Maritime services company HaiSea Marine, a partnership between Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC, recently celebrated the official naming and blessing of its new floating operations facility in North Vancouver, B.C.
The location is now the home base for the company’s green tugboat fleet.
The new floating facility was recently named and blessed by the Haisla Nation and transported up the Douglas Channel to Kitimat, B.C., where supports HaiSea’s operations.
Zewén—the Haisla word for Coho—is now also the name of the new operations and maintenance facility. HaiSea said in a statement issued in mid-March that the facility’s name was inspired by the location where the Zewén will be secured in Kitimat.
Haisla Nation Hereditary Chief Basil Grant thought up the name, according to HaiSea. His family has been fishing for Coho in that exact spot for generations, the company said.
“Now the site will carry a new legacy as the home base for HaiSea’s fleet that will support LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility,” the company said in a statement.
Zewén is a floating operations and maintenance building and was purpose-built and designed to withstand the extreme tidal range in the Kitimat region. Features include a large workshop, common areas, a gym, and accommodations for up to eight shore-based personnel to use during working hours.
The facility was built by Pacific Marine Construction on Wei Wai Kum territory in Campbell River, BC.
“It has been an honor to be part of this project and complete the construction of the Zewén facility for HaiSea Marine,” Pacific Marine Construction President Cory Handyside said. “There was a lot of learning, innovation, and teamwork that led to the project’s success, and we are very proud to have been part of it.”
At a naming and unveiling, HaiSea was joined by representatives from Haisla Nation, Wei Wai Kum Nation, and LNG Canada inside the Zewén.
“As a modern marine start-up, we were able to develop HaiSea from the ground-up in true partnership with the Haisla Nation, and with feedback from our mariners,” Seaspan Marine Transportation Senior Vice President Jordan Pechie said.
“We had the remarkable opportunity to build our culture and our assets, like the Zewén, to support an inclusive and diverse team,” he added. “The unveiling and naming of Zewén is a celebration of how we are doing things differently and is a testament to our efforts in designing welcoming and inclusive workspaces at sea and on shore.”
“When HaiSea was still in the idea and planning phase, we challenged Seaspan to create something different; an environmentally friendly tugboat fleet to ply our waters; job opportunities for Haisla Nation members and our local First Nations neighbors; and lastly, we wanted diversity and inclusion to be part of HaiSea’s culture,” Haisla Nation Elected Chief Councilor Chief Crystal Smith said. “As we celebrate the naming of the Zewén facility, it is clear that our shared vision of diversity, inclusion, and environmental innovation is coming to fruition.”