IEEE Ottawa Section

Tour jointly sponsored by IEEE Ottawa Chapters VTS and AESS.

Plans have firmed up for a trip to see the Seaway VIS shore-based systems in the Montreal area.
All-day Saturday, 24 May; - travel by private car with car-pooling.

Further technical information:
http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/navigation/ais_project.html

All-day Saturday, 24 May 2003

travel by private cars (with possible doubling up; gas from Ottawa is about $30 - $40)
Formal registration and interest from May 12th - must register by 20 May see below

reservations/details - Hugh Reekie h.reekie@ieee.org or 613-728-5343

Pre-registration is required. Numbers limited to 30.
The cut-off for registrations is 20 May, after which time no further registrations can be accepted. Schedule:

• Leave Ottawa 7.45 am - to Montreal via Hwy 417
• All stop off at Herb's truck stop - Hwy 34 exit #27 - near Hawkesbury/Vankleek Hill - 100 km to both Montreal and Ottawa - 8.50am - 9.10 am. -
  • Get a "driving/parking" printed package - as the parking and driving instructions are a bit demanding.
  • Buy a Montreal map book at Herb's - in case you get lost!
• Arrive at Canadian Coastguard Longueuil (MCTS), see below for directions, arrive 10.20 am. Wait in lot for all to arrive (building lobby has no seating); enter by side door.
  • If spouse/families come, they should stay in the car until we all arrive, and then drive to the local park with seafood restaurant nearby
  • Proceed as a group into the building at 10.30 am
  • 30 minute presentation - in boardroom - by Lea Braker - retired CCG Ottawa
  • Room takes 12 sitting, 12 standing (or rear seating)
  • View the despatch/control room - split into groups - 11 am - 11.30 am
  • Details for arrival and parking at CCG Longueuil for registrants from the Montreal area, are described below.
  • Montreal registrants reveive the "driving/parking" package at CCG Longueuil.
• Drive (10 minutes) to local seafood restaurant La Capitainerie (reservations made for 12). Start lunch noon.
  Collect rest of family if appropriate.
  • Very good views of Seaway vessel traffic, Montreal and Olympic Stadium - bring your binoculars.
  • If you do not wish to attend the lunch, please specify on registration.
• Leave for St Lambert Seaway lock, 1.10 pm - 15 minutes. Careful directions very necessary.
  • Excellent parking next to Seaway and St. Lambert/Victoria Rail/Road lift bridge. - Good close-up views for families. Sit in car if cold/raining.There are no picnic tables, but a fence provides security. email air photo available.
  • Register for Building access - go to 3rd floor - at 1.30 pm.
  • 30 minute talk in Presentation room (seats 30) - Stephen Hung - Seaway Authority, Massena New York.
  • Tour of Lock Control Centre and AIS displays - split into groups - 4th floor - 2 - 2.30 pm
• Leave for home - 2.45 pm. Best way is same as going - over Champlain Bridge, up Decarie, West along Trans-Canada rte 40
  • About 5 pm. Back in Ottawa, with stops as required.

• From the West, travel along Rte 20. When in Longueuil, take exit 11.
• Follow signs - onto Blvd Roland Therrien - in an industrial park with high-rise buildings.
• After 700m make a U-turn at the traffic light; you are now going back towards rte 20!
• Take a slip exit for 101 Roland Therrien - the last building before rte 20; the building is not well marked and the slip road is hard to find.
• Please park in the most north-westerly part of the parking lot, backed up against the fence; we all meet up there; all should arrive about 10.20 am. Stay in or near your vehicles, even if it is raining.
• At 10.30 am, there will be a "roll call" to see that all have arrived. Late-comers cannot be accommodated, sorry: I suggest you drive on to lunch.
• We all proceed together to the building, and arrange for access to the Canadian Coastguard Facility. This facility does not normally accept visitors, and is not equipped with a lobby and reception area. There is no seating in the building lobby.
• It is most important that these arrangements are understood; should late arrivals attempt to access the CCG area, everyone will be embarrassed.
• A bitmap image showing the building location can be sent on request - preferably by email. Ottawa car drivers can pick this up at Herb's truck stop.
• Luncheon is at "La Capitainerie" - 99 Chem de la Rive, at noon; directions will be given at 10.25 am.
• Directions to, and procedures for, the St. Lambert Lock are so complicated that specific written/pictorial instructions will be available - also at 10.25 am!

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  To register please send an email to Hugh Reekie with the following information:

• Full name; Citizenship; email address & phone number; whether IEEE member or not
• Vehicle type and licence number - with indications of passengers - and/or a request for a ride; gas cost sharing is by mutual agreement.
• Availability of space for offering rides, with pick-up location suggestions and other special requirements.
• The cut-off for registrations is 20 May, after which time no further registrations can be accepted.

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  A joint VTS AESS & IEE meeting

The St. Lawrence Seaway Vessel Automatic Identification System - AIS
How does it work?

Berthold Tepper, Canadian Coastguard

Monday 28th April 2003, 7.30 pm - The Crowsnest, Naval Officer's Mess, 78 Lisgar St

Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a new technology that has the potential to greatly improve the safety of navigation while offering economic benefits to all those who use it. The basic concept for a shipborne transponder that could be used for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication was introduced by IALA as far back as the early 1990's. The introduction of the Self-organizing Time Division Multiple Access (SOTDMA) technology in around 1996 provided a highly capable technology platform for this concept. Since that time IALA has been leading the effort to produce the necessary technical specifications, recommendations and guidelines for AIS. This paper provides a historical sketch of how AIS developed since the early 90's and will describe how AIS works. A large (1.8mb) file, in Powerpoint, of the presentation can be made available.

Bert Tepper is AIS Project Manager, Coast Guard, DFO Canada. Following graduation with a B.Sc. (1960) and M.Sc. (1965) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta, Mr. Tepper worked for a number of industrial (Northern Electric, Bell Northern Research) and government organizations ( Transport Canada, Aviation Group, Canadian Coast Guard ) being responsible for product development, manufacturing, system engineering and life-cycle management in a variety of technical fields (microwave transmission equipment, radio navigation and communication equipment). In 2002 Mr.Tepper was appointed Manager, AIS Special Project, responsible for planning the AIS program of the Canadian Coast Guard. Mr. Tepper is a member of IEEE and a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Ship-Shore Communications in Canada, and the Introduction of Digital Selective Calling

George Olmstead - Canadian Coast Guard - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

The Canadian Coast Guard is in the process of installing VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) systems as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) at selected Marine Communications and Traffic Service Centres on the East and West Coasts of Canada, these systems will be declared in Full Operational Condition on August 1, 2003. This is in conjunction with the HF DSC that has been installed and operational in the Canadian Arctic. An "Evaluation of the Need for a VHF/DSC Safety Service in the St Lawrence River and The Great Lakes" was completed on January 28, 2002 by ViC Ltd. and recommended the installation of VHF/DSC in these areas.

George Olmstead is the Project Director and the MCTS Project Officer for the installation of the National VHF/DSC System in Canada. He is currently the Acting Manager of Marine Communications and Traffic Services mainly responsible for the delivery of MCTS services by the Canadian Coast Guard. A hard copy of this presentation can be mailed on request.

Attendance was 16; 8 IEEE members.