Arrival of Algoma Equinox in canal kicks off shipping season
Traditional Top Hat ceremony delayed until early morning hours of Friday
The Algoma Equinox being the first download vessel to pass through the Welland Canal in 2018 is a great way to start the shipping season, says Peter Schultz, captain of the massive lake freighter that arrived on Friday morning around 2 a.m.
The 24,000-ton lake freighter, part of the Algoma Central Corp.’s fleet, has been on the water since 2013 and after making its way through the St. Lawrence Seaway on Friday, it was headed to Dofasco in Hamilton – carrying a load of iron ore pellets.
Upon arrival, local officials in Port Colborne made a presentation to Capt. Schultz during the annual top hat ceremony, a tradition that has taken place locally since the 1970s.
“It’s a great milestone to be first at something,” Schultz said Friday.
The top hat ceremony was postponed until early Friday morning and was initially planned for earlier in the day – but delays caused it to be rescheduled.
With two new vessels expected to be added to Algoma’s team, Schultz said the summer months on the seaway are expected to be prosperous and a continued source of trade and commerce.
“I think it’s going to be a good year – things are looking up,” he said.
There are three captains for the two ships Algoma currently has in operation and they are on two-month work cycles.
Once a 60-day shift is up, the lead hand of the ship takes a month off to spend time with family or take a vacation.
One vessel is expected to be added to the fleet next week and another shortly after, signs that things are going well, according to the captain.
“When there’s new ships coming in, it’s a great time to be in the industry,” he said.
The seaway has seen about a nine per cent increase in traffic over the last year and an 18 per cent increase in traffic for the Welland Canal.
It is also expected that 40 million tonnes of cargo will pass through this season. While the canal doesn't open for a couple of weeks, both St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and Canadian shipowners are finishing off an estimated $114 million in repairs and infrastructure projects, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
In a release, the chamber said the seaway authorities allocated $35 million for infrastructure maintenance over the winter of 2017-18, which included major upgrades to electrical systems and lock-related machinery and gates.