Sailing under the flag of the Netherlands, M/V Spaarnegracht was the first ship of the year to call Sept-Îles, arriving from Savannah, at 9:47 a.m. on Sunday, January 3, 2016. The vessel arrived in ballast and set sail again on January 6 for Baltimore, with a cargo of 10,000 tonnes of aluminum from Aluminerie Alouette.
The prestigious Cane bearing the Port of Sept-Îles’ insignia was presented on January 4 at the La Relance terminal to Captain Hajo Y. van Losenoord, by Mr. Raynald Ouellet, Vice-president, Operations and Business Development, accompanied by Mr. Jean-Pierre Castilloux of Aluminerie Alouette and representatives of Logistec Stevedoring and the vessel’s owners, Spliethoff.
This tradition, now in its 29th year, marks the beginning of a new year of port activities, with a special ceremony for the arrival of the first ship of the year to call the Port. To be eligible, the vessel must come directly from a foreign port and be bound for a destination outside the Country without making any other calls at a Canadian Port.
Since its redesign in 2012, the new cane showcases the region’s industrial pillars that conduct business through the facilities of the port. Indeed, taking its inspiration from a 3D version of Port of Sept-Îles’ logo, the new cane now includes aluminum in its composition and highlights an iron ore rock whose brilliance is reflected in a half sphere of acrylic. The notion of gold has not been neglected in the new concept. The seven stars of the Port logo, which represent the seven islands in the Bay of Sept-Îles, were replicated in 10-carat gold to adorn the cane band, making it an exclusive and sought-after item in the maritime industry.