Pilot Authority Under Fire in Ottawa

Canada’s Auditor General, Michael Ferguson, is very critical of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, the group that oversees the work of pilots guiding ships in and out of Atlantic harbours.

Ferguson found the Atlantic Authority to be consistently over budget by 1.2 million for the last three out of four years.

Ferguson will table his report in the House of Commons today, and leave Transport Minister Marc Garneau to take action.

Ferguson noted the Pacific Authority is generally working well at the same task.

The Pilotage Authority is a crown corporation, which is supposed to be self funding. The auditor’s report charged the authority with failing to create a vision, along with establishing tariffs that failed to meet expenses or recover recent losses.

The highly critical report is a rarity among crown corporations.

Pugwash harbour is one of the waterways served by a pilot under the Atlantic Authority.