Q&A with Julie Gedeon, writer and translator

Over the years, as the membership has increased, so have Green Marine’s communications expanded in scope. A commitment to clarity and bilingualism has always been at the heart of Green Marine’s editorial stance on the website, through newsletters, with the magazine, and on social media. One of the architects behind the consistent professionalism of all the communications is writer and translator Julie Gedeon.

Julie has been collaborating with Green Marine since its earliest days. She attended the initial GreenTech conference in 2008 in Montreal as a correspondent for a maritime industry publication and has been a contributing writer to every issue of Green Marine Magazine since its inception in November 2009.

Julie assists with Green Marine’s English-language communications, as well as some French-to-English translations. She contributes to the annual report’s production and plays a key role in the magazine’s editorial research and writing.

We take advantage of this section to turn the tables on Julie and ask her a few questions for a change.

Q: You have been working with Green Marine for more than 14 years. How did you come about collaborating with the program?

A: I had already been writing some environmental articles for various publications. My interest in the maritime industry, particularly as a vector for aquatic invasive species, heightened after I completed two weeks of specialized reporter training at the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State. As a result, Ray Johnston, who was then head of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, kept getting interview requests from me, asking how the industry planned to respond to the AIS issue. When Green Marine’s framework was established, he kindly put me in touch with key stakeholders so that I could relate the new organization’s sustainability goals in the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes region to a broader readership. When I was subsequently asked by David Bolduc, initially as Green Marine’s coordinator and then newly appointed executive director, to prepare some additional information, I wholeheartedly agreed, because I don’t believe we can solve environmental issues without industries taking a real lead in such efforts.

Q: What do you like most about working with Green Marine, and what’s most challenging?

A: David and the Communications team – i.e., Manon Lanthier and Julie Turmel – always make it an absolute pleasure to write, edit or translate for Green Marine. They genuinely appreciate the efforts made by others, always remain open to differing points of view, and consistently seek the best possible way to get things done right, while also realizing that people are human and sometimes make errors or miss something.

As for challenging… I would say that people are more pressed for time than ever in these post-pandemic days as they attempt to both keep up with the increased email messages and Zoom calls as well as meet with others in person again. It can be tempting in this busyness to agree only to respond in writing to emailed interview questions, but this doesn’t lend itself to the best information being conveyed. The best insights – and even stories – arise out of dialogue. That’s often when a key element is mentioned in response to a follow-up question or perhaps mentioned as an example or aside. I know I am adding one more thing to everyone’s already busy schedule when I request a phone or online interview, but I always try my best to put that time to best possible use. It’s important to me that everyone who reads any Green Marine information can readily understand it, even if that person doesn’t have a transportation, science or technology background.

Q: You’ve had a good seat to observe Green Marine’s evolution, particularly while researching and writing so many of Green Marine Magazine’s stories… What comes to mind when you reflect on the environmental improvement of the participants over the years?

A: Firstly, I’m impressed with how sophisticated those improvements have been in many cases. Some of the advancements that have been made in fleet renewal – whether on a laker or tug – wouldn’t have been imagined 15 years ago. There’s been a ‘can do’ attitude that I think deserves a lot of credit. With Green Marine’s supporters and partners, the participants have been willing to look at environmental issues with a genuine intent to find effective feasible solutions.

Secondly, I’m still amazed at how much Green Marine has changed the industry’s culture. I found it very “closed door” when I first started reporting on transportation issues. People seemed reluctant to share any of what they were doing, even when it was something positive. Green Marine has fostered a culture of sharing best practices, along with successes and setbacks, in addressing common issues with the realization that the industry’s environmental reputation is only as strong as its weakest link. As a result, more and more of the industry in North America, and more recently with Green Marine Europe, are lifting each other up with shared goals, insights and experience.

Q:We want to know you better… What’s your background? What got you to work as a freelance writer and translator specialized in maritime?

A: I’ve always loved writing. I started out in Journalism as a suburban newspaper reporter, then became a special sections’ editor at The (Montreal) Gazette, and later a radio reporter at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for a dozen years. During that time, I always freelanced for various magazines on the wide variety of topics of interest to me – everything from crafting a full-sized motorcycle replica out of wood to the world’s annual sommelier competition. I have always had a particular fascination with trains and with boats of any size and am always ecstatic to be aboard either of them. I’ve traveled across Canada and up to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, by train, as well as down to Florida. And I make a point of sitting or standing outdoors whenever I get chance to be aboard any kind of vessel, even if it’s fiercely cold or windy so I don’t overall romanticize maritime travel… but I still do. To be able to write about ships and trains just increases my marvel of them.

Q: Green Marine Magazine switched to 100% digital format last year… How do you like this new format? Do you think it serves the content well?

A: To be honest, I initially had my doubts, because some of the old-style electronic flipbooks or pdf files were slow or awkward to navigate or download, but Green Marine has come up with a format that really works to instantly read the articles either leisurely, on the go, or between things. I also now appreciate how quickly we can respond if there’s a sudden change in key information close to deadline, or to correct something that isn’t accurate despite our best attempts to make it so. It’s also simpler to provide readers with the links to additional relevant information. Personally, I love how some ads ‘follow’ me down the page as I read. It’s a cool setup!

Q: Is there a specific type of story you like best to write for the magazine (about innovation, Anchors Away, the Q&A, Above and Beyond or something else) and, if so, why?

A: As someone who’s always curious about why something is important and how it might work better, I enjoy all the stories, especially since the magazine has steadily evolved to focus primarily on the solutions being sought and tried out to address Green Marine’s prioritized issues. However, a lot of my favourite stories have focused on the industry daring to do things differently in a leadership role by, for example, being the first to survey waste with the goal of eliminating onboard garbage, or testing biofuel on vessels, or setting up bee or bird habitat along shorelines, or creating a public swimming area within a port. Working on stories for Green Marine has made me more of an environmentalist, too by, for example, coordinating my work-related travel and vacations to minimize GHG emissions, and using a clothesline most of the year to avoid creating lint that could end up in waterways.