All five tug boats were named by the Haisla, Gitxaala, and Gitga’at Nations and carry connection to the cultures and regions of BC’s North Coast

HaiSea Marine, majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, is celebrating the official naming and blessing of its tug boat fleet – which includes the world’s first fully electric harbour tug boats, along with dual fuel (LNG and Diesel) escort tug boats. Once delivered, the green fleet will provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.

Members of the Haisla Nation joined representatives from Seaspan, HaiSea Marine and LNG Canada for the naming ceremony at Sanmar Shipyards in Istanbul, Turkiye. The naming ceremony marks a significant moment for HaiSea Marine as each of the five tug boats were named by the Haisla, Gitxaala and Gitga’at Nations.

Haisla Nation:

• HaiSea Wee’git (Raven). Among the traditional peoples of the Canadian west coast, Wee’git was a character of wide repute, who was well known for getting things done; and big things like bringing light into the world.
• HaiSea Wamis. The first settler of Kitamaat who sought sanctuary.
• HaiSea Brave. Brave is the name of all the sports teams in Haisla territory and has been emblazoned across Haisla jerseys for decades.

Gitxaala Nation:

• HaiSea Warrior. Basketball on the west coast is big and Gitxaala’s basketball team, the (Kitkatla Warriors) is a point of pride and allows Gitxaala to keep a strong connection with their waring past. This name serves to represent every Gitxaala member.

Gitga’at Nation:

• HaiSea Kermode. The spirit bear is a traditional representation of the region and territory.

The HaiSea fleet will include three fully electric tugs. The ElectRA 2800 is a new series of battery electric harbour tugs and were specifically designed and customized for its innovative propulsion system to meet the unique requirements of assisting LNG carriers on and off the berths at the LNG Canada terminal.  The two dual fuel (LNG and Diesel) tug boats are RAstar 4000-DF escort tugs and with 100 tonnes of bollard pull will be the west coast of Canada’s most powerful escort tugs.

QUOTES

“It is meaningful to be in Turkiye on behalf of the Haisla Nation to celebrate the naming and blessing of the first vessels in the HaiSea fleet. HaiSea Wee’git, HaiSea Wamis and HaiSea Brave were named by Haisla members and carry special meaning for our people, history, and territory. From the very beginning, this joint venture was designed to ensure our members and neighbours would have access to employment opportunities and today we are closer to realizing those benefits.”

• Crystal Smith, Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation

“The naming and blessing ceremonies in Turkiye mark a significant milestone for HaiSea Marine as we prepare to launch the world’s first fully electric tug boat. We are proud to reach this milestone together with our partners from Haisla, Gitxaala, and Gitga’at Nations and we look forward to working together for generations to come and delivering on HaiSea’s promise of opportunities for the Haisla people and their coastal First Nations neighbours.”

• Derek Ollmann, President, Seaspan Marine

“The collaboration between Seaspan and the Haisla Nation is an exciting and purposeful partnership that will provide dependable and responsible marine services to LNG carriers calling in Kitimat. Their culture of safety, respect and environmental stewardship is an extension of LNG Canada’s commitment to designing, building and operating our project in consideration of community interests while providing benefits to north coast communities.”

• Jason Klein, CEO, LNG Canada

“We are delighted to celebrate the HaiSea fleet at Sanmar Shipyards – it is our honour to build HaiSea’s tug boats, which will form the world’s most technologically advanced fleet. This celebration comes at a time our country needs it and we are grateful to the HaiSea team for their ongoing support, especially over the last challenging month for our country.”

• Ali Gurun, Vice President, Sanmar Shipyards

Seaspan has a deep and longstanding relationship with Turkiye and in respect of the relationship with Sanmar Shipyards, Seaspan Marine and LNG Canada have partnered to provide support for the relief efforts following the earthquake through a donation to the Canadian Red Cross.