial de l'espace triplera pour atteindre 1,1 billion de dollars américains à l'horizon 2040. Le gouvernement du Canada a investi plus de 2,5 milliards de dollars depuis 2015 dans le secteur spatial canadien. Il a entre autres prolongé la participation du Canada aux missions à bord de la Station spatiale internationale, fourni du financement à l'Agence spatiale canadienne pour mettre à l'essai des technologies spatiales et aidé des entreprises canadiennes à prendre de l'expansion par l'entremise du Fonds stratégique pour l'innovation. « En visant la Lune, nous inspirons nos enfants à se tourner vers la conquête des étoiles. L'espace est synonyme de possibilités illimitées et de découvertes infinies. Derrière chaque astronaute que nous envoyons dans l'espace se trouvent des milliers de Canadiens qui contribuent au succès de sa mission. La stratégie spatiale saura inspirer notre prochaine génération d'astronautes, d'ingénieurs et de scientifiques. Elle fera aussi en sorte que la population et les entreprises du Canada profitent des débouchés croissants qu'offre l'économie de l'espace. » L'honorable Navdeep Bains, ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et du Développement économique Liens connexes Stratégie spatiale pour le Canada (pdf) Gateway lunaire Astronautes juniors Comité consultatif de l'espace Fonds stratégique pour l'innovation Site Web : http://asc-csa.gc.ca Courriel : ASC.Medias-Media.CSA@canada.ca Suivez-nous sur les médias sociaux SOURCE Agence spatiale canadienne https://www.newswire.ca/fr/news-releases/devoilement-de-la-nouvelle-strategie-spatiale-pour-le-canada-le-gouvernement-devoile-son-plan-pour-l-avenir-de-l-exploration-spatiale-des-sciences-de-l-espace-et-des-emplois-dans-ce-domaine-899923430.html

New CADSI Report: Greater collaboration on military cyber-defence essential for keeping Canada safe from foreign attacks OTTAWA, ON March 7, 2019 – Canada's current military procurement models and levels of industry-government cooperation have not kept pace with the unprecedented “speed of cyber” and could compromise national security if left unaddressed, a new report from the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) concludes. The report, entitled From Bullets to Bytes: Industry's Role in Preparing Canada for the Future of Cyber Defence , was made public today. It outlines some of the challenges associated with preparing and equipping the Canadian Armed Forces for a modern battlefield where the physical and digital are seamlessly merged. “Warfare has changed,” said CADSI President Christyn Cianfarani. “Our military is moving rapidly into a future where cyber-defence will be essential for protecting Canada and Canadian military missions abroad. How industry and government work together and get decisive cyber technologies into the hands of Canadian soldiers and intelligence agencies must change, too.” Based on a year of research and 70 interviews with government, military and industry leaders in the field, From Bullets to Bytes confirms that there are dozens of Canadian firms with cyber-defence expertise that could be leveraged by DND as it invests billions in cyber-defence programs and procurements over the next decade. The report notes, however, that government and industry still lack formal mechanisms to communicate, collaborate and build trust – and procurement cycles can take years. “Our adversaries can deploy new cyber capabilities in a matter of months, or even days," said Ms. Cianfarani. “For Canada to win on the cyber-enabled battlefield, Canadian government and industry must collaborate intentionally, the way our allies do. Now is the time to lean on Canada's national security innovation base and overhaul the procurement process to work at cyber-speed.” CADSI's report outlines a path forward, offering five core recommendations that the association believes will move Canada's military toward cyber-readiness. These include setting up a secure Canadian cyber-defence network to facilitate collaboration, increasing the pool of available experts to be used as cyber reservists, and overhauling the government's classification system and capabilities database. https://www.defenceandsecurity.ca/media/article&id=346&t=c

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press On a crisp day in early March, Tony Boemi looks out on the stacked shipping containers that stretch into the horizon of the 26 kilometre-long Port of Montreal. "We've been going up tremendously," the port authority vice-president says. Traffic at Canada's second-largest port rose nine per cent in 2018 to the equivalent of more than 1.6 million 20-foot containers for the fifth straight year of record volumes, prompting concerns the docks will be overloaded by 2022. Vancouver and Halifax, the largest and third-largest ports, respectively, also saw record container traffic last year. "I'd be lying if I said we weren't struggling with managing the sudden surge," Boemi says. Driving the boom is Canadian demand for clothing, appliances and other consumer products made in Asia, as well as a new free trade agreement with Europe. However, the surge in traffic comes with a downside: The additional containers present an opportunity for criminals to capitalize on limited law enforcement resources and hide more contraband among the legitimate goods. Bud Garrick, an investigator with Presidia Security Consulting and former deputy director-general of the RCMP's criminal intelligence service, said imported drugs and exported stolen cars constitute the biggest smuggling problem, with authorities nabbing only a small fraction of the spoils. "Marine ports are an attractive environment for individuals with ill means and mind to smuggle things into Canada," he said. "The amount of cargo -- shipping containers -- that moves in and out of ports is phenomenal...It's a magnitude problem." The criminal allure of ports is simple. Airports are under too much scrutiny, and air freight is costly. Overland smuggling does occur, but on a smaller scale. "Trying to intercept smuggled cargo at a port is expensive and disruptive, and you'll never have enough resources to catch most things through random screening," Peter Hall, an associate professor of urban studies at Simon Fraser University, said in an email. "Mostly 1/8the CBSA 3/8 focus on screening for terrorist and bio-hazards." A 2015 federal auditor general's report found that the Canada Border Services Agency "did not fully have the necessary authorities, information, practices and controls to implement its enforcement priorities and prevent the export of goods that contravene Canada's export laws." Just like legitimate trade, black market port activity works both ways. Incoming ships bring drugs such as cocaine and heroin, while outbound ships contain a growing number of stolen vehicles. "The most prolific is actually in Alberta," said Henry Tso, vice-president of investigative services at the Insurance Bureau of Canada. "A lot of the cars are being shipped from Alberta to various ports in Canada, mainly Vancouver." More than 25,000 vehicles were stolen in Alberta in 2018, part of a 50 per cent increase over the past five years that stems in part from overseas demand for high-end pickup trucks and SUVs. The thefts, which recent cases have linked to criminal organizations in West Africa, northern Europe, the Middle East and China, rely on human as well as technological flaws. "Certain docks, there are some you know are run by organized crime. Even in Quebec, like the Montreal ports, one terminal is clean, the other one is not clean," said Tso. "The major issue is corruption," said Anthony Nicaso, who has authored more than two-dozen books on organized crime. "There is no political will to fight organized crime," he said, "probably because money does not stink, so who cares -- money is money." Back at the Montreal port, Boemi estimates the CBSA thoroughly inspects about three per cent of containers that roll through the port. The CBSA declined to give statistics, but noted that screening devices such as gamma-ray detectors -- which sense radioactive material -- scan each container. "The CBSA requires marine carriers to electronically transmit marine cargo data to the Agency 24 hours prior to the loading of cargo at a foreign port. This requirement allows the CBSA to effectively identify threats to Canada's health, safety and security and take actions prior to cargo and conveyances leaving foreign ports," the CBSA said in an email. A Canadian Senate report from 2006 found that 15 per cent of stevedores and more than two-thirds of checkers who worked at the Montreal port had criminal records, along with more than half of the workers at an outside company contracted to pick up waste and maintain ships at the docks. In an effort to boost security, the Port of Montreal now requires that truckers with Transport Canada security clearance have their fingerprints scanned upon entry. The port and CBSA have signed on for a trial run of blockchain technology that aims to better secure and streamline freight shipping. Jean-Pierre Fortin, president of the Customs and Immigration Union representing some 10,500 CBSA employees, is not satisfied. "With stolen cars, with drugs, with guns, we need to increase our capacity to monitor this properly," he said. https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/port-of-montreal-busier-than-ever-creating-opportunities-for-smugglers-1.4330014