Port of Montreal

The Port of Montreal is an inland port in Canada. It is located in the city of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River. 28 million tons of cargo and 46,000 cruise passengers per year. Judging by the volume of goods it is the second largest inland port in the world, the second largest port in Canada to Vancouver and one of the largest in North America.

Description

The main reason for the importance of the Montreal harbor is its geographical location. The Saint Lawrence River, one of the mightiest rivers of North America, it also allows ocean-going ships, far advance into the interior of the continent. Since the difference in height between the Atlantic Ocean and Montreal is relatively low, accounting for costly and time- intensive locking through. In this way, the transport routes to the industrial regions in Ontario and the U.S. Midwest shorten by about 1600 km. In addition, is the leading to the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway, with the Lachine rapids can be bypassed, frozen in the winter months, while the Montreal harbor is free of ice.

The piers are located on the Île de Montréal on the western shore of the St. Lawrence River. Be loaded and unloaded mainly wheat, sugar, petroleum, machinery and consumer goods. The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker uses to secure access to the port in winter and to prevent flash floods dammed by ice. The nearer to the city center Old Port of Montreal (Vieux- Port / Old Harbour ) has been completely redesigned and is now a popular excursion and tourist destination.

History

After the city was founded in the year 1642 the port was for more than one and a half centuries from simple docks for canoes, scows, and barges. 1809 steamships wrong the first time to and from Montreal. 1830 a Port Authority was established, which built the first permanent docks and piers in the next two years. After the dredging of the navigation channel between the cities of Montreal and Quebec City, it was ocean-going vessels available from 1854 to navigate the St. Lawrence River. Since then, the channel has been repeatedly extended and deepened. 1856 advised the Allan Line steamship into a firm connection between Montreal and Liverpool, in 1871, the port was connected to the railway network.

The federal government nationalized in 1936, the Canadian ports and also presented the Port of Montreal under the supervision of the newly founded National Harbours Board. 1959 sparked the St. Lawrence Seaway from the older Lachine Canal. Ocean-going ships Sanitary thus the ability to operate inland. However, the flow could continue for about three and a half months each not be driven because it froze in the winter. In 1964 came the first icebreaker to use, at least up to Montreal keep the river since then throughout the year free of ice. In 1967 in Montreal the era of container shipping, eleven years later, the first container terminal was opened. In 1983, the autonomous administration portuaire de Montréal the operation of the port. At this, the federal government, the province of Quebec and the city of Montreal are involved ..