Port St-Francois.QC.CANADA.03/01/2019.
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Port of Montreal welcomes the first ocean-going vessel of 2019

1/3 - Montreal, Que. – The Virginiaborg became the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2019, by crossing the downstream limits of the Port at Sorel on January 2, at 3:50 a.m.

The Virginiaborg, under the command of Captain Volodymyr Yurchenko, is a bulk carrier operated by Wagenborg Shipping and represented in Montreal by the Lower St-Lawrence Ocean Agencies Ltd. The Virginiaborg left the Port of Porsgrunn, Norway, on December 20. It docked early this morning at Berth 42 at the terminal operated by Logistec.

Captain Yurchenko will receive, as part of an official ceremony, the Gold-Headed Cane, a trophy awarded each year to the master of the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover. This ceremony will mark the 180th anniversary of this great tradition in the shipping community.

Montreal Times

PRESS RELEASE

180th Gold-Headed Cane Ceremony



Montreal, January 3, 2019 — Montreal Port Authority (MPA) President and CEO Sylvie Vachon was pleased to award the famous Gold-Headed Cane to Volodymyr Yurchenko, a Ukraine national, Master of the Virginiaborg, the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2019. The Virginiaborg left the Port of Porsgrunn in Norway on December 20. It crossed the Port of Montreal’s limits on January 2 at 3:50 a.m. Like every year, awarding the Gold-Headed Cane marks the start of a new year of activity at the Port of Montreal… This has been a port tradition since 1840!





“It was a great pleasure for us to present this year’s Gold-Headed Cane to Captain Volodymyr Yurchenko who, at the helm of the Virginiaborg, was the first to cross the limits of the Port of Montreal. We are proud to continue a tradition as emblematic of our history and the rich heritage connecting Montreal to its river. But the traditions do not prevent us from being resolutely forward-looking. More than ever, the Port of Montreal is in the lead as an innovative port that adapts emerging technologies to port logistics,” said Ms. Vachon.

The Virginiaborg, under the command of Captain Volodymyr Yurchenko, is a bulk carrier operated by Wagenborg Shipping and represented in Montreal by the Lower St-Lawrence Ocean Agencies Ltd. It docked early yesterday morning at Berth 42 at the terminal operated by Logistec. The Virginiaborg will stay for a few days, the time it takes to unload an unusual cargo: thousands of tonnes of ferromanganese, a material we do not often receive that is mainly used for the design and manufacture of high quality, ultra-resistant steel.