The MSC Shannon containership was the first ocean vessel to arrive in the territorial waters of the Port of Montreal at Sorel at 1.07 am on January 1. And in keeping with a tradition that goes back 186 years, Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, presented the Gold-headed Cane award to the ship’s master, Captain Igor Smirnov, who expressed delight over receiving this distinction for the first time.
But due to the logistics complications of accessing the ship in the process of loading and unloading operations at the Termont terminal, the ship’s captain requested restricted access to the wheelhouse for an award ceremony with more limited attendance than usual, explained Renée Larouche, Communications Manager of the MPA.
The MSC Shannon, part of the large fleet of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), had departed from the Port of Le Havre, France on December 20. And within a few days, it will sail for London with a load of containers filled with export industrial and consumer goods.
Ms. Larouche indicated that the port’s provisional annual cargo and financial results for 2024 will be released next week.
At the end of November, cumulative total traffic of 32.5 million metric tons was up 1.1% from a year earlier, while container cargo was down 3.3%, according to statistics on the MPA website.
(MPA photo)