Port authority extends complimentary Wi-Fi access to support seafarers at the Port of Vancouver

In recognition of the International Marine Organization (IMO)’s ‘Day of the Seafarer’ on June 25, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is pleased to announce that it has extended its commitment to provide complimentary Wi-Fi to seafarers within the Port of Vancouver’s jurisdiction until 2024.

Seafarers play an essential role at the Port of Vancouver and globally, ensuring the safe and efficient transport of cargo and everyday goods. Seafarers are typically on board a ship 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are separated from their family and friends for long periods of time. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many seafarers have been separated from loved ones for long periods, due to travel and other restrictions. WiFi is not usually available on all ships for personal use, and if available are expensive, which adds to the challenges seafarers have experienced during the pandemic.

In 2021, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority announced the donation of five portable Wi-Fi units to the port chaplains with a two-year financial commitment to help seafarers easily connect with their loved ones. Once a ship is at berth the port chaplains from Mission to Seafarers, Sailors Society, Lighthouse Ministries or Stellar Maris hand deliver a portable Wi-Fi unit to the captain of the ship for the duration of their stay in Vancouver.

The port authority’s extension of complimentary Wi-Fi will enable seafarers to connect with their loved ones anywhere in the world via a reliable Wi-Fi network.

This complimentary Wi-Fi program is one of the ways in which the port authority is working with seafarer welfare organizations to support seafarers’ mental health and wellbeing.

The IMO’s Day of the Seafarer recognizes the invaluable contribution seafarers make to international trade. For more information about the Day of the Seafarer, visit the IMO’s event page here.