Montreal Port

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Montreal Port
Logo of the Port of Montreal
Data
UN / LOCODE CAMTR
operator Administration portuaire de Montréal / Montreal Port Authority
Port type Inland port
Total area of ​​the port 6.35 km²
Passengers 40,142 (2010)
Throughput 25,919,667 tons (2010)
Container (TEU) 1,331,351 (2010)
website www.port-montreal.com
Geographic information
place Montreal
province Quebec
Country Canada
Panoramic view of part of the port
Panoramic view of part of the port
Coordinates 45 ° 33 '11 "  N , 73 ° 31' 35"  W Coordinates: 45 ° 33 '11 "  N , 73 ° 31' 35"  W.
Port of Montreal (Quebec)
Montreal Port
Location Port of Montreal

The Port of Montreal is an inland port in Canada . It is located in the city of Montreal on the Saint Lawrence River . 28 million tons of goods and 46,000 cruise ship passengers are handled annually. In terms of the volume of goods, it is the second largest inland port in the world, the second largest port in Canada after Vancouver and one of the largest in North America .

description

The main reason for the importance of the Montreal port is its geographical location. The St. Lawrence River, one of the mightiest rivers in North America, also enables ocean-going ships to venture far into the interior of the continent. Since the height difference between the Atlantic and Montreal is relatively small, there is no need for costly and time-consuming locks. In this way, the transport routes to the industrial regions in Ontario and the American Midwest are reduced by around 1,600 kilometers. In addition, the St. Lawrence Seaway leading to the Great Lakes , with which the Lachine rapids can be avoided, is frozen over in the winter months, while the Montreal port is ice-free.

The piers are located on the Île de Montréal on the west bank of the Saint Lawrence River. Mainly wheat, sugar, crude oil, machines and consumer goods are loaded and unloaded. The Canadian Coast Guard uses icebreakers to secure access to the port even in winter and to prevent spring tides from pent-up ice. The old port of Montreal (Vieux-Port / Old Harbor) , which is closer to the city center, has been completely redesigned and is now a popular excursion and tourist destination.

history

Old Port of Montreal circa 1899.

After the city was founded in 1642, the port consisted of simple moorings for canoes, flat boats and barges for more than a century and a half . In 1809 steamships operated for the first time to and from Montreal. In 1830 a port authority was founded, which had the first permanent docks and piers built in the following two years. After the dredging of the shipping channel between the cities of Montreal and Québec , it was possible for ocean-going ships to navigate the Saint Lawrence River from 1854. Since then, the channel has been widened and deepened several times. In 1856 the Allan Line set up a permanent steamship connection between Montreal and Liverpool , and in 1871 the port was connected to the railway network.

The federal government nationalized the Canadian ports in 1936 and also placed the port of Montreal under the supervision of the newly formed National Harbors Board . In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway replaced the older Lachine Canal . Ships suitable for the ocean could thus continue to sail inland. However, the river could still not be navigated for around three and a half months because it froze over in winter. In 1964, icebreakers were used for the first time, and have since kept the river free of ice all year round, at least as far as Montreal. The age of container shipping began in Montreal in 1967 , and the first container terminal was opened eleven years later. In 1983 the autonomous administration of portuaire de Montréal took over the operation of the port. The federal government, the province of Québec and the city of Montreal are involved in this.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Statistiques. Port de Montréal, 2012, accessed September 29, 2012 (French).
  2. a b Le port on fil de son histoire. (PDF, 652 KB) Administration portuaire de Montréal, 2012, accessed on September 29, 2012 (French).