News & Multimedia

Seaway opens 53rd navigation season projecting 7% increase for 2011

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:40:25 +0100

Press Release

St. Lambert, Québec (March 22, 2011) - The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) predicted that cargo shipments would rise by about seven per cent to 39.1 million tonnes for 2011 as it marked the official opening of its 53rd navigation season today at the St. Lambert Lock.

"Transportation of raw materials serves as a bellwether for the economy as a whole, and despite volatile global economic conditions, we have reason to be cautiously optimistic regarding our various market segments" said SLSMC President and CEO Terence Bowles. "Projections for the 2011 season foresee continued strength in the traditional staple cargoes of grain and iron ore. Shipments of road salt are projected to increase to replenish inventories depleted over a challenging winter season. Project cargo is pegged to rise due in part to continued activity in the oil sands."

Ian White, President and CEO of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) served as the keynote speaker. "The CWB moves between 3 and 3.5 million tonnes of grain to markets through the Seaway each year, making it a vital part of our supply chain," said Mr. White. "Recent announcements on laker construction by a number of companies demonstrate our shared confidence in the Seaway's vibrant future. We look forward to the Seaway continuing to play a critical role in our ability to meet the growing needs of our customers in Europe, Africa and Latin America for the high-quality grain produced by Prairie farmers."

Announcements by Algoma Central Corporation, Canada Steamship Lines, and the Canadian Wheat Board to build state-of-the-art vessels bring about the prospect of fleet renewal, with the addition of vessels that offer leading edge engine technology, fuel efficiency and environmental performance. "This initial investment by our clients, amounting to over $350 million dollars, serves as a strong endorsement for the future of the St. Lawrence Seaway" said SLSMC President and CEO Terence Bowles.

Joining Mr. White on the podium was Stephen Wilkes, a senior executive with Tata Steel, which has operations in Ohio, Indiana, and the Province of Ontario. "Marine transportation plays a key role for the steel industry and its customers, enabling the efficient movement of raw materials, semi-finished, and finished products which directly contribute to the Canadian and U.S. manufacturing base" said Mr. Wilkes. "We need to work together to ensure that all stakeholders recognize the importance of the Great Lakes Seaway System's role in supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs."

Collister Johnson Jr., Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, noted that the marine mode continues to be the most energy efficient mode of transportation. "In an era of rapidly rising fuel prices, moving more cargo via the marine mode will serve to lessen our dependence on imported petroleum and bolster our national security" said Johnson.

Since the Seaway's inception in 1959, over 2.5 billion tonnes valued in excess of $375 billion has been transported via the Seaway's locks and channels. For more information concerning the Seaway, and insight into its future, please visit www.greatlakes-seaway.com.

The begining of winter navigation above Quebec city

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:00:00 +0100

1928 is remembered as the early benginings of winter navigation on the St-Lawrence on the Quebec Noth Shore region. A small vessel of a few hundred tons from the then renowned Clarke Steamship Co. was serving the Norh shore region from the home port of Pointe-au-Pic. An increase in demand brought in a second ship on this route in 1956-1957 (Lasserre, 1980).

A year later, during the 1957-1958 winter season, Quebec city sees the arrival of the vessel D'Vora wich will make trips between Quebec city and the Nothe Shore as far down as Sept-Iles. The following winter, three companies will put in service five ships on this home trade route (Lasserre, 1980); Winter navigation became a reality.

The clock tower - 1938

Photo courtesy of the Port of Montreal archives.

Above Quebec city, a fluke from Mother Nature is behind the early beginings of ice winter navigation; Indeed, in december 1958, the early and sudden freezing of the Lachine and Soulanges canals in the first week of december, locked in thirty-eight ships among wich were twelve ocean going vessels. Notwithstanding damages to locks equipment, delays and skepticism, the relentless work of labourers will contribute to free these ships and allow them to safely reach Montreal.

The 1958-1959 winter blocade of the St-Lawrence brouhght in the realization that river navigation to Montreal was possible even amidst the strongest of winters. Even after the remakable passage of the first ship, the Poseidon, wich transited on january 12th and 13th between Montreal and Quebec city , mainly without the help of icebreakers, the necessary deployement of icebreakers D'Iberville, Montcalm, MacLean, Ernest Lapointe and the Labrador also allowed to measure the task on hand and the strenght of the elements faced upon on the St-Lawrence. One of the notable and positive effects of the icebreakers work on the river to allow the vessel's passages, was to free the ice jams and lower the water levels by many feet; Before the intervention of icebrakers, the formation of ice jams on the river had elevated the water level as high as 53 feet! Encouraged by these results, icebreakers will patrol the river during winter season to prevent the formation of ice jams.

The arrival of the cargo ship Helga Dan, at the Port of Quebec in february and the passage of the canadian tanker Maplebranch between Montreal and Quebec on the 20th of march are exploits that shows the will and determination to use the St-Lawrence river to its full potential year round, be it for ocean going vessels and as well for home trade ships.

The Maplebranch will renew this feat on february 18th, 1961 as it transits upbound to From Quebec to Trois-Rivieres where it stops for the night. Reaching Sorel the next day, it becomes the first ship to come up the St-Lawrence in winter between Quebec and Sorel. As mentioned then in the "Nouvelliste", the Trois-Rivieres newspaper, "The Maplebranch is writing a page of history for winter navigation".

Although freed from the canals, the ice fields and jams spread throughout the river, would leave those ships with little or no hope to safely reach the seas. Amongst these imprisoned ships, a convoy of the strongest and most powerful ships that could face the challenges of ice was formed. Thanks to the determination and skill of the pilots, captains and crews, combined efforts from the icebreakers, for the first time, ships travelled between Montreal and Quebec in January; For the Port of Montreal, for the "Pilotes du Saint-Laurent Central, for the Coast Guard and the maritime industry alike, it was the begining of the "cold war" against the ice and the elements of the St-Lawrence between Quebec and Montreal.

In 1962 the federal government decides to give the icebreakers the task of maintaining the navigation channel opened between Quebec and Montreal. This decision will allow to avoid the formation and presence of ice jams on the river, wich in turn caused important floods in Montreal and on the lake Saint-Pierre region.

In 1964, the danish vessel Helga Dan becomes the first ocean going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal in january. From this day forward, the Port of Montreal has become opened for business year round.

The ship Netuno - 1971

Photo courtesy of the Port of Montreal archives

The ship Helga Dan

Photo courtesy of the Port of Montreal archives

With this article, the Corporation des Pilotes du Saint-Laurent Central wishes to bring attention to the work and deternination of the pionneers of winter navigation. These unknowned heroes, now retired pilots and brothers have shown us the way and made us aware of the St-Lawrence's difficult and many challenging faces.

In closing, we wish to invite our internet readers to pass along their comments or any complement of information they may have on hand that may shed more light on this text.

NOTICE OF RECRUITMENT OF APPRENTICE PILOTS.

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0100

NOTICE OF RECRUITMENT OF APPRENTICE PILOTS

The Laurentian Pilotage Authority plans to recruit apprentice pilots who, after a period of studies, training and examinations, may be called upon to work as marine pilots on the St. Lawrence River in District No. 1 (Montreal/Quebec City) as of April 1, 2011 or in District No. 1-1 (Port of Montreal) as of February 15, 2011 . Recruiting is contingent on the demand for pilots in the coming years.
The prerequisites for applicants are indicated in section 26 of the Laurentian Pilotage Authority Regulations, available on our website.

~~The competition closes on January 7, 2011.~~

--This recruitment campaign is now closed--

More detailled information on this through the Laurentian Pilotage Authority's website.

The notice of recruitment for downloading.

A new president for the Quebec Port Authority

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Press release (exerpt)

Québec City, October 25, 2010--Yvon Bureau, Québec Port Authority (QPA) Board Chair, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mario Girard to the position of QPA President and CEO. In January 2011 Mr. Girard will replace Ross Gaudreault, who is retiring from the Port of Québec on December 31 of this year.

With over 25 years of experience in both local and international business, Mr. Girard's background is a perfect match for the expectations of the QPA board. "His vision, innate sense of leadership, project management and development skills, and strong desire to build on the foundation laid over the past 20 years have convinced the QPA board that he is the best candidate for meeting the challenges facing the Port of Québec of tomorrow," announced Yvon Bureau, Board Chair.

Current president and CEO Ross Gaudreault added: "The Port of Québec offers some of the best potential for growth anywhere in Canada. Mr. Girard will face myriad challenges, particularly where future growth and infrastructure development are concerned. But he will be able to look to Québec's vibrant maritime community for assistance, as I did. I wish him the very best of success."

More on this at the Quebec Port Authority's web site.

Oil Spil at Petro-Canada wharf in Montréal

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Press release

Suncor Energy responds to spill at Montreal refinery port facilities

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 29, 2010) - Suncor Energy is responding to a diesel spill that occurred last night at its Montreal refinery port facilities. Current estimates indicate that approximately 35 barrels of diesel leaked into the St. Lawrence River.

Suncor's emergency response team was activated immediately supported by the Montreal fire department and containment booms were deployed into the river to contain the product at the dock. Currently, there is no evidence of any damage to fish or wildlife.

"The source of the leak has been stopped. Most of the product has been contained and is currently being recovered with the use of vacuum trucks," said Bruno Francoeur, vice president, Suncor Montreal refinery. "Suncor's first priority is to protect the environment and to minimize the impact of this incident on the river. At this point, with the containment we have deployed to the river, we expect to complete the recovery of at least 30 barrels of diesel within approximately 24 hours."

All the required regulatory bodies, including the Ministry of the Environment, have been notified and are actively engaged in the situation. Suncor will continue to provide updates on its website at www.suncor.com as further information becomes available.

Great Lakes Seaway, encouraging news.

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

The results for cargo transport on the great lakes seaway show definite signs of improvement.

Overall, we can see below, total cargo has increased by 20% for this year. A closer look reveals that iron ore has doubled compared to 2009. The same can be observed for general cargo, but on a smaller scale. A relation can be made with cargo shipments to the yearly arctic supply wich will be completed in the coming days.

Grain shipments seem to be lagging a bit, but prospects are good for a busy finale before the seaway closes. Let's hope for this trend to last.

More details and information on: www.greatlakes-seaway.com

Montreal's 2010 Classic Boat Festival

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

The second edition of the Montreal Classic Boat Festival was held from august20th to the 22nd. The now annual event was held in the Lachine canal, in Montreal's old port. It's a week-end long meeting place for boat lovers who appreciate the classic lines of these beauties from an era past and maritime heritage enthusiasts alike. Conferences and music shows ranging from contemporary jazz to sea shanties and other special performances. A special collaboration with the International Festival of Military Music in Quebec city was appreciated by all.

Even if the weather was grey and rainy on sunday, people showed up in great numbers. It is estimated that between 18000 to 20000 visitors for the week-end.

Among the many exhibitors, the mid St-Lawrence Pilots Corporation kept a kiosque to better inform the general public of their mission. Pleasure craft operators were shown the many ways to safely share this magnificient river with commercial shipping.

A special mention goes to Mr. Simon Lebrun's work as president and founder of this festival and Mr. Alain Arseneault, co-founder and member of the board of directors for the festival. Both are active pilots with the mid St-Lawrence Pilots Corporation. Mr. Ludger Dugal (retired pilot) and his wife Marie were present to display their 1968 Chris-Craft « Le Poquin ». Also, Mr. André Trottier, another of our retired pilots, was on hand to give a conference on pilotage with a personnal perspective on a career that spanned a beautiful 36 years. (www.aventuriersdumonde.com)

Thanks to all the visitors and paticipants who made this event so special.

Fair winds and following seas to the Montreal Classic Boat Festival!

www.fbcmontreal.com

Stevedores back to work in Port of Montreal

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Press Release

Montreal, July 23, 2010 - The Montreal Port Authority welcomes the agreement
reached today between the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and its longshore
labour force allowing work to resume at the Port of Montreal's terminals. The MPA also
welcomes the announcement of the resumption of talks on renewal of the collective
agreement, and hopes that the parties quickly agree on this issue to ensure that the Port
of Montreal can continue its long-term development.
The Montreal Port Authority's mission is to manage port infrastructures and facilitate the
development of shipping and logistical operations in order to promote trade and
contribute to the prosperity of Greater Montreal, Québec and Canada. It was not party to
the conflict and regrets the inconveniences that this situation caused to users of port
services, shippers and their customers. It will do everything in its power to get things
back to normal fast and ensure the shipment of all cargo currently in the Port.
Following this back to work agreement, here is the situation at the Port of Montreal:
● The terminals affected by the labour dispute will resume operation on Saturday at
8:00 a.m.
● All rail traffic has resumed.
● Construction work continues.
● Vessels that were diverted and not unloaded in another port are en route back to the
Port of Montreal.
● The Port entrances at Berri, Viau and Hector-Barsalou streets remain open. The
other entrances will gradually reopen. They will all be reopened by Saturday morning
unless otherwise specified.

About the Port of Montreal

Lock-out is lifted in the Port of Montreal

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0100

PRESS RELEASE

The Maritime Employers Association lifts the lock-out and
activities are resumed at the Port of Montreal

Montreal, July 23, 2010 - It is with great relief that the Maritime Employers Association has learned this morning that the agreement reached yesterday evening was ratified by members of the CUPE Longshoremen's Union, Local 375, so that Port of Montreal operations can resume.
Regular operations at the Port of Montreal will therefore resume tomorrow morning on Saturday, July 24, at 8 a.m., and the negotiations to renew the workers' collective agreement will begin on Monday, July 26, in the presence of the mediator.
For the Maritime Employers Association, the lock-out could only be lifted if the pressure tactics were stopped. In return, the MEA agrees to reinstate the job security and income guarantee program for the longshoremen who had been excluded from it on June 23 of this year, for the duration of the negotiations.
Based on recent statements issued by the union, which also wishes for a quick resolution to the issue of the rising costs of the job security and income guarantee program, the MEA views the upcoming negotiating sessions in a positive light.

To learn more about the Maritime Employer's Association, you can visit their WebSite at :

http://www.mea.ca/en/home.html

Port of Montreal's longshoremen are in lock out

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0100

PRESS RELEASE

The Maritime Employers Association orders a lock-out at the Port of Montreal.
Montreal, July 18, 2010 - Faced with the union's refusal to acknowledge the urgency of the matter as well as the need to radically amend the collective agreement between the Maritime Employers Association and the Port of Montreal's longshoremen, and in order to avoid compromising Port activities, the MEA has chosen to exercise its legal right according to the labour code and is ordering a lock-out as of today for some 850 employees covered by the accreditation certificate held by the Longshoremen's Union, CUPE, Local 375.
The main issue is job and revenue security. Considering existing market conditions, MEA can no longer accept such a large gap between the amount of hours worked and paid for by longshoremen and the amount of hours not worked but fully paid for.
MEA's management team believes that while this is not a desirable outcome, it had no other choice but to order a lock-out, given that pressure tactics have begun to impede Port operations. Consequently, all activities on terminals operated by MEA members will be interrupted as of 8 a.m. tomorrow Monday, July 19 2010 until further notice.
The Port of Montreal's activity and sustainability remain priorities and MEA's management hopes that this situation will prompt union representatives to look more realistically at the challenges ahead for the maritime sector.

To learn more about the Maritime Employer's Association, you can visit their WebSite at :

http://www.mea.ca/en/home.html