The race was on for Thunder Bay as the MV John B. Aird crushed through the Lake Superior ice to become the first lake-bound vessel to arrive in port this season.
Capt. Doug Parsons said the trip took a little longer than usual, but that’s to be expected at this time of year. “The first voyage of the year was a little slow,” he said Tuesday, after accepting the ceremonial top hat from Fred Stille, chairman of the Thunder Bay Port Authority board of directors. “At the St. Mary’s River we had a little delay waiting for the lock to open. They had some ice in the river there. But overall, it was fairly good voyage.”
Finishing first, with several ships on his tail, wasn’t expected, he added. “I was a little surprised. I was just about here before I found out we were going to be the first ship. It’s a sign of spring, a sign of getting things moving for another year, so it’s kind of exciting,” said the Newfoundland-born Parsons, whose ship is berthed at the Viterra B terminal on Thunder Bay’s waterfront.
Port Authority president Tim Heaney said a busy first day is a good sign of things to come.
With the dissolution of the Canadian Wheat Board by the ruling Conservatives, Heaney said the signs point to a fantastic season for the local port. “It’s a big change for the port this year. We always look forward to the first ship, but this time with change in the Wheat Board we have new vessels coming out this year, so it’s more exciting than usual, I would say,” Heaney said. “We saw quite an increase last fall in grain through the port and we’re anxious to see if that continues.”
In addition to the MV John Baird, two other ships arrived in the city on Tuesday, including the Algoma Montrealis and the Ojibway. “And there are three more coming in the next couple of days. That’s a good start for us. There’s a lot of carryover grain from last year to be moved. So that’s a good sign. We’re pretty optimistic at this point.”
In 2012 the port handled 6.45 million metric tonnes of grain, a three per cent increase over 2011. Overall it handled 7.84 million metric tons of cargo, again up three per cent over the year prior.
The Thunder Bay Port Authority has been holding top hat ceremonies since 1953, when it was first formed.
They’re a traditional event each spring in many different communities along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.
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