A Short History of CIMarE
For many years, marine engineers in Canada relied on the Institute of Marine Engineers (IMarE), located in London, England, for professional support and development.
The IMarE, managed for many years by J. Stuart Robinson, is now known as the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST) and continues to offer world-wide services from London.
IMarE set up a Canadian Division with seven branches across Canada, managed by T.M. Pallas. Tom was able to provide support for Canada’s marine engineers and arranged for some Canadian submissions to the Marine Engineers Review (MER) – published by IMarE to this day.
Unfortunately, a number of the Canadian Members and Fellows of IMarE felt they were too distant from their professional association and IMarE was a little out of touch with its Canadian members. In the 1970’s, these Canadian engineers began to discuss the possibility of launching a Canadian institute to provide in-country support for Canada’s marine engineers. So it was that, in 1976, Letters Patent were received and the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineers (CIMarE) was born. Several years later, the Institute’s name was changed to the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (with the same acronym – CIMarE).
The Canadian Institute became the sponsor for the seven existing IMarE Branches; later a Prairies & North Branch was formed, but it was not sustainable. In addition, Area Coordinators were appointed at a number of centres across Canada where marine engineers were employed. This concept also was not sustainable and was set aside. Although a significant number of marine engineers in Canada retained their IMarE memberships, the Canadian operation was a success and members responded well to the presence of our own Institute in Canada.
In 1978, the National Council, working with the Atlantic Branch, arranged for a Marine Engineering Technical Conference to be known as Mari-Tech. In 1979, the Atlantic Branch was the host of the inaugural event that was to establish a new tradition for CIMarE. Successive branches have, in rotation, continued to host a Mari-Tech each year.
Efforts were made to provide access to the MER for CIMarE members, but despite extended negotiations between CIMarE and IMarE, there ultimately was no practical solution. So it was that a Canadian publication was born, the Marine Engineering Digest (MED) and some very good articles were published along with Branch news. There was also an attempt to integrate the annual fees but each entity found it necessary to receive full fees such that a smaller combined fee for membership in both Institutes was not possible. There was created an Overseas Affiliate – non-voting members of IMarE who would, for a reduced fee, receive the MER.
In later years, limited budgets and volunteer efforts led the Institute to join forces with Brian Gallery’s Seaports and the Shipping World for publication of the Marine Engineering Digest (MED). Later Seaports joined Canadian Sailings, Transportation & Trade Logistics, to publish the MED. Currently, the MED is published in house and sent via email to those members with internet access. As well, the MED is available online as one of the member resources available in the Members Only area of this website.