About St. Lawrence Pilotage

Who are we?

Here, you can learn more about our organization, our public interest role and its various facets, and consult our corporate publications.

Mandate and Public Interest Role

St. Lawrence Pilotage’s mandate is to provide integrated, safe, efficient and sustainable pilotage services in the waters of the St. Lawrence River, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Saguenay River on behalf of the Government of Canada.

This mandate includes the provision of pilot transit planning, dispatch and boarding services, as well as the pilotage of most ships navigating in the waters under its jurisdiction.

Vision and Mission

To be a strong, forward-looking link at the heart of a vital supply chain.

To implement its strategy, the Authority relies on five main pillars:

1.     Provision of effective and efficient services;

2.     Navigation safety;

3.     Environmental responsibility;

4.     Financial self-sufficiency based on fair and equitable fees;

5.     Adoption of advanced technologies and effective risk management.

These pillars serve as a framework for the implementation of the Authority’s long-term projects and are applied throughout the territory under its jurisdiction.

What We Do

Learn more about the main components of the pilotage system managed by St. Lawrence Pilotage.

Risk Management and Transit Planning

In carrying out its mandate, St. Lawrence Pilotage must:

  • Define the risks associated with certain types of ships as part of its planning for transit and pilot assignments.
  • Determine the acceptable parameters for their navigation in a busy channel whose natural environment is increasingly challenged by climate change.
  • Adapt risk mitigation measures and technologies to each ship before assigning a transit mission.
  • Align workforce needs (dispatch, navigation crew, etc.) with current and future demand, including recruitment and training programs for apprentice pilots.

Pilot Assignment

The SLP dispatch centre, located in our Montreal headquarters, is the nerve centre for pilotage services. The centre is responsible for calculating transits for each ship, and organizing the assignment, transport and transshipment associated with each mission. The dispatch centre serves all three districts and is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Pilot Transhipment

To transfer each licensed pilot from shore to ship or from ship to shore, SLP uses five pilot stations.

Located in Les Escoumins, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Sorel, and Montreal, they serve as forward bases for transporting pilots to ships transiting the compulsory pilotage zone.

They are served by a fleet of pilot boats and operated by crews from SLP and subcontractors who respond to the constant demands of maritime trade.

Pilotage by licensed pilots

We ensure that ships are navigated by licensed pilots. This statutory responsibility is carried out through our service contracts with the two pilot corporations that serve the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay River. These corporations bring together more than 200 licensed pilots qualified to provide this service.

Pilotage between Les Escoumins and Quebec: Corporation of Lower St. Lawrence Pilots

Pilotage between Quebec and Montreal: Corporation of Mid St. Lawrence Pilots

Organizational Values

Here are the four St. Lawrence Pilotage organizational values that enable it to have a major impact in achieving its mission.

Integrity

We place the public interest at the heart of all our actions and decisions by being fair and objective.

Excellence

Our ambition is to achieve excellence for the benefit of our clients.

Collaboration

By combining ideas and talents, we achieve our common goals of offering robust, efficient and sustainable solutions.

Progress

Individually and collectively, we propel SLP into the future.

Management Team

Marc-Yves Bertin

Chief Executive Officer

Julie Bédard

Chief Marine Safety and Efficiency Officer

Daniel Jodoin

Chief Innovation and Commercialization Officer

Anne Legars

Chief Policies and Communications

Antony Sebastiampillai

Chief Finance and Administration Officer

Board of Directors and Committees

Marie-Claude Cardin

Chairperson of the Board of Directors and President of the Audit Committee

Georges Farrah

President of the Sustainable Development Committee

George J. Pollack

President of the Governance and HR Committee

Strategic Priorities

St. Lawrence Pilotage has adopted three strategic priorities to guide its decision-making and to help define and prioritize projects to be implemented by team members.

Developing and optimizing pilotage services

Being a partner for progress

Strengthening our organizational sustainability

Corporate Documents

Find our Corporate plan summaries, Quarterly financial statements, Annual reports, and more.

Other Documents

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Watch our Corporate Video