Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to tell the Members of the success the Department of Transportation's marine services division is having in training northerners as captains on our ferries. By regulation, the people who operate our public ferries must be fully qualified ship's captains holding a Master of Minor Waters certificate issued by Transport Canada. In the past, the department's ferry contractors could only find properly qualified captains in southern Canada on the east and west coasts. A few years ago, the marine services division began encouraging young northern deck hands, who showed promise and interest, to seek their Master of Minor Waters certification and become ferry captains.
The Pacific Marine Training College in North Vancouver, British Columbia, offers a six-week course for the Master of Minor Waters certificate. The recruit's travel, accommodation and tuition costs for the six-week course are paid for by employment insurance and matching 50/50 contribution from the Department of Transportation and our ferry contractors.
Captain Ian Leishman of Fort Providence graduated from the Pacific Marine Training College in 1995 and has since served two seasons as captain of the MV Merv Hardie at the Fort Providence crossing. Captain Mervin Simba of Kakisa earned his Master of Minor Waters in 1996 and served as relief captain last year on the Merv Hardie at Fort Providence, the Lafferty at Fort Simpson and the Johnny Berens at the Ndulee crossing.
This year, two of my constituents, Sean Cli and Steven Lenoir of Fort Simpson are at the Pacific Marine Training College and will complete the Master of Minor Waters course at the end of this month. Ron Antoine, also of Fort Simpson, entered the Marine Services training program this summer. He worked as an oiler at Fort Providence on the Merv Hardie accumulating eligible time towards certification as a marine engineer.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with the success of the Marine Services training program in opening professional career opportunities for northerners. I am sure that Members of this House are with me in looking forward to the day when we can crew our ferries entirely with northerners and we no longer look to southern Canada for qualified personnel. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.