Now that the 2020/2021 winter works season has drawn to a close, it is important to reflect upon Heddle Shipyards’ achievements over the past year and the people who helped make them possible. Despite the challenges of operating Canada’s largest Great Lakes shipyard during a global pandemic, this past year has been full of significant milestones for our company and none more so than the redelivery of the three Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) vessels, dry-docked at the Port Weller Dry Docks this past winter.
On March 18th, 2021, Heddle Shipyards, with the help of the Mayor of St. Catharines, Walter Sendzik, the CSL management team, St. Catharines City Counsellors Dawn Dodge, and Bill Philips, we celebrated the redelivery of the MV CSL Niagara, MV CSL Assiniboine, and the MV CS Laurentien. This important day marked a significant milestone for Heddle Shipyards and the City of St. Catharines in that not only was this past winter the busiest at the Port Weller Dry Docks in over a decade, but all three ships were delivered on time and before the opening of the 2021 season.
While it is important to recognize these achievements from a business perspective, it is even more important to acknowledge those whose dedication and commitment made them possible. Every member of Heddle Shipyards and the CSL team deserves the highest praise for their professionalism and hard work but two individuals, instrumental in the success of the three dry dockings this winter, deserve special recognition. Alicia Nash (Heddle Shipyards Director of Project Management) and Colin Kennedy (CSL Project Manager) were the projects leads for their respective organizations and ultimately responsible for the successful execution of all three projects.
Ms. Alicia Nash was more often than not the last person to leave the shipyard at night and her counterpart at CSL Mr. Colin Kennedy was more often than not the first person at the shipyard in the morning., they dedicated a tremendous amount of time to the planning, preparation, and execution of the work . “Their professionalism and dedication to the projects are what made the difference,” said Heddle’s President Shaun Padulo. “Not only were Colin and Alicia critical to the success of the dry dockings, but the relationship between our two companies is stronger than it has ever been because of their efforts. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without Colin and Alicia.”
As Heddle Shipyards continues to grow, it will be through our people’s dedication and the strength of our relationships that shape our future successes. Thanks to Alicia Nash, Colin Kennedy, Canada Steamship Lines, and the entire Heddle team, our company is stronger and more capable than it has ever been.