SAINT-LAMBERT, Quebec – The St. Lawrence Seaway opened for its 63rd shipping navigation season on Monday morning, March 22, 2021.
The Baie St. Paul Trillium-Class Laker was the first ship through the St. Lambert loch, which was celebrated in a virtual ceremony with representatives from the Canadian and American governments as well as the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the American U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
“The St. Lawrence Seaway has been a cornerstone of Canada’s economic success for more than 60 years, through the creation of thousands of middle-class jobs, and the generation of more than $9 billion in Canadian economic activity,” said Canadian the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra. “This valuable partnership and trade route will play a vital role in our efforts to building back better through strong economic recovery.”
Despite protocols put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no interruption in shipping during the 2020 navigation season which saw 38 million tonnes of cargo transit through the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“The Seaway’s consistently high level of system availability contributes to a robust, competitive Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway transportation route,” said Terence Bowles, President and Chief Executive Officer of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. “We provide convenient access to an impressive number of industries, ports, highway and rail networks.”
