Port of Montreal open to post-Panamax ships

   The Montreal Port Authority said the Canadian Coast Guard has authorized the passage of vessels up to 44 meters wide in the Quebec-Montreal section of the St. Lawrence navigation channel, which will allow post-Panamax vessels carrying 6,000 TEUs to reach Montreal.
   Previously, the maximum width of ships allowed to travel in the channel without restrictions was 32.1 meters.
   The change follows a study commissioned by the port authority and conducted jointly with the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, the Laurentian Pilotage Authority, and Corporation of Central St. Lawrence Pilots.
   Sylvie Vachon, the port’s president and chief executive officer, said the change “will reinforce Montreal’s strategic position as a logistics and transportation hub of choice for all types of cargo.
   “Shipping lines, no matter what type of cargo they carry, will be able to substantially increase capacity on their services to Montreal, which will inevitably lead to benefits for the port’s broad customer base,” she added. – Chris Dupin