The Board of Directors of Mariners’ House sincerely thanks Seamont Brokerage and Transport, Mr. John S. Gareau, The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, Fednav, and CSL Group for their generous contribution of $5,000 each to Mariners’ House’s Capital Fundraising Campaign initiated in September of 2019. For those who may have missed the occasion, Mariners’ House invites you to sponsor the upcoming Festa Italia to be held on March 19.
Fuel for our vehicles, food for our tables, and clothes we wear have probably come to us by sea, a journey often covering thousands of miles. Yet the seafarers at the heart of our global economy remain an invisible group. Apart from the dangers of life at sea, loneliness can put a sharp edge on everyday worries. For the duration of a six to nine month contract, most of a seafarer’s life is spent with a handful of crewmates, far from family and friends, measuring out the hours in long shifts.
Offering practical and moral support, Mariners’ House and its predecessors have been serving seafarers arriving in the port of Montreal since 1862. In 2018, 14,536 seafarers were welcomed at the centre while 11,498 were transported to and from their ships or to their specified destination.
Mariners’ House is open 364 days a year and 61 hours a week. The cost of running two vehicles, including a 20-passenger bus, and ensuring that two members of staff are always on duty during opening hours has taken its toll on the charity’s finances. And so it is with profound gratitude that the Board acknowledges the generosity of its valuable partners.