11 June 2026The second webinar in the Case Study Series “Iced Coffee” was hosted by the Canadian delegation and focused on the incident of the cargo vessel MV Thamesborg. The vessel ran aground on a shoal in Franklin Strait, Nunavut, while transiting the Canadian Northwest Passage. The main actors that worked through different facets of the response were the Canadian Coast Guard and Environment and Climate Change Canada.The response to the MV Thamesborg incident began on 6 September 2025 after the vessel grounded in the Canadian Arctic. Operated by Royal Wagenborg, the ship was transporting a commercial cargo of carbon anodes from China to Baie-Comeau, Quebec. Although the grounding damaged multiple ballast tanks, neither the fuel tanks nor cargo holds were breached, and none of the 16 crew members were injured. The incident required a complex Arctic response involving close coordination between search and rescue (SAR) operations and marine environmental hazards response (MEHR) authorities. The presenters of the webinar were: Kevin Knapp, Superintendent of Marine Environmental and Hazards Response for the Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic Region Vanessa Beaulac, Manager of the Emergencies Science and Technology Section at Environment and Climate Change Canada The Canadian Coast Guard provided monitoring, coordination, safety oversight, and facilitating execution of a salvage plan in remote and challenging operating conditions. After remaining aground for 33 days, the vessel was successfully refloated on 9 October 2025 through carefully coordinated cargo transfers and ballast management operations, without injuries or environmental damage. A major component of the MEHR operation involved environmental monitoring and forecasting, modelling, and chemical fate and behaviour analysis provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Initial response measures included daily oil spill trajectory modelling, site-specific weather forecasts, and ice forecasting. These assessments informed operational planning throughout the response. According to Knapp, response teams also conducted “daily pollution spot checks from a helicopter, from drones, and also from small craft operations when the sea state allowed,” while extensive refresher equipment training was carried out with Canadian Coast Guard crews deployed on site. Beaulac highlighted the importance of early scientific coordination in environmentally sensitive regions, such as the Arctic. She noted that “timely engagement of Environment and Climate Change Canada enables timely delivery of science data to inform the response operations,” emphasizing how quick access to environmental data strengthened operational decision-making throughout the incident. She further explained that the Canadian response regime is built on “continuous improvement to learn from each event and provide even better support in the next incident.” Reflecting on the operation, Knapp described the response as “an eye-opener” for many, while adding that such operational circumstances were “not a surprise for any of us that are working in the Arctic.” The comment highlighted both the growing complexity of Arctic maritime activity and the importance of preparedness, coordination, and environmental monitoring in remote regions.
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