Vessel MSC Donata Wins The Gold-Headed Cane

The MSC Donata was the first-ever ocean-going vessel of this year, 2023, to cross the downstream limit of the Port of Montreal, with no stopover, at Sorel. Being true to a tradition dating back 180+ years, the Montreal Port Authority is now awarding to master Singh Ranjit Kumar the Gold-headed Cane.

The MSC Donata departed from the port of Sines in Portugal on 23 Dec last year. The Panama-flagged MSC vessel is loaded with thousands of containers containing daily commodities and valuable materials for citizens and businesses of the Midwest, Quebec, and Ontario. The ship ended its trip at the Viau terminal that Termont operates in section 48 of the Port of Montreal. The MSC Donata is expected to be back at sea within a few days, with its containers all set for export to Marsaxlokk in Malta.

Captain Singh Ranjit Kumar mentioned that he was honoured to receive the Gold-headed Cane for the first time at the end of a crossing that went well, despite moments of rougher seas in the ocean portion. Winning such a prestigious award is a considerable achievement and a memorable lifelong event for the team of MSC Donata. Born and brought up in India, Captain Kumar wanted to sail on board big ships that serve the communities from a young age. He started his journey at sea when he was 22 and became a part of MSC in 2005.

The Gold-Headed Cane has reportedly been engraved with the name of the winning captain. The vessel’s name was on the dock by the President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, Martin Imbleau, in a ceremony held at the terminal and attended by a select group of media and guests after spending two years behind closed doors owing to the ongoing pandemic.

Preliminary results for 2022: Port of Montreal experiences 5.4% growth

The Montreal Port Authority is now releasing preliminary and unaudited results for 2022. Cargo volumes and activities managed at the Port of Montreal stay closely linked to global economic trends. Following two years marked by declines in cargo volumes owing to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Montreal recorded a 5.4 gain in its books over the past year, with 35.9 million tons of cargo transiting via Port facilities last year.

The container sector experienced a slight increase of 1.2%, with 14.4 million tons taken care of. With the movement recovery, the liquid bulk domain reportedly enjoyed a net gain of about 10.5% over 2021, with 13 million tons handled.

The dry bulk sector reported a 3.2% to 8.1 million tons. On the other hand, the grain sector has witnessed a strong recovery, with an increase of 18.7% following a problematic 2021 owing to droughts. The 2022 crop is gradually becoming one of the best in recent years.

Finally, non-containerized and miscellaneous commodities totalled 0.4 million tons, up from about 90% in 2021. 2022 was also marked by the return of cruises to Montreal after two consecutive seasons cancelled due to health restrictions. The first post-COVID-19 season has been quite encouraging: the terminals welcomed over 37,000 guests.

References: Canadian Manufacturing, Newswire