OOCL Belgium wins Gold-headed Cane Award from Port of Montreal

The ice class OOCL Belgium (2,808 TEUs), has won the prestigious 171^st Gold-Headed Cane Award from the Port of Montreal.

The OOCL Belgium was the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2010. After leaving December 24 from Liverpool, the ship entered the port's boundary - about 70 kilometres downstream at Sorel - at 51 minutes into the new year. With gross registered tonnage of 39,174, the Belgium holds 28,476 tonnes of cargo.

The Gold- Headed Cane Award is a maritime tradition that goes back to 1840 when it was created to stimulate transatlantic traffic.

The awards ceremony took place on the morning of Monday, January 4 at the Montreal Port Authority Building and marked the 171st time the award has been given. The award was presented to Captain Steven Lloyd, Master of OOCL Belgium (pictured below, centre), by Ms. Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), (pictured below, third from right) with representatives of the marine industry and the Montreal business community present at the ceremony.