CRUISE
COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY
Photo: Port of Saint John
At Port Saint John, Canada's shifting strategic priorities towards sustainability have trickled down into cruise practices, writes Michele Witthaus
Port Saint John is found on the Bay of Fundy as part of the Canada-New England cruise itinerary, offering visitors access to the highest tides in the world. The port handled 25.9 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2020 and when cruise resumes following the Covid-19 pandemic, it will welcome its cumulative three-millionth guest. Saint John, New Brunswick has a long-standing industrial reputation, says Paula Copeland, director, communications and corporate social responsibility. “Much of our local workforce is employed in the trades and we pride ourselves on putting our nose to the grindstone and getting the job done. In recent years sustainability has become part of our character with solar panels, bike paths and electric car charging stations, all found within five minutes from our port.” BIRTH OF A CRUISE DESTINATION The Port Saint John cruise story began unexpectedly in 1989 when the Cunard Princess cruise ship called on the port. The ship was originally headed to tropical Bermuda but diverted when a hurricane came into the weather forecast and Saint John was chosen as an alternate location. Today, the world's largest cruise lines call on Saint John. Since 1989, more than 1,200 cruise ships have visited the port and 1 in 10 jobs in the region are tourism-related. “As we seek to continue to grow our cruise sector in the future, it is now formally ingrained in our corporate identity and priorities to be environmentally and sustainability-minded stewards of the Bay of Fundy,” says Natalie Allaby, cruise development manager at Port Saint John. “Sustainability considerations and overall business growth now go hand in hand when decision making and executing our cruise development initiatives.”
30 | SPRING 2021
8 A ‘triple cruise’ day at Port Saint John
Some of the attractions Greater Saint John has to offer are historic architecture, amazing seafood and many outdoor activities which correlate with the highest tides in the world found in the Bay of Fundy. Guests can walk on the ocean floor while tides are out and explore caves by foot then, just a couple of hours later, kayak into the same caves. Saint John is known for its residents' friendly, welcoming attitudes, which rings true for many Atlantic Canadian provinces. SHIFTING PRIORITIES With a strong focus on strategic priorities, the Port Saint John team is committed to a high-performance standard in operating. Not only do the strategic priorities guide the business, but they are also incorporated into yearly planning by all 42 employees at the port, so everyone's yearly goals reflect one or more of the strategic priorities. Tying performance to the strategic priorities both organisationally and personally leads to a high level of adoption and stronger results.
Each year, the organisation’s strategic priorities are reviewed and adjusted accordingly. It was during the 2015 review that sustainability and environment were added as top of mind for the port “Focusing on our key priorities and structuring our work plans around them, keeps our vision for what the port aspires to be front and centre, for not only our Board and management and our employees but also with port and community stakeholders,” says CEO, Jim Quinn. Each year, the organisation's strategic priorities are reviewed
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