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The Mission to Seafarers Canada, a charity focused on the well-being of those who work on the ocean, is opening its first office in Newfoundland and Labrador, which organizers say will provide support and care for seafarers who arrive in the ports.
Station manager Morgane Sheppard said her role is to build on the organization’s presence in the province, and the office will provide things like access to Wi-Fi and transportation, but it goes beyond that.
“We’re also looking to be a space that’s a home away from home,” she told CBC radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.
“Everybody knows everybody, it’s a big community. So we kind of want to implement that in the space as well and have a place where they can just grab a coffee, have a chat, a place where they feel comfortable and a place where they can just kind of get away from the vessel.”
The office is located at 687 Water Street and officially opens Friday.
Peter Rouch, the secretary general with the Mission to Seafarers, said it’s a global organization that operates in more than 50 countries and 200 ports and cares for the needs of commercial seafarers.
Seafarers are those who work on “dirty, great ships making their journeys across the waters,” Rouch said, ranging from bulk carriers to container ships, oil tankers and cruise ships.
“Every port is in some ways different,” said Rouch, adding Singapore sees a high volume of container traffic and the Middle East sees tanker traffic. N.L. has a “significant fishing industry” and that will mean the local office will accommodate those needs, adding needs can vary between vessels.
“So it’s important that the services that we offer, the support we offer is tailored to the context and to the industry there,” Rouch said. “Hence the significance of having a Newfoundlander actually leading the centre here.”
Sheppard said N.L. has a “complete tie to the ocean” from residents to people who work in the sector, so it’s important for people to know this space exists to support seafarers.
On larger vessels workers are on nine to 12-month contracts, and about a quarter of them don’t leave the vessel in that period, Rouch said. Those who do leave the vessel might do so only once, he added, which can have a significant negative impact on seafarers’ mental health.
Coinciding with establishing its first office in St. John’s, the city, is hosting the organization’s annual conference.
Rouch said the conference, which runs Oct. 1-4, is focused on the intersection between the industry and welfare providers. He added the industry is about 40,000 seafarers short of what is needed, a number expected to increase to 100,000 over the next five years. He said a recent World Maritime University survey cited workplace pressures as reasons people leave the profession.
“These are crucial matters and so how does the industry respond to this? And for me in particular, how do ports respond to this?” he said.
Rouch said the organization wants to work with the industry to improve conditions.
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