By Leo Ryan, Editor
Michael Broad, a longtime, passionate and highly-influential champion of Canada’s shipping universe, passed away on November 24. The team at Maritime Magazine extends its most heartfelt condolences to his wife Janice of 50-plus years, three daughters, the overall family, many friends and past associates.
Between January 1, 2004 and February 2022, Michael Broad was President of the Montreal-based Shipping Federation of Canada (SFC), the voice of the owners, operators and agents of the ocean ships carrying Canada’s world trade to and from three coastlines.
However, for me, after two decades of frequent inter-action with Mike, describing him as an industry champion represents just a partial definition. I prefer the broader term of Prince of a Man. This better reflects the combination of such character traits as charm, Integrity, leadership, kindness, sense of humour, seemingly tireless energy, respect for others. A very special role model. And that smile!
Before joining what is widely known as Shipfed, Mike was President of B & K Shipping Agency Ltd., a ship agency with offices in Montreal and Toronto. With this experience, he brought an in-depth knowledge of the shipping business, and an agent’s perspective in particular, to the Federation’s operations.
A member of the Federation’s Board of Directors from 1987 to 2003, he served as Chairman in 1997-1988. In addition, he served as Industry Co-Chair of the National Marine Advisory Board between 2012 and 2019 and was a board member of several community organizations, including Mariners House of Montreal.
During his stewardship, Mike Broad is credited with advancing the SFC’s brand and reputation as THE national voice of international shipping in Canada. He led the Board through five planning processes in order to continuously adjust the Federation’s strategic priorities in the fast-changing global environment.
Many achievements
On policy and operational fronts, the list of achievements is significant.
For instance, Michael Broad was instrumental in obtaining funding for a new Canadian Coast Guard icebreaking fleet.
He quarterbacked SFC’s participation and leadership in marine environmental issues – notably ballast water, whale protection and air emissions.
Definitely a major area of attention was Canada’s mandatory pilotage system. While the SFC has always recognized the essential role marine pilots play in ensuring safe navigation in Canadian waters, there were concerns over costs and sometimes inadequate services from the pilot corporations. Michael Broad played a key role in having the Pilotage Act reviewed, modernized and amended in 2019 for the first time since it was passed in 1972. Subsequently, he helped to launch the National Pilotage Committee to guide the new Act’s implementation.
Supply chain challenges and the competitiveness of Canadian ports are also high on the SFC’s radar screen. Worthy of recalling in this regard was the strong support that Michael Broad advanced in 2018 on behalf of the SFC for the Port of Montreal’s Contrecœur container terminal project in a letter to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. Among other points, the letter referred to an ambitious national trade agenda in the years ahead in Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean and opportunities specifically flowing from the 2014 Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union.
A personal anecdote
In dealing with Michael Broad through the years which included exchanges on columns on topical industry subjects that he wrote a number of times for Maritime Magazine, I quickly discovered his keen interest in words, especially the right words to convey a thought. I was in the company of a fellow wordsmith – like writers determined to treat words like craftmanship.
But Mike went further than I ever did or could: succeeding in almost completing the crossword puzzle of the Sunday Edition of the New York Times, possibly the world’s most daunting crossword puzzle in the English language.
As I noticed on several occasions when crossing paths with him on a train or airplane, for “relaxation” purposes Mike was concentrated on his word-hunting task to the degree that there could have been a DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging in front of him…
(Photo from archives of the Shipping Federation of Canada)