The Canadian ferry sector was featured in the Cruise & Ferry Magazine following an interview with CFA's CEO.
The article reviewed the importance of the sector to Canada's economy and social fabric. It also highlighted some opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
The article can be found here.
The Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) was honoured to participate in Sea Japan, the country's largest international maritime exhibition and one of the most important marine industry events in the Asia-Pacific region.
During the event, the CFA's CEO presented the association's work and highlighted opportunities to strengthen collaboration between Canadian ferry operators and Japanese suppliers, shipbuilders, technology providers, and maritime service companies. Discussions focused on identifying areas of mutual interest and exploring new partnerships that can support innovation and growth within the ferry sector.
While in Japan, the CFA also met with a number of maritime companies, industry associations, and stakeholders to discuss potential avenues for increased cooperation and long-term collaboration between the Canadian and Japanese marine industries.
As a result of these productive discussions, the CFA is pleased to announce that a significant delegation of Japanese maritime leaders and industry representatives will travel to Canada to participate in the Canadian Ferry Association's Annual Conference in September 2026. Their participation will provide an excellent opportunity to deepen international relationships, share expertise, and explore new business opportunities between Canada and Japan's ferry and marine sectors.
The CFA looks forward to welcoming the Japanese delegation and continuing to strengthen the connections between our two countries' maritime industries.
The Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) recently completed a week-long mission to Germany, France, and Belgium, meeting with leading maritime companies, research organizations, and industry stakeholders across Europe.
The delegation's objective was to strengthen relationships between Canada's ferry sector and its European counterparts while highlighting opportunities for collaboration in areas such as vessel design, technology, sustainability, operations, and research. The visit also provided an opportunity to promote the Canadian Ferry Association's Annual Conference, which will take place in September 2026.
Throughout the mission, CFA representatives engaged in productive discussions with organizations at the forefront of maritime innovation and explored opportunities to foster greater cooperation between Canadian and European ferry operators, suppliers, and research institutions.
The strong interest generated during the visit is already yielding results, with several companies expressing their intention to participate in the CFA Annual Conference in September 2026. Their attendance will further strengthen international dialogue and knowledge-sharing, while creating new opportunities for business development and collaboration across the global ferry sector.
The CFA looks forward to welcoming these international delegates to Canada and continuing to build meaningful partnerships with European maritime organizations.
The Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) is pleased to announce the launch of a comprehensive study examining Canada's shipbuilding, ship repair, and vessel decommissioning sectors. The study will provide valuable insights into the current state of these industries and their capacity to support Canada's ferry sector, while also looking at opportunities to strengthen domestic marine capabilities.
Following a competitive selection process, the CFA has retained Signal49, the newly established name for the former Conference Board of Canada consulting practice, to undertake the study. Signal49 was selected based on its recognized expertise in independent research and economic analysis.
The CFA wishes to emphasize that the study will be conducted independently by Signal49. The findings, analysis, and recommendations will be developed by the research team without direction regarding conclusions or outcomes, ensuring an objective and evidence-based assessment of the issues and opportunities facing Canada's marine industrial sector.
The study will engage stakeholders from across the shipbuilding, ship repair, ferry operations, and marine services communities, helping to build a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities that exist throughout the vessel lifecycle.
The results of the study will be released publicly and presented at the Canadian Ferry Association Annual Conference in September 2020, where industry leaders, government representatives, and marine stakeholders will have the opportunity to review and discuss the findings.
The Canadian Ferry Association looks forward to sharing the study's results and contributing to a broader conversation on the future of Canada's marine transportation infrastructure and industrial capacity.
The Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) participated in the Building Ferries in Canada Summit, convened by Transport Canada at the direction of Transport and Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland. The Summit brought together key stakeholders from across the country, including representatives from the shipbuilding and steel industries, labour organizations, ferry operators, and provincial, territorial, and municipal governments.
The discussions provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with building ferries domestically. Participants explored ways to strengthen Canada’s shipbuilding capacity and support the ferry sector’s long-term sustainability.
CFA strongly supports continued efforts to identify opportunities and remove barriers to building more ferries in Canada. As part of this commitment, CFA will:
Ferry operators across Canada play a vital role in delivering safe and reliable transportation services. These services are essential for the movement of people and goods in many regions. The Government of Canada has an important role to play in supporting the sector—particularly in addressing the cost gap between building vessels domestically versus overseas—and in enabling the shipbuilding industry to accelerate production.
“We thank Minister Freeland for initiating this important dialogue,” said Serge Buy, CEO of the Canadian Ferry Association. “Much work remains to be done, and CFA is committed to doing its part.”
The Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) is calling for abstracts for its 2025 Conference (November 2-4, in Québec City).
You will find, here attached, the information required and the forms needed to submit a proposal for our conference.
Note that the deadline for submission is June 19th.
All proposals will be evaluated by a Board committee and responses provided by June 30th. Preference will be given to CFA members.
If you have not yet registered for the conference, please do so as soon as possible. You can do so by clicking here.
Thank you and looking forward to seeing you in November.
This week, our Association's Board of Directors met with several stakeholders in Ottawa, including Transport Canada's Deputy Minister, Mr. Arun Thangaraj, Stephanie Cadieux Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer, the Director of Policy for the Minister of Transport, officials from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada and a representative of the The Conference Board of Canada.
These meetings allow an exchange of information and provide more visibility to issues relevant for the sector.
The Board also received and discussed updates from its committees (Workforce, Innovation, Regulatory and Infrastructure) as well as updates on important files from its CEO.
The Canadian Ferry Association would like to thank all those who attended the CFA 2022 Conference and Trade Show. A special thanks to our sponsors, exhibitors, and presenters for making this year’s Conference and Trade Show the preeminent event for the ferry sector in Canada.
We hope to see you again at our next annual conference from September 17th – 19th in Vancouver. Keep an eye on your inboxes for more details to come.
One month left before the Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) conference.
With a great list of panels and speakers, a wonderful trade show and with the event located in the middle of Canada’s national capital region, the CFA is getting ready to welcome its conference attendees.
If you have not done so yet, please register today by clicking here.
The Canadian Ferry Association (CFA) made a presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities today.
The purpose of the presentation was to highlight the crucial role played by ferry operators in the supply chain while also raising concerns about the vulnerabilities of the system.
CFA’s CEO noted that the ferry sector needs a committed federal partner to support the infrastructure changes that will strengthen the sector’s ability to respond to crises and proactively reduce our GHG emissions.
Please find, linked here, CFA’s submission to the committee.