December 18, 2014
The $7.8 million investment will be used to purchase 185 new-generation year-round buoys and to deployed on the St. Lawrence river between Montréal and Québec City. These lighted buoys will increase navigational safety on the fluvial section. They are specially designed to withstand the harsh, icy conditions of the St. Lawrence.
In the fall of 2014, 17 year-round buoy prototypes were deployed between Québec City and Montréal for testing. Work was also done to adjust the components of these state-of-the-art buoys, which are adapted to the particular conditions of the St. Lawrence. Testing will continue over the next two years.
This winter, for example, the Canadian Coast Guard will be examining the buoy's hydrodynamic behaviour, its battery as well as the resistance of certain parts of the buoy that are prone to premature wear due to the ice. These new-generation year-round buoys will meet the highest safety standards and be capable of withstanding the harsh, icy conditions of the St. Lawrence.
Two prototypes of buoys were developed to meet the specific requirements of the St. Lawrence River's different sectors. Their general characteristics are as follows:
Long model
Steel buoys installed between Grondines and Sault-au-Cochon (Côte-de-Beaupré)
Diameter: 1.3 metres
Length: 10 metres
Minimum air draught: 2.5 metres
Weight: 4,000 kg
Short model
Steel buoys installed between Montréal and Grondines
Diameter: 1.3 metres
Length: 9.2 metres
Minimum air draught: 2 metres
Weight: 3,500 kg
News release: Harper Government Invests for Safe Navigation on the St. Lawrence River
BG-QR-14-57E
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