On Tuesday, December 4th a group of students from Byrne Creek Secondary in Burnaby were treated to a very special Behind the Scenes Tour.
This Skills Ready Behind the Scenes tour took place in the Port of Vancouver. As the largest and most diversified port in Canada, the Port of Vancouver connects with over 170 economies around the world and extends from Roberts Bank and the Fraser River up to and including the Burrard Inlet.
Our tour kicked off on the dock when we were greeted by Mark, our amazing tour guide with Paddlewheeler Riverboat Tours and at 10:15 we embarked on our water-based tour.
CARGOS, TUGS AND AUTO CARRIERS
From Cargo Ships and Tugboats to Pleasure Crafts and Cruise Ships, marine safety is of utmost importance to the many who use and depend on the waterway. After a discussion introducing the various crafts using the port, the crew from Samson Tugboats treated the students to a demonstration of all the ways a tugboat can navigate the water!
TRANSPORT BY LAND
Truck and rail are the two primary ways that cargo is moved at the Port. A car carrier was being unloaded by a crew of longshoremen. The process by which the crew unloaded the carrier was particularly interesting for a few of our students!
INDUSTRY
The students were able to view a variety of companies that do their business on the waterway. Metal fabricators, sawmills, and cement plants are a small sample of the companies we saw that work alongside the Fraser River.
There are a vast number of career opportunities available in and around the Port of Vancouver that cross a vast number of industries. We viewed two boatyards from the water and learned the ways that carpenters, pipefitters, welders and electricians all work together to ensure that the boats they work on are ocean worthy!
The tour wrapped after a pizza lunch and learn where Monica Standke from 4th Utility shared insights into the trades.
It was an exciting day!
This tour was made possible by the Mott Electric GP Legacy Fund. Thank you to Paddlewheeler Riverboat Tours, our tour guide, Mark, The Vancouver Port Authority and Samson Tugboats.
