About Clear Seas:
Supporting Sustainable Marine Shipping
Who We Are
Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping is an independent not-for-profit research centre that supports safe and sustainable marine shipping in Canada.
Clear Seas was established in 2014 after extensive discussions among government, industry, environmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities revealed a need for impartial information about the Canadian marine shipping industry.
What We Do
RESEARCH • ENGAGE • INFORM
Clear Seas provides impartial information on marine shipping in Canada to policy makers and the public. Our mandate is to initiate and interpret research, analyze policies, identify best practices, share information and facilitate dialogue.
Our research focuses on the human, environmental and economic impacts of marine shipping. That includes practices for safe handling of bulk commodities at marine terminals, impacts of oil and liquid natural gas shipping, spill prevention and response, impacts on coastal and Indigenous communities, and much more.
We collaborate with Indigenous groups, stakeholders and experts to identify knowledge gaps, share results of existing studies, and facilitate new research to ensure decision makers have access to accurate, up-to-date information.
Indigenous Relations & Participation
Clear Seas recognizes the unique place of Indigenous Peoples – including First Nations, Inuit and Métis – in Canada, which affords them rights, as protected under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution and as recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This may include titles or rights and associated stewardship over their territories, including marine areas.
Accordingly, Clear Seas strives to actively involve Indigenous communities in carrying out its mission concerning research and knowledge sharing on safe and sustainable marine shipping in Canada. In particular, Clear Seas seeks to:
- Create awareness among Indigenous communities of Clear Seas’ mission and activities;
- Learn about Indigenous communities’ perspectives on marine shipping issues;
- Identify areas where Clear Seas can contribute to addressing marine shipping issues using research capacity, communication, and convening power;
- Appropriately apply Traditional Knowledge* to Clear Seas’ research;
- Collaborate with Indigenous communities to lead or participate in research activities, and also provide employment and business opportunities; and
- Build respectful relationships between Clear Seas and Indigenous communities.
*Traditional Knowledge is a body of knowledge specific to Indigenous People. It comes from their cultural heritage, traditional lifestyles and the strong relationship they cultivate with the natural environment. Traditional Knowledge includes deep understanding and insights into traditional subsistence and resource harvesting practices as well as extensive knowledge of environmentally sensitive and culturally significant coastal areas.
Our Team
Paul Blomerus
Executive Director
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Andrea Mitchell-Rozario
Finance and Operations Coordinator
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Meghan Mathieson
Director of Strategy and Innovation
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Edward Downing
Director of Communications and Engagement
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Sarah Thomas
Director of Indigenous and Coastal Community Relations
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Jennifer Steele
Manager of Research and Knowledge Mobilization
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Sarah Landry
Manager of Communications
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Stephanie Hurlburt
Program Lead, Indigenous and Coastal Community Relations
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Justin Perry
Program Lead, Indigenous and Coastal Community Relations
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Tessa Coulthard
Research Associate
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Rachel Stewart-Dziama
Research Associate
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Clara Kaufmann
Research Associate
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Board of Directors
Research Advisory Committee
Clear Seas’ Research Advisory Committee (RAC) helps the organization define and deliver its research agenda. The RAC brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds including Indigenous, academia, and the maritime industry from differe
How We Operate
Clear Seas is an independent organization that publishes research on sustainable marine shipping in Canada. It incorporates authoritative scientific data along with Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Knowledge to facilitate dialogue based on the idea that accurate information leads to better decision-making.
Founded in 2015, Clear Seas’ research and findings contribute to the national conversation on topics from maritime traffic safety, air and water pollution, underwater noise, decarbonization and climate change, to building a sustainable marine economy. The organization is funded by governments and industry, as detailed in its annual audited financial statements.
Clear Seas funding, 2015-2021
Clear Seas’ board of directors includes members of First Nations, the public sector, the scientific and engineering communities, and marine related industries. They present a wide range of experience in the human, environmental and economic issues related to shipping on Canada’s oceans, coastlines, lakes, and waterways.
All reports and findings are freely available to the public through the Clear Seas website and its social media channels.
Board of Directors
Murray Coolican
Board Chair
Murray Coolican has held leadership positions across a number of sectors including not for profit, government, and the private sector. He has worked on environmental and aboriginal issues, in the energy and natural resources sectors, and in financial services.
He served as Senior Executive Vice President at Maritime Life, and Vice President at a number of companies including Nova Scotia Power, Corporate Communications Limited and National Sea Products. In government, he worked as Deputy Minister of Energy and Business in the Government of Nova Scotia, Deputy Minister of Native Affairs in the Government of Ontario and Special Assistant to the Rt. Hon. Robert Stanfield. He was also Executive Director of the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, an environmental NGO when it won the Governor General’s Conservation Award.
As a volunteer, he Chaired the Halifax Metro United Way, the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and served as Vice-Chair of the Dalhousie University Board of Governors. He has also served as a Director of the Canadian Geographic Society and the World Wildlife Fund (Canada).
Kim Baird, C.M., O.B.C.
Board Vice-Chair
Kim Baird is the owner of Kim Baird Strategic Consulting and offers First Nation related and strategic advice to industry, government and First Nations. In June 2020, she was appointed to a three-year term as chancellor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, in Vancouver.
While Chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation, she negotiated and implemented British Columbia’s first urban treaty. Kim serves on several boards, including the Infrastructure Bank of Canada, and is the recipient of both Orders of Canada and British Columbia. Kim holds an Institute of Corporate Director’s designation.
Aldo Chircop, Ph. D.
Dr. Chircop is a professor and the Canada Research Chair in Maritime Law and Policy at Dalhousie University. His principal areas of research are in Canadian maritime law, international maritime law, and international law of the sea. His research focuses on the international regulation of marine shipping in polar regions, especially in the Arctic. He is Chair of the Comité Maritime International’s International Working Group on Polar Shipping. His previous positions include directorships of the Marine and Environmental Law Institute, Marine Affairs Program, International Ocean Institute, and the Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta. Dr. Chircop was also the Canadian Chair in Marine Environment Protection at the International Maritime Organization’s World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden. Dr. Chircop has published extensively in Canada and overseas.
Ginny Flood
Ginny Flood is a senior executive with an extensive background in corporate and public service focused on the Canadian and international energy and mining sectors.
She recently retired as Vice-President, Government Relations at Suncor Energy Inc., Calgary, Alberta. Ms. Flood led the development, implementation and evaluation of the company’s government relations strategy to contribute to government policies and regulatory agendas.
Previously, Ms. Flood held senior roles as Vice-President, Canada, for Rio Tinto and in the Canadian federal government in resource development. This included participating as the Government of Canada’s representative on international and government-to-government working groups globally in the minerals and metals sector.
In 2018-2019, she was Chair of the Board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and is one of the founding members of the Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN) and a member of its Board of Directors.
Ms. Flood resides in Victoria, BC, and has a Queen’s University Executive MBA, and studied Business Administration at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Julie Gelfand, MBA
Julie Gelfand is a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto with a background in environmental affairs and sustainable development.
Ms. Gelfand is the former federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. She led a historic collaborative audit on climate change with the provincial Auditors Generals as well as audits on subjects such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), toxic substances, biodiversity, and the federal oversight of industrial activities (mining, aquaculture, nuclear energy, pipelines).
Formerly, Ms. Gelfand was the Vice President of Environment and Social Responsibility at Rio Tinto, Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) where she was a member of the Executive Team and directed all environmental and social responsibility files. Before joining IOC, Ms. Gelfand was Vice President of Sustainable Development at the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) from 2008 to 2011 and President of Nature Canada from 1992 to 2008. At Nature Canada, she led campaigns to establish new National Parks and laws to protect nature (including the federal Species at Risk Act), and founded and chaired the Green Budget Coalition, an alliance of twenty-two national environmental NGOs working to achieve ecological fiscal reform.
Ms. Gelfand has significant experience sitting on boards of directors of charitable organizations both nationally and internationally. She is fluent in English and French, is a certified coach, and has an MBA from the University of Ottawa.
Serge Alain Le Guellec
Mr. Le Guellec recently retired as the President and General Manager of Desgagnés, where he led the operations of a fleet of 15+ merchant vessels including bulk carriers, tankers, and general cargo vessels. Throughout his career, Mr. Le Guellec worked in the defence, aerospace, and marine transportation industries, and built extensive expertise in the fields of engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management. He also devoted significant efforts to increasing awareness around shipping safety and environmental protection, notably by sharing best practices and emergency protocols to prevent and mitigate the impact of maritime incidents and accidents.
Mr. Le Guellec is a former member of the Canadian Forces. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada, a Master’s degree in Project Management from the University of Hull, as well as Master’s degree in Aerospace Vehicle Design from the Cranfield Institute of Technology (UK).
John W. Hepburn, Ph. D., FRSC
Dr. John Hepburn is CEO and Senior Scientific Director at Mitacs, a national, not-for-profit research and training organization dedicated to advancing collaboration between industry, academia and government in Canada.
Previously, he was the Vice-President, Research and Partnerships at CIFAR in Toronto. Dr. Hepburn also served as Vice-President, Research & International at the University of British Columbia. He had joined UBC in 2001 as a Professor of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Head of Chemistry. Dr. Hepburn later became Dean of Science in 2003 and Vice-President, Research in 2005. Before his time at UBC he was a Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of Waterloo from 1982-2001.
He holds a BSc from the University of Waterloo, a PhD from the University of Toronto, and he was a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Berkeley. He has been a Fellow of the A.P. Sloan Foundation, a Foreign Research Fellow of the CNRS (France), and a Canada Council Killam Fellow.
He has also been awarded the Rutherford Medal and the Noranda Prize, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Physical Society and the Canadian Institute for Chemistry. Dr. Hepburn also serves as a Board member for numerous organizations, including membership on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Council of Canadian Academies.
Richard Sparrow
Richard Sparrow is a member and Councillor of xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band). He has been active in the field of First Nations conservation and restoration management and policy for more than 20 years.
Mr. Sparrow has spent his career advocating for the protection and enhancement of the inherent fishing rights and titles of local First Nations communities. His work primarily focuses on building and maintaining natural resource relationships with Indigenous communities throughout British Columbia, as well as on collective impact related to First Nations natural resource management and inherent rights.
Prior to his work with The Grizzly Bear Foundation, Mr. Sparrow spent more than 6 years providing senior management to the First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia, where he supported intergovernmental affairs and fisheries management, as well as governance and leadership to the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance and the Musqueam Fisheries Commission.
Jane Weldon, MBA
Jane Weldon recently retired as the Executive Head of the Oceans Protection Plan at Transport Canada, where she served for several years. Previously, she was Director-General of Canada’s Marine Safety and Security and led the development of many government initiatives aimed at addressing key marine environmental issues, including the protection of North Atlantic right whales and the prevention of damage from flooding in Quebec and Ontario.
Throughout her career, Jane Weldon collaborated extensively with industry members, academia, the non-profit sector, and other international colleagues to develop and implement Canadian marine policies and regulatory frameworks. She also worked in transportation infrastructure funding, the management of federal ports and airports, social policy, and human resources.
She represented Canada as the Head of Delegation at the International Maritime Organization, was Co-Chair of the Canada-U.S. Maritime Security Committee, and Chair of Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan Management Committee.
Jane Weldon is a graduate of the University of Ottawa.
Peter Xotta, MBA
In his role as Vice president, Operations and Supply Chain, for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Peter Xotta is overseeing the health, safety, and security of all land and marine operations, as well as port and supply chain optimization activities.
For the past decade, Mr. Xotta has led the development and funding of the port authority’s gateway infrastructure programs to deliver an enhanced road and rail network to facilitate trade through the Port of Vancouver. He also oversees the optimization of the port and supply chain work streams, including vessel traffic management and visibility initiatives.
Over the years, Mr. Xotta has held several strategic port projects and business development initiatives. He is the former President of Modalink Distribution Hub Ltd., a multi-modal logistics facility in British Columbia, and Chair of Canada Place Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
Mr. Xotta sits on the Board of Directors of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and the Freight Management Association of Canada. He holds a Master’s degree in business administration from Simon Fraser University.
Alain Brophy, LLM
Alain Brophy is the General Counsel and Head of Government Affairs for Coopérative de Transport Maritime et Aérien (CTMA), a Quebec-based organization operating maritime and road transportation businesses in the Magdalen Islands. He also sits on the St. Lawrence Ship Operators’ board of directors.
Counsel Brophy has 20+ years of experience in business and environmental law as well as in civil and commercial litigation. Throughout his career, he acted as a corporate advisor for well-established companies in the maritime, fisheries, digital, and food and beverage fields.
Counsel Brophy holds a Master of Law degree (LL.M.) from the University of Montreal, where he graduated with honours. Over the years, he has built a business network in Canada and internationally and has published several doctrinal articles on environmental law, including on topics such as climate change and international trade.
Gary Drouillard
Gary Drouillard is a proud member of the Cowichan Tribes and a lifelong subsistence fisherman and hunter. He shares a deep connection with his territory and the nature that grows and thrives on it. He is passionate about marine conservation and possesses a wealth of knowledge about the effects of marine shipping on his band’s territory.
Gary Drouillard is currently working as a First Crew Member for the Cowichan Tribes Salish Sea Watch, where he observes, records and reports on cultural sites, resource harvesting, pollution, and illegal activities throughout the territory. Gary is also very involved in his community, where he sits on the Cowichan Bay Fisherman’s Wharf Board, the Cowichan Tribes Community Land Use Committee, and the HFLP Seafood Garden Working Group.
Captain Christopher Hearn, MM
Captain Hearn is the Director of the Centre for Marine Simulation, a special maritime training and applied research facility within Memorial University’s Marine Institute.
In his role of Master Mariner and Marine Superintendent, Captain Hearn commanded several vessels in the deep sea and subsea sectors and supported at-sea operations for various shipping companies. Throughout his career, he maintained an active role in the advancement of the maritime sector with contributions to industry and government working groups focused on adapting new technologies into maritime training.
Captain Hearn is a graduate from the School of Maritime Studies (N.L.) and serves on several marine industry boards and associations including the Regional Coast Guard Advisory Board and Oceans Advance. He is a former National President of the Master Mariners of Canada.
Captain Ivan Oxford, MM
Captain Oxford is a Senior Master at Transport Desgagnés, a Director at the Nautical Institute-BC Branch as well as a part-time Instructor at the Camosun College. He is an experienced shipmaster, ice navigator, and educator. He graduated from Memorial University’s School of Maritime Studies and is a Master Mariner with over 35 years of experience at sea on commercial and government vessels engaged in near-coastal and foreign trade. Captain Oxford taught at Camosun College’s Nautical Department from 1999 to 2014, returned to sea, and is currently serving as Shipmaster and Ice Navigator on commercial heavy-lift vessels engaged in Arctic operations. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Nautical Professional Education Society of Canada.
Sonia Simard, LLB
Sonia Simard, LLB, has more than fifteen years of experience as an advocate for sustainable maritime transportation. Throughout her career, she practiced law within the non-profit, public, and private sectors, in both English and French. Most recently, she was Director, Legislative and Environmental Affairs for the Shipping Federation of Canada, and prior to this, held positions at Fednav Ltd, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Ms. Simard received her law degree from the University of Ottawa and her Masters of Law degree from the School of Law of the University of Washington. She’s also a graduate in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.
Francis Wiese, Ph. D.
Francis Wiese is the Technical Leader for Marine Science at Stantec Consulting. He joined Stantec in 2013 after serving as the Science Director for the North Pacific Research Board in Alaska. In that position, he designed, implemented, and managed large multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional marine ecosystems programs in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, and set annual research priorities. Since 2011, he has served on the Chukchi-Beaufort Ecosystem Collaboration Team of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee and been a lead-author on a conceptual ecosystem model document for the US Arctic.
Dr. Wiese has worked for and with academia, government, non-profits, and industry, and acted as a reviewer for over 20 international journals and has served on a variety of national and internal science panels and working groups. He has provided expert testimony for oil pollution-related issues in Canada and the United States. Dr. Wiese enjoys thinking outside the box and taking new, inter-disciplinary approaches to tackle old and current issues that require good science.