Of the thousands of stories Laurence Pathy could tell from 38 years of leading Fednav Limited, he chooses those involving people – the reason behind all cargo – whether employees, customers or consumers. The stories became part of Pathy’s acceptance speech when being inducted into the Captain John P. Wellington Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame Sept. 10.

The virtual ceremony highlighted Pathy as one of the “explorers, inventors, shipbuilders, sailors and countless others who have made a contribution to the exploration and development of the Great Lakes through the eras of sail, steam and present,” says Jim Weakley, president of Lake Carriers Association and event host. “Their braveries, their talents and their ideas have powered the development of the Great Lakes transportation systems, thus opening the heartland of North America to settlement and commerce. The skill and dedication of these people and thousands of others is needed to fulfill the tremendous potential of the Great Lakes.”

Pathy remains chairman of Fednav Limited. He continues to frequent the office and consult with staff. His son, Paul Pathy, is now president and CEO.

“I’m honored to be receiving this award,” Laurence Pathy says. “It’s a very meaningful one.”

The year 2021 marks the first time an inductee has come from an international shipping company. The senior Pathy served as president and CEO from 1972 to 2010.

Stepping Up

On Sept. 7, 1944, as World War II moved toward its end in Europe, Federal Commerce and Navigation Co. Ltd. was registered in Toronto, Ontario. The company was started by Ernest Pathy, one of four brothers born in Hungary. Before the first world war, the family moved to Egypt, where they developed successful interests in shipping, insurance, Coca-Cola franchises, tramways, housing and automobile dealerships.

Ernest Pathy moved to Canada in 1940 with his young family and settled in Toronto, where he started businesses in insurance and textiles before founding Federal Commerce.

When he died suddenly, his brothers collectively took care of the business until Laurence Ladi Pathy completed his studies in the United States. In 1960, a year after the St. Lawrence Seaway opened and the company launched FALLine, Pathy moved to Montreal for training. He soon became actively involved in the commercial side of the business.

The end of the decade saw Ladi Pathy and his young team in firm control of day-to-day operations. The company was a significant player in Seaway trade, operating a fleet of 40 to 50 ships on charter and owning three Seaway-bulk carriers. The company was consistently recording solid profits. Under Pathy’s youthful energy and innovation, Federal Commerce had come of age.

Vision and Leadership

In 1972, the senior Pathy became president and CEO of Fednav Limited. He continued expanding the fleet and diversifying services into stevedoring and full-service logistics.

Fednav ordered new ships from Port Weller Dry Docks, including construction of MV Arctic, a powerful bulker built to break ice unescorted in the northern-most trade zone. Worldwide offices opened and the ship cargoes diversified, leading to more global partnerships and new destinations.

“Mr. Pathy is someone who has a vision for what marine transportation could be on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway,” Weakley says. “He executed that vision and Fednav grew as a company. He literally connected the Great Lakes with the rest of the world.

“We are fortunate that our region is populated with those who appreciate and respect its beauty and natural resources. Safe and efficient marine transportation is one of our natural resources. Mr. Pathy made that connection and continues to make connections – to other people, other organizations and other regions.

“People who know him, point out that he often avoids the spotlight.”

Beyond the company, Pathy is a leader of the regional maritime industry.

He is a founding chair of Green Marine. He was awarded the Medal of Merit by the Association of Canadian Port Authorities in 2007 for his outstanding contribution to the Canadian shipping industry. The Right Honorable Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada and former owner of Canada Steamship Lines, attended the Friday evening ceremony to honor Pathy and his work as a cornerstone to the industry.

Pathy was introduced by his son Paul.

“I’ve learned innumerable business lessons from him,” Paul says, noting that he still approaches him with thoughts that continue to broaden Fednav’s plans and pursuits. “Most importantly, I’ve learned the values hes learned and used to form the company.”

The values continue to lead company culture. They are honesty and integrity, do what’s right; professional excellence, being the best we can be; regard for employees, standing by our people; and corporate social responsibility, respecting community and environment.

“They sound so simple, but they are hard to do in today’s world,” Paul Pathy says when introducing his father at the ceremony. “I learned these values from my father, from Ladi Pathy, and they are what has established the essence of who we are as a company today and who I am as a leader.”

Acceptance

Pathy’s acceptance speech was filled with “we,” acknowledging his son’s leadership and the value of the company’s employees. He joked about missing a golf game and thanked everyone for attending.

He talked of the opportunities – like reflagging two Ro-Ro ships as U.S. and employing American crew to help the U. S. government transport military equipment, vehicles and household goods in the mid-1980s. The ships were later sold to the U.S. government and became part of America’s Desert Storm defense of an Iraqi invasion in Kuwait.

In 1978, as Saigon was being overthrown by the North Vietnamese army, sailors aboard Fednavs Avon Forest found themselves rescuing refugees. They were just some of the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fleeing their homeland in fear of retribution after foreign allies pulled out of the country.

“The Avon Forest and Laurentian Forest were operating the Asia-Europe business route,” Pathy recalls. “Refugees were leaving Vietnam in boatloads, a very tragic situation; many people did not survive.”

“While trading in southeast Asia, the Avon Forest picked up 40 Vietnamese who were in dire circumstances and landed them in Taiwan. These boat people immigrated, some of them to Canada and some to Montreal.

When planning to renovate the Montreal office, Fednav hired an architectural firm to assist. One of the team members was Asian, Vietnamese. Pathy was humbled as the man spoke of how he was one of the refugees rescued that day by the crew of Avon Forest. He was 3 years old.

“He is now in his 40s,” Pathy says. “He didn’t realize who we were and that we had anything to do with it until we began to talk.

“It’s quite a story that is quite touching to me.”

Pathy grew a company. He invested in people and a company that continues to provide steel for regional manufacturing and North American grain for those living in Europe, among others.

“You could say, well from 1944 to 2021, how did we get here? I guess we made a lot of good decisions, a few bad ones, and we’ve had some good luck,” the senior Pathy says. “But the key to our success has been, and is, the people who have worked with us and supported our efforts. These people include our hardworking agents, our Seaway authorities, administrators, port directors, U.S. Coast Guard and many others. Our appreciation goes to all of them.

“And of course, and in particular, the dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm of our Fednav employees have all been a key to our success.”