# It is that time again



## janbonde (Jun 19, 2005)

The St Lawrence Seaway opens again on march 24 tomorrow on march 24 for the 2006 season


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

*Is it that time again*

Yeah,

Will get earlier and earlier I think because the ammount of ice is getting smaller each year. Global warming taking over.

Chris


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## tanker (May 26, 2004)

I remember in the 70s a telefilm named "Seaway difficult water" accustomed 
in the St Lawrence passage.At rhe first ship which sport to the first time will
give a stick with a gold pommel. is the truth?
Gp


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## janbonde (Jun 19, 2005)

Hello Tanker yes it is true ,the first ship to dock at Montreal from overseas after the end of the old year does receive a gold topped cane,this ceremony goes back a lot of years into 1840 .it used to be around spring-time when the first ship received the cane the ,but Montreal now being a year round port it was moved to the first day of the year after 1964.The ship that received it this year was the CP Bravery she arrived at 00:20 on the first of January


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Had the honour of opening the St.Lawrence Seaway in 1987.
We where the first ship upbound from Montreal. Lots of fanfare and goodies which I still have
Did not have much ice in the system until Lake Eire but the icebreakers had cut a path. The Detriot and St.Clair rivers as well as St.Mary's river had plenty of ice and still had daylight navigation only.

This year the first vessel upbound went through the Welland Canal on March 21st. which is about a week early.
We have had an exceptional mild winter in Canada this year but the soothsayers who think these conditions will continue have yet to be proven right.

I still have a 6ft bank of snow at the bottom of my driveway and Lake Simcoe and parts of Georgian bay are still ice covered and it will be a while before boats move about there.

There was some ship traffic all year into Goderch and the lower part of Lake Michigan.
That is not normal.

I have fond memories of the first few weeks of the season and many a bum puckering time too as many of the floating navigational aids were either out of postion on not installed yet. (*))


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## skymaster (Sep 20, 2005)

It certainley was'nt a normal winter.We have no snow down here in SW Ontario.Flew over a couple of the great lakes last week nothing really in sight of the white stuff!!!


Mike


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## Neil McInnes (Jun 24, 2005)

I done the season in 1964 on a salty DEALMOUTH still trying to thaw out after clearing the seaway 30/11/64. Loaded part cargo grain lorraine Ohio top up Montreal


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## Tony D (May 2, 2004)

Did a couple of trips on the British Monarch to Port Churchill from the Tyne first ship to make after the ice breakup every year used to win something,don't recal what it was now,a ship called the Warkworth beat us to it.


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## janbonde (Jun 19, 2005)

/22 - St. Catharines - The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) will open the Welland Canal on March 20th at 8:00am DST, establishing a record for the earliest opening date. The decision to open on the 20th stems partially from Seaway clients requesting an earlier start, and was made after carefully reviewing maintenance schedules and environmental considerations.


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