Welcome to Mission to Seafarers
Southern Ontario

We can't wait to tell you all about what we do!

The Shipping Industry

How often do you think about where everyday things come from -- or how they got here?

The mouse for your computer?
The shoes for your feet?
The mug for your coffee?
The coffee for your mug?

Over 90% of world trade is shipped by sea, but it happens in the background, invisible to most of us while we go about our daily lives.

When COVID led to shortages across the country, we learning just how important timely shipping is for keeping store shelves stocked. Pictures of ships clogging up ports in California, not to mention the ship stuck in the Suez Canal, drove home how much we depend on the ships to bring us goods from around the world.

But many of us still didn't think about the seafarers. Many were unable to leave their ships for months, stranded only a short distance from the shore but not allowed to disembark. This was just one more challenge for a job fraught with danger, including piracy, shipwreck and abandonment.

That's why Mission to Seafarers is here: to provide emotional and spiritual support. To meet practical needs when possible. To make sure seafarers know that they are NOT forgotten.

What We Do

Whether caring for victims of piracy, providing a lifeline to seafarers stranded in foreign ports, or simply providing a space to relax and a listening ear, the Mission is on hand night and day to support the world’s 1.5 million seafarers. The Mission to Seafarers was founded in 1856 and is entirely funded by voluntary donations.

Chaplaincy

Our ship-visiting chaplains provide a friendly welcome and offer help, support and advice. The Mission to Seafarers is a worldwide society of the Anglican church. We serve seafarers of all beliefs and work in partnership with other faith groups to meet their spiritual needs, whatever they may be.

Emergency Help

In an emergency, the Mission to Seafarers is often the only help on offer. Whether injury, abandonment, non-payment of wages or personal difficulties, they know they can turn to the local Mission for help, advice and support. Our chaplains and volunteers offer practical and financial support, advocacy services, family liaison or simply a space to talk in a time of crisis.

Justice and Welfare

We provide justice and welfare services when a seafarer has not been paid, is working in substandard conditions, being bullied or has been a victim of wrongful arrest. Our staff can intervene and put them in touch with professional support and legal advice through local expertise and contacts.

Experienced Counsellors

Seafarers face harsh working conditions, tensions between crew members and isolation from family. Depression, anxiety and loneliness are common. Our chaplains are trained to recognize and respond to signs of PTSD. In the aftermath of pirate attack, shipwreck or industrial disaster they offer a caring response in the midst of post-event interrogation and bureaucracy.

Hospitality and Communication

Our Mission Centres in Hamilton and Oshawa offer hospitality, the opportunity to connect with family back home through internet and phone facilities. The ports are located in industrial areas far away from shops and amenities. We provide transport so that seafarers can make the most of their brief time ashore.