Georgian College

Come to the annual Transfer and Degree Fair January 23, 2014 10AM – 2PM Barrie Campus Gym All are welcome — alumni, students, staff, faculty, community! Your past coursework and life/learning experience could be used toward course exemptions in your program or toward continuing your education in Canada or abroad Offi ce of the Registrar, Barrie Campus georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer ctcregistrar@georgiancollege.ca CTC_halfpage_ad_2013.indd 1 13-08-21 11:43 AM ENTREPRENEuRIAl AluMNI As a boy growing up in Port Dover, Scott Bravener dreamed of navigating the Great Lakes. With a diploma from Georgian's Great Lakes International Marine Training and Research Centre in hand, he made his dream a reality. After a decade on the water, Bravener and some fellow Georgian alumni had a vision for their own shipping business. They started Lower Lakes Towing (LLT) and began transporting goods between Canada and the U.S. After purchasing a tugboat and a barge in 1994, the company has since grown to a fleet of 16 vessels and continues operations in both countries. LLT has been at the forefront of vessel repowering and was the first company on the Great Lakes to successfully trial a zero discharge system for the treatment of bilge water and treated sewage effluent. "It was important for us to find a way to make our company as lake-friendly as possible," Bravener said. Bilge water is a mixture of fresh or sea water, oil, sludge, chemicals and various other fluids that collect in the bilge; the lowest part of a ship. With government regulations recognizing the importance of keeping this liquid from spilling in to the environment, LLT made it their mandate to treat the water on site and filter it immediately. Bravener, who was named Great Lakes Man of the Year for 2013, is proud of his company and how far it has come. The company employs 500 staff and transports approximately 18 million metric tons of materials annually through the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Seaway system. "I'm an office guy now but I often think back to being captain on my first ship. Shipping on the Great Lakes holds almost a romance with the history of the province," says Bravener. 2013 Premier's Awards nominee Scott Bravener Marine technology – navigation, 1984 President and CeO, Lower Lakes towing Ltd. marinedelivers.com/lower-lakes-towing 12 | GeorgianView 2013/14

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