The
Canada Marine Act, passed in 1998 under the stewardship of
David Collenette,
Minister of Transport, was an act intended to modernize
Canada's most important ports, and make "the system of Canadian ports competitive, efficient and commercially oriented, providing for the establishing of port authorities and the divesting of certain harbours and ports, for the commercialization of the
St. Lawrence Seaway and ferry services and other matters related to maritime trade and transport and amending the Pilotage Act and amending and repealing other Acts as a consequence."