2010 SEALIFT SEASON BANNER YEAR FOR NUNAVUT EASTERN ARCTIC SHIPPING

IQALUIT, Nov. 24 /CNW/ - The 2010 sealift season was another banner year for Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS).  Delivering over 180,000 cubic metres of cargo, NEAS serviced 48 local communities across Canada's Eastern and Western Arctic with 12 voyages by 4 vessels with 76 stops. 

"With our dedicated employees, our modern vessels and our one-stop Cargo Service Centre at the Port of Valleyfield, NEAS customers enjoyed the benefits of our reliable gateway to the Arctic," said NEAS President and CEO, Suzanne Paquin.

NEAS is Canada's fastest-growing sealift operation, serving Arctic customers including individuals, communities, businesses, stores, mines, and government departments and agencies. In a few short years, NEAS has increased its fleet capacity by 160 per cent with the addition of three modern ice class vessels including the MV Umiavut, MV Avataq and MV Qamutik.

During the 2010 sealift season, NEAS navigated the 6,400-kilometre Northwest Passage to service customers in the Western Arctic. The NEAS Cargo Service Centre at the Port of Valleyfield also posted record high volumes this season for packaging, marshalling and containerisation, stuffing more than 1,000 containers.

"NEAS employees deliver a better sealift experience," said Ms. Paquin. "Our customers appreciate the benefits of proper planning and they enjoy the added convenience and reliability of our on-time services."

NEAS also delivered significant local Inuit employment and training opportunities this season. Each vessel employed two Inuk deckhands, 12 candidates were chosen for a special training course held at the Arctic College in Iqaluit, and 8 of those were provided additional training in Prince Edward Island.

Fostering Arctic environmental sustainability, NEAS loaded one of its vessels in August and November with nearly 6,000 tonnes of old tires, dead batteries and used scrap metal in Iqaluit, part of a nationally celebrated program to remove junk and keep Canada's Arctic pristine.

Online, NEAS launched a new website (http://www.NEAS.ca) allowing users easy access to all the information needed to place an order, including rates, schedules, shipping insurance, as well as job opportunities. The info is available in English, French and Inuktitut. 

Next season is looking to be another banner year for NEAS, says Ms. Paquin: "Now is the time to call NEAS.  Our team is ready to help make 2011 your best sealift experience ever."

From the Port of Valleyfield, Que., 70 kilometres upstream from Montreal along the St. Lawrence, NEAS serves customers from northern Quebec all the way to Kugluktuk in the Western Arctic.  Confirming its status as a reliable Arctic Gateway, approximately half of all the goods shipped to Nunavut pass through the Port of Valleyfield.

For further information:

Suzanne Paquin, President and CEO, NEAS, phone: [phone], email [email protected] or online http://www.NEAS.ca