Transport Canada, the province of New Brunswick, and several other project partners announced funding for the SmartAtlantic Saint John (New Brunswick) buoy project, eighth in the smart buoy series that is modernizing Canada's marine navigation system.
The buoy will provide real-time wind, wave, and current information, which will help improve the efficiency, safety and environmental stewardship of marine transportation in the Bay of Fundy.
The data will be used to produce high-resolution forecasts of weather and sea conditions, and for scientific research. The SmartATLANTIC buoy will also help minimize the potential for incidents, reduce the risk of an oil spill, and help support the region's ship-based trade in energy products such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum products, the provincial and federal governments announced.
Transport Canada will contribute up to Cdn$185,000 under the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund. The total project cost is approximately $417,000.
The other project partners include: the Province of New Brunswick (contributing $91,000), the Saint John Port Authority (contributing $91,000), AMEC Environment & Infrastructure (providing in-kind services of $30,000), Canadian Marine Pilots' Association (providing in-kind services of $8,000), and the Canada Coast Guard (providing in-kind services of $12,000).
The Buoy will be owned by the Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE).
The annual operating and maintenance costs of the project will be equally covered by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, Canaport LNG, Irving Oil, and the Saint John Port Authority. Technical support will be provided by AMEC Environment & Infrastructure and the Centre for Applied Ocean Technology at the Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Previous buoys
Seven other SmartAtlantic buoys are already installed and operational, including: Bay of Exploits, Bay of Islands, Conception Bay, Halifax, Placentia Bay, Port aux Basques, and St. John's (Newfoundland).
Last year, on 26 July, consortium partners announced funding for the SmartATLANTIC Herring Cove Buoy project off Nova Scotia. The inshore buoy was installed at Herring Cove, in Halifax harbor (photo above right supplied by AXYS Technologies).
The SmartATLANTIC Herring Cove Buoy project is the result of a 10-year effort by the Canadian Marine Pilot’s Association. The project is made possible by funding of up to $171,000 from Transport Canada, and funding of $150,000 from the Province of Nova Scotia, as well as in-kind and cash contributions totaling $45,000 provided by AMEC Earth & Environmental, the Canadian Coast Guard, and MEOPAR. Operational funding of approximately $1.2 Million will be provided by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority and Halifax Port Authority during the initial 10 years of deployment.
Technical assistance was provided by the Centre for Applied Ocean Technology of Memorial University’s Marine Institute. The Herring Cove Buoy data links into the existing SmartBay network and is a major step in the development of an integrated Atlantic Canadian observation and prediction system.
Data from the Herring Cove buoy is available in real time here: www.smartatlantic.ca/Halifax/buoy.php
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