BEFORE a marine pilot takes a freighter into Vancouver Harbour or a tugboat captain pulls a barge into Burrard Inlet in the future, chances are that person will have had a chance to practice first without even going out on the water.

That’s thanks in large part to new leading-edge equipment at a marine simulation centre showcased Tuesday at BCIT’s Marine Campus in North Vancouver.

The multi-million dollar project gives BCIT the best simulation equipment for training and research in the marine industry in North America.

The new equipment includes North America’s only 360-degree tug towboat bridge simulator and an engine-room simulator complete with ground-shaking special effects.

“Simulation technology, like all technology changes over the years and it’s been getting progressively better. For us as an educational institute, we are behooven to have the best technology we can for our students and our industry,” said John Clarkson, associate dean at the BCIT Marine Campus.

The BCIT Marine Campus has had a simulation centre for 20 years and has four different types of simulators, said Clarkson, including an engine room simulator, a navigation simulator and a ship’s bridge simulator.

Simulators used at the school are similar to a flight simulator that some people may have seen in movies, said Clarkson.

“It has to perform as true to real life as possible and that’s what the manufacturers of the type of equipment have been achieving over the years,” he said.

But in order for BCIT to stay at the forefront of this type of training, “We had to upgrade,” said Clarkson.

The simulators are used for general training, required training for mariners, and for industrial research purposes, he said.

The upgrade was financed by the Government of Canada and Transport Canada, BC Ferries, Kongsberg Maritime Simulation, Kinder Morgan Canada, Pacific Pilotage Authority, Port Metro Vancouver, Seaspan, and the Council of Marine Carriers.

lromei@nsnews.com