conference
AGENDAMay 13-15, 2026
Wednesday, May 13, 2025
11:00 – 12:30
Nautical Institute International AGM
14:00 – 16:00
Polar Research Ship Masters Group AGM
19:00 – 21:00
Meet and Greet
Sponsor: Martech Polar
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Daily Chair: TBD
07:00-08:00 | OPENING COFFEE & REGISTRATION
Sponsor: DRIFT & NOISE
08:00-08:05 | ADMINISTRIVIA
Captain Duke Snider
Agenda Chair
08:05-08:15 | Welcome
Captain Duke Snider
Chair The Nautical Institute BC Branch
08:15-08:30 | Welcome
Walter Vervloesem
President: Nautical Institute HQ
08:30-09:00 | Keynote
Chris Avery
CEO Northern Gateway
Port of Churchill – Canada’s Arctic Gateway
09:00-09:15 | Youssef Mani
Youssef Mani
Assistant Commissioner CCG Arctic Region
09:15-09:30 | Desmond Raymond
Desmond Raymond
Executive Director Prairies and Northern TC
THE FUTURE IS PEOPLE
Chair NI President Walter Vervloesem
Or SPONSOR
09:30-10:30 | YOUTH PANEL
Moderator: Captain Eden Thibideau
Sealight
10:30-11:00 |COFFEE
Sponsor: GREENWOOD MARITIME
11:00-11:20 | Chris Hearn
Chris Hearn
Marine Institute
Training The Next Generation
11:20-11:40 | Christopher Peterson
Christopher Peterson
Advancing Seafarer Safety and Readiness: A Performance Support Approach
11:40-12:00 | Maciej Krok
Maciej Krok
Western Maritime Institute
Ice Navigator Training
12:00-13:00 | LUNCH
Sponsor: ABB
THE FUTURE IS PEOPLE
Chair NI Past President Capt Trevor Bailey
Or SPONSOR
13:00-13:30 | Human Factors in Crewing
Captain Eden Thibideau
Sealight
Human Factors in Crewing
13:30-14:00 | Amanda Fiscaletti
Amanda Fiscaletti
Fednav
14:00-14:30 | David Rivest
David Rivest
Transarctik-Desgagnes
14:30-15:00 | Catherine Huneault (invited)
Catherine Huneault (invited)
Petronav-Desgagnes
15:00-15:30 | COFFEE
Sponsor: FEDNAV
15:30-16:00 | Chris Marshall
Chris Marshall
Canadian Hydrographic Services
Future Focus of Arctic Hydrography
16:00-16:30 | Captain Patrick Marchesseau
Captain Patrick Marchesseau
PONANT
Operations Onboard Commandant Charcot
16:30-17:00 | Captain William Woityra
Captain William Woityra
USCG
The Future USCG Polar Fleet
17:30 | RECEPTION
Sponsor: ADVANCED MAT SYSTEMS
19:00 | DINNER | Speaker: Captain John Lloyd
Speaker: Capt John Lloyd, CEO The Nautical Institute
Friday, MAY 15, 2026
Daily Chair: TBD
07:00-08:00 | OPENING COFFEE & REGISTRATION
Sponsor: VARD MARINE
08:00-08:10 |Day 2 Recap
Chair NI CEO Captain John Lloyd
Or SPONSOR
THE FUTURE IS TECHNOLOGY
Chair NI CEO Captain John Lloyd
Or SPONSOR
08:10-9:00 | KEYNOTE: James Bond
James Bond
Davie Icebreaker Centre of Excellence
Building the Future Icebreaker Fleet
09:00-09:30 | Captain Thomas Wunderlich, Detlef Wilde
Captain Thomas Wunderlich
Reederei Laeisz
Detlef Wilde
AWI
Polar Stern II
09:30-10:00 | Dermot Loughnane
Dermot Loughnane
Tactical Marine Solutions
Icebreaker Procurement for Baffinland’s Steensby Inlet Project
10:00-10:30 | Captain Nobuyucki Yamaoka
Captain Nobuyucki Yamaoka
MOL/JAMSTEC
Japan’s new PC4 Research Icebreaker Mirai II
10:30-11:00 | COFFEE
Sponsor: CHAMBER OF SHIPPING BRITISH COLUMBIA
THE FUTURE IS TECHNOLOGY
Chair: NIBC Chair
or SPONSOR
11:00-11:30 | Jessica Fetterman
Jessica Fetterman
Chief Engineer Polar Icebreaker Program
Seaspan
Seaspan’s Multi-Purpose Icebreaker Program
11:30-12:30 | PANEL
Moderator RAdm Nigel Greenwood
Fednav Ice Services – Alexis Dorais
Drift and Noise – Lasse Rabenstein or Jakob Buenger
Danish Meteorological Institute – Keld Qvistgaard
Canadian Ice Service – Scott Weese
12:00-12:30 | Alexis Dorais
Alexis Dorais
Fednav Ice Services
Leveraging modern situational awareness technology to improve safety and efficiency of shipping operations in polar waters, a shipowner’s perspective
12:30-13:30 | LUNCH
Sponsored by: Desgagnes Transarctik
13:30-14:00 | Neil Bennett
Neil Bennett
Wartsila Voyage Services
14:00-14:30 | Rob Hindley
Rob Hindley
Aker Arctic
Setting Operational Limitations Using Ice Load Monitoring & Shipboard Sensors During Ice Trials in the Antar
14:30-15:00 | Dan Oldford
Dan Oldford (Confirmed)
ABS
Project ICESIGHTS – Next Gen Ice Load Monitoring
15:00-15:30 | COFFEE
Sponsor: AKER ARCTIC
15:30-16:00 | Fritz Stahr
Fritz Stahr
Open Ocean Robotics
USVs for Arctic Operations
16:00-16:30 | Sampo Viherialehto
Sampo Viherialehto
ABB
Advances in Polar Rated Azipod Technology
16:30-17:00 | Ron Pelot
Ron Pelot
Dalhousie
Update on METR study – future recommendations
17:00-17:30 | Conference Wrap Up, Lessons Learned
Conference Sponsors
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