Port Of Montreal News

A strike in Canada's St. Lawrence Seaway entered its second day on Monday after workers walked off over a wage dispute, shutting down an important maritime trade route linking the Great Lakes to Montreal port and impacting about 115 vessels.Some 361 workers represented by the Unifor union went on strike on Sunday after failing to negotiate a new labor contract with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp (SLSMC), which along with a U.S. body operates the waterway linking the Great…

The prosperity of port cities, throughout history, has been closely tied to the ports’ ability to adapt to economic and technological change. As ships got bigger, ports had to keep up. This has often seen the port proper grow apart from the city whose name it bears because the old harbor could no longer accommodate the needs of modernized shipping.In those European cities located by rivers, port activities have often migrated towards the estuary. The ships headed for the port of Liverpool now berth in docks stretching north of the original Royal Albert dock…

The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) and Global Spatial Technology Solutions (GSTS), a company that specializes in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to shipping, announced the launch of a new project to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of vessels using the Canadian port.Based on the OCIANATM modular platform, the project provides real-time data on the route, speed and position of vessels heading to Montreal. These data are then analyzed to obtain an accurate estimate of a vessel’s arrival time and adjust its route to coordinate with the availability of berths in the Port of Montreal.

At the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) on climate change, the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Montreal have signed a cooperation agreement to support the creation of the first green shipping corridor in the North Atlantic.Through this agreement, the two ports pledge to mobilize their respective public- and private-sector partners alike in the assessment, identification, development and adoption of shared or complementary solutions and infrastructures. Together, they intend…

Striking dockworkers at Canada's second-biggest port will gradually return to work on Saturday, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) said, after the federal government passed a law to end the walkout.Late on Friday, the Canadian government passed back-to-work legislation to halt the strike, which workers at the Port of Montreal began on Monday over changes to their work schedules."Our priority now is to plan for the resumption of port operations and to ensure efficient and seamless service…

Dockworkers at Canada's second largest port on Monday began their second strike in less than a year, as business leaders urged Ottawa to quickly end a walkout they said could cost the economy C$25 million ($20 million) a day.The federal Liberal government said on Sunday it would introduce special legislation to end the strike at the Port of Montreal, hoping to stop it from hurting the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.Unionized workers, in talks for a new contract since 2018…

Canada's manufacturers on Monday asked the federal government to curb a brewing labor dispute after dockworkers at the country's second largest port said they will work less this week.Unionized dockworkers, who are in talks for a new contract since 2018, will hold a partial strike starting Tuesday, by refusing all overtime outside of their normal day shifts, along with weekend work, they said in a statement on Monday.The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Quebec's 1,125…

Liebherr Container Cranes, manufacturer in the Republic of Ireland, and Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership (MGT) have signed a contract for the supply of four ship to shore (STS) container cranes to the Cast Container Terminal in Montreal, Canada.The cranes will be delivered in 2021, said a press note from the manufacturers of ship to shore cranes, rail mounted gantry cranes and rubber tyre gantry cranes.The cranes will easily handle the largest container vessels currently visiting the Port of Montreal and are future proofed to handle even larger vessels of up to 21 container rows across the deck. The cranes will significantly improve…

For the first time, the ports of Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam come together to showcase their most advanced digital transformation and sustainability projects at their dedicated ‘Smart Ports’ exhibitThe 'Smart Ports. Piers of the Future' event brought together six of the world's largest ports and has turned Barcelona into the world capital of port innovation.At the Smart City Expo World Congress, held from 19 to 21 November at the Fira de Barcelona events center on Gran Via, the ports of Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam joined forces for the first time to set up their…

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) announced that it will work with the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) to advance the project development of a new container terminal in Contrecoeur, where the port plans to expand its activities.The work could lead to an investment in the South Shore project, potentially via a form of equity or debt financing, said Pierre Lavallée, the bank’s chief executive officer.The Memorandum of Understanding confirms that CIB and MPA will work on the financial structuring of the proposed terminal. This due diligence will include planning and pre-procurement activities for the design, the construction, the financing, the operation and the maintenance of the terminal.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping industry is calling for at least five new icebreakers to be part of the federal government’s recent announcement of $15.7 billion for Canadian Coast Guard fleet renewal.Chamber of Marine Commerce President Bruce Burrows will be in attendance as the Coast Guard dedicates the Captain Molly Kool into service at its home port of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Captain Molly Kool was recently retrofitted to provide services along the East Coast.

Maersk Line, the world's largest shipping company, announced the expansion of its product portfolio between Europe's Mediterranean region and Canada to cater for the growing demands of importers and exporters on both sides of the Atlantic. The exclusive, fully Maersk Line-operated weekly service will be a five-vessel rotation stopping in Salerno and La Spezia (Italy), Fos-sur-Mer (France), Algeciras (Spain), Montreal and Halifax (Canada), and Valencia (Spain). Other Mediterranean markets will also be conveniently connected to the new service thanks to our integrated transhipment services in Algeciras and Valencia, with consistent products to/from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

On a trade mission to India, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has signed a Cooperative Agreement with Mundra Port, Gujarat State, north of Mumbai. This agreement aims to develop cooperation in marketing and business development while sharing information on marine operations and industry best practices. Mundra Port is India’s largest commercial port. A diversified port, it handles liquid and dry bulk and more than three million TEUs in annual container traffic. It is operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ). Vice-President, Growth and Development at the MPA Tony Boemi: “Asia, and especially India, is an emerging market with enormous potential. It and the Port of Montreal are already solidly connected thanks to container services.

By crossing the downstream limits of the Port of Montreal at Sorel at 11:55 a.m., the Ottawa Express became the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2018. The Ottawa Express under the command of Captain Rakesh Kumar, is a container ship operated by Hapag-Lloyd and represented in Montreal by the Robert Reford Agency. The Ottawa Express left the Port of Liverpool, England, on December 21st. It docked late afternoon at Berth 77 at Cast Terminal operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, after braving the freezing weather of this beginning of the year. On Wednesday, January 3, as part of an official ceremony…

The President and CEO of the MPA, Sylvie Vachon, together with the Minister for Maritime Affairs, Jean D’Amour, the Mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, and the Mayor of the Borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Réal Ménard, today announced the signing of an agreement for the establishment of an industrial port zone (IP Zone) in Montreal. The members of the local committee mandated to establish the Montreal Zone IP are: the City of Montreal, the City of Montreal East, the Montreal Metropolitan Community, CargoM and the relevant departments and agencies. Under this agreement, the government will fund up to 70% of costs associated with implementing the related development plan, to a maximum of $125,000.

The President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), M me Sylvie Vachon, today presented the Gold-Headed Cane to the shipping agent Denis Blondeau SMK Tanker Agency for the captain Danel Ju. Mr. Danel Ju of South Korean nationality and is the commander of Chem Sirius , going vessel to enter the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2017. The Chem Sirius left the port of Antwerp, Belgium, on 19 December. He spent the limits of the Port of Montreal on 1 st January to March h 16. M me Sylvie Vachon turned to the audience saying: "Just arrived in Antwerp, Belgium, Captain Ju had to start the same day to Charleston, South Carolina, on the vessel Chem Sirius .

Hapag-Lloyd remains the market leader among liner shipping companies in Canada. In the past year, the shipping company saw its market share increase to over 18%. Hapag-Lloyd is the largest liner shipping company in terms of throughput volume at both the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Halifax. Hapag-Lloyd handles more containers in Montreal than in Los Angeles and Long Beach combined – the largest port complex in North America. Deepening the channel is an important topic at the Port of Montreal, as it is in Hamburg. In order to be able to sail the Saint Lawrence River, which is quite shallow in places, with increasing transport volumes, Hapag-Lloyd has included some modern wide-body ships in its Montreal services, which can offer more capacity due to their low draught.

Yesterday during a joint trade mission in Montreal, the port authorities of Montreal and Antwerp, Belgium renewed their cooperative agreement. The first agreement, signed in March 2013, resulted in four trade missions to Montreal and Antwerp during which extensive business contacts were developed. These meetings also enabled productive exchanges of information on issues such as sustainable development, land use, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union, global trends in the markets, and the development of port logistics zones. As Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA)…

Denmark's Svitzer, the world's biggest tugboat operator, said on Monday it has established a harbour towage service in the Port of Montreal providing shipdocking, escort and ice-breaking services. Svitzer, a unit in shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk , said in a statement it has mobilized two ice-class tugs to the port and a third tug will arrive in mid-April. "Canada is one of our key growth markets in the Americas," the company added. Svitzer reshuffled its organisation in August in a bet to speed up growth in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Reporting by Ole Mikkelsen

The Canadian city of Montreal numbers among North America’s most important hubs for maritime cargo. Hapag-Lloyd’s ships help keep the waterways ice-free in winter. Vessels sailing through the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and along the Saint Lawrence River can get deep into the North American continent. The stretch leading to Montreal measures nearly 700 nautical miles and usually takes a container ship about 44 hours to complete. During the often harsh winters, ice, freezing sea spray and low temperatures severely test ships and their crews. Of course, icebreakers keep the waterways free year-round.

Port Metro Vancouver today released its 2015 year-end statistics. Overall volume remained steady at 138 million tonnes of cargo as sectors experiencing declines were offset by others that hit new records. This is the port’s third consecutive year of strong cargo volumes, with new records set in the container, potash, and grain and agri-product sectors. Cargo shipped in containers continued to show substantial growth due to increased trade with Asia, with a five per cent jump in units (known as twenty-foot-equivalent units or TEUs) for a new record of 3.1 million TEUs. Grain and agri-product exports increased by eight per cent over 2014 to 25.1 million metric tonnes, and potash exports were 8.7 million metric tonnes, up 15.6 per cent from the prior year.

The Port of Montreal is expecting a banner year of tourism. The emergence of spring marks the beginning of a brand new cruise season, says Tourisme Montréal. With no fewer than 19 ships expected, including 5 new ones (the Oceania Marina, Oceania Insignia, AIDA Diva, Saga Sapphire, and M/V Saint-Laurent Prestige), it’s going to be a great cruise season at the Port of Montréal. The M/V Saint-Laurent Prestige, which chose Montréal as its home port for the 2015 season, will be the first vessel of the year to take on passengers and set sail from Montréal on May 12. The first call, on May 12, the Port of Montréal will salute the first ship of 2015, as it sets sail with some 200 cruise passengers aboard.

A consortium led by Fiera Axium Infrastructure Inc. The consortium includes Desjardins Group, via its insurance subsidiaries and its pension plan, Manulife, Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Industrial Alliance. Fiera Axium, an independent portfolio management firm focused on infrastructure investments in Canada and the United States, joined co-operative Desjardins Group, financial services provider Manulife, labour fund Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Industrial Alliance to buy the facility, known as Montreal Gateway Terminals. “Montreal Gateway Terminals represents an essential infrastructure asset” so fits with Fiera Axium’s investment strategy, Stéphane Mailhot, president of Fiera Axium, said in a statement.