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Washington Marine Group (formerly Seaspan International Ltd.) operates its fleet of tugs and barges from a large, modern complex, located at the foot of Pemberton Avenue in North Vancouver.  Sharing the 40 acres on the North Shore of Vancouver Harbour, is their subsidiary company, Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd., engaged in the design, construction and repair of vessels ranging from pleasure craft, to ferries and large ocean-going carriers and cruise ships.  Vancouver Shipyards handles vessels entering British Columbia waters up to 75,000 DWT with a 36,000 tonne capacity Panamax floating drydock and 1,500 tonne Syncrolift.  The roots of these two companies reach back almost 100 years in the history of British Columbia and  the Port of Vancouver.  Seaspan and Vancouver Shipyards have a combined workforce of 1,000.

Washington Marine Group, the largest tug and barge company in Canada, has a fleet of 45 tugs, two trainships and 240 special purpose barges, including the largest self-loading, self-dumping log barge in the world.  A familiar sight along the coastline of the Pacific northwest and British Columbia riverways, Washington Marine Group's equipment is identified by its distinctive colours: black hulls with red and white superstructure, further distinguished by the jaunty symbol of a seahorse.

Washington Marine Group figures prominently in the activities of the Port of Vancouver.  Its tugs and barges assigned to move materials, goods and equipment for some of British Columbia's largest industries, are a substantial part of the traffic entering and leaving the harbour.

In addition to the marine transportation services it provides to the forest, mining, chemical and construction industries, Washington Marine Group plays a large role in the movement of vessels within the port system.  Ocean going barges operate along the west coast of North America between ports in British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Mexico.  Its shipdocking and handling activities are concentrated at Roberts Bank, where its tugs shepherd some of the largest vessels to enter British Columbia waters.

A highly-diversified tug and barge company with a colourful history of trans-Pacific salvage exploits and pioneering work in Alaska waters as well as the Canadian Arctic, Washington Marine Group has grown and progressed.  Together with its associated companies, Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd., Vancouver Drydock Company and SeaFuels Ltd., Washington Marine Group will continue to meet the growing needs of the marine industry in the Pacific northwest.