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St. Lawrence Seaway open for 55th shipping season

Posted 3/22/13

The St. Lawrence Seaway began its 55th navigation season today with the transit of Canada Steamship Lines’ newly built Baie St. Paul through the St. Lambert Lock. Marking the first of a series of …

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St. Lawrence Seaway open for 55th shipping season

Posted

The St. Lawrence Seaway began its 55th navigation season today with the transit of Canada Steamship Lines’ newly built Baie St. Paul through the St. Lambert Lock.

Marking the first of a series of new vessels being constructed specifically for use in the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Baie St. Paul ushers in a new era in domestic shipping.

“Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) ranks prominently among a number of Canadian shipowners who are committing hundreds of millions of dollars to build new vessels, testifying to the confidence these firms have in the future of the Great Lakes-Seaway System,” said Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. “The new vessels coming into service will bolster marine transportation’s competitive edge as the most energy efficient means of moving cargo.”

“The Baie St. Paul is the first of CSL’s Trillium Class of vessels, which sets new standards in operational and energy efficiency, reliability and environmental protection,” said CSL’s President Louis Martel. “The Baie St. Paul is 15 percent more fuel efficient than CSL's previous class of ships – vessels that were already among the most efficient in the Lakes – and will save approximately 750 metric tons of fuel per year, amounting to a yearly carbon emission reduction of 2,400 metric tons.”

Over 227,000 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity are supported by the movement of goods within the Great Lakes-Seaway System. For more information on the St. Lawrence Seaway, including the findings of the recently published environmental study comparing transportation modes, please consult the www.greatlakes-seaway.com website.