To main content
DISCOVER
PORTS
SEAWAY

MARINE SERVICE
& SUPPORT

CAREERS
Literally thousands of businesses and organizations are counted on to provide critical service and support to the marine sector. They range from the very large ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway, for example, to small companies providing essential products and services, everything from spare parts to groceries. They combine to offer countless jobs and careers, both blue and white collar.
MARINE
PILOTS
UNIONS
SUPPLY
& SERVICES
"In 2006, I became the first female member of the Harbour Masters office in Hamilton. Almost 15 years later, I am the Harbour Master of two Canadian Ports, one of those being the busiest Canadian Port on the Great Lakes."
Vicki | Harbour Master
PORTS
Ports are where much of the marine sector comes together, from arriving and departing ships to the movement of cargoes to the transiting of passengers. Ports are among the biggest employers in Canada's marine sector. Cargo and logistics experts, dock workers, IT and security specialists, are just a few examples of the skilled professionals that keep these critical hubs humming. Become a key link in this vital supply chain.
"I participated in the project to renew the electrical control systems at locks 3 and 4 in Beauharnois (Quebec). It was a very gratifying experience."
- Robert
Canal Service Technician
SEAWAY
The Seaway is a strategic and modern inland waterway that is an essential part of the North American transportation infrastructure and a lifeline to business with the rest of the world. The Seaway's team of skilled professionals oversees thousands of vessel transits each year, providing safe and efficient passage deep into the continent to the West and to Atlantic tidewater to the East.
MARINE
PILOTS
Marine pilots are seasoned mariners who use their knowledge of local waters to safely guide vessels to their destination. Typically possessing more than 20 years of education and at-sea experience before being licensed, pilots board vessels requiring service in compulsory pilotage areas on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in the waters of the Port of Churchill and on the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Waterway. There are approximately 400 licensed marine pilots working in Canada.

Find out more here.
"Maritime pilotage consists of conning of a vessel (to conduct or direct the steering and handling) from one point to another within a navigation zone that usually holds many difficulties. In addition to requiring excellent technical skills, the pilot must be able to adapt very quickly since every ship piloted is different. Every successful pilotage mission offers a great feeling of accomplishment!."
- Simon | Marine Pilot
"Not only did I have a guaranteed job, once I graduated, I was also given a free education, a place to live, food and even the uniform I wore and an allowance every month for extra expenses. The marine industry is very versatile and offers multiple career opportunities at sea and on land."
- Joy| National Secretary-Treasurer
UNIONS
SUPPLY &
SERVICES
"Being a lawyer, with a long-standing interest in both international trade and federal public affairs, is useful to deal with the many formal processes that support and govern shipping."
Tristan | General Counsel
web design
Join the conversation
Imagine Marine, a CMCF Initiative. © 2024, Canadian Marine Careers Foundation, all rights reserved.