Montreal Port Authority President and CEO Sylvie Vachon awarded the famous Gold-Headed Cane to Captain Qin Xiao Fei, a Chinese national, Master of Exeborg, the first ocean-going vessel to reach the port of Montreal without a stopover in 2020.
Exeborg left the Port of Sauda, Norway, on December 21, and crossed the port of Montreal’s limits on January 3 at 2:11 a.m. Like every year, awarding the Gold-Headed Cane marks the start of a new year of activity at the port of Montreal … a tradition since 1840!
“In awarding this symbolic and historic cane to Captain Qin, we are expressing our gratitude and appreciation to the men and women who are at the heart of maritime economic activity all over the world,” said Ms. Vachon.
Exeborg is a bulk carrier operated by Wagenborg Shipping and represented in Montreal by Lower St-Lawrence Ocean Agencies Ltd. It docked at a terminal operated by Logistec. Exeborg stayed there for a few days, the time it takes to unload its cargo: ferromanganese, used for the design and manufacture of high quality, ultra-resistant steel.
In the presence of many representatives of the marine industry and Montreal’s business community, as well as political figures, the Port also recognized the work of the pilots of the Corporation of Mid St. Lawrence Pilots, Patrick Caron and Éric Godolphin, who guided the ship safely into port.