Port of Montreal

File:Loading Sacks on Ship Montreal 1920.jpgThe port originated in the historic area now known as the Old Port of Montreal.{{cite web |title=History of the Old Port |url=https://www.oldportofmontreal.com/history-old-port |access-date= |publisher=Old Port of Montreal}} Over the years, the Port of Montreal expanded eastward along the waterfront. In 1978, the Port of Montreal ceded the area now known as the Old Port to the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, a public corporation responsible for developing tourism and recreational activities in the area. The site is a tourist attraction, featuring museums, restaurants, shops and water-related activities. Most Port of Montreal facilities are located downstream from the Old Port. The Montreal Port Authority's head office and the multipurpose Bickerdike Terminal are located upstream from the Old Port.

File:Edifice des Commissaires 05.jpg

{{prose|section|date=June 2013}}

File:Alter Hafen von Montreal - Vieux-Port de Montréal, Foto circa 1899.jpg

Starting from the first authority:{{cite web |title=The Port of Montreal through history |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/about-the-port/the-port-of-montreal-through-history/timeline |access-date= |publisher=Port of Montreal}}

• 1830: The first Harbour Commission is created. It built the first permanent wharves and pressed the government to dredge the river.
• 1830–1832: {{convert|1,143|m}} of docks are built.
• 1840: The Gold-Headed Cane tradition begins, giving a cane to the captain of the first vessel to reach the port in the year.
• 1854: The navigation channel between Quebec City and Montreal is deepened to {{convert|4.88|m}} and widened to {{convert|76.19|m|0}}.
• 1872: Archives for May 28 note that "there were 70 vessels—21 of them ocean-going steamships—docked at different berths, representing a total of {{convert|53769|t|ST LT}}."
• 1883: Channel is dredged to {{convert|7.5|m}}.
• 1902: Start of construction of modern grain elevators in the port.
• 1908: First permanent transit sheds constructed.
• 1910: Project to deepen the channel to {{convert|10.7|m}} began.
• 1936: The federal government creates the National Harbours Board.
• 1947: More than 25 steamship lines serve the port for seven and a half months of the year.
• 1962: The federal government decides to use icebreakers to keep the channel open between Montreal and Quebec City during winter.
• 1964: Year-round navigation begins in Montreal. In 1962, the Canadian Coast Guard began to use icebreakers to keep the St. Lawrence navigation channel open, first and foremost as an environmental measure designed to protect riverside communities from spring floods caused by ice jams.{{cite web |url=http://www.cpslc.ca/en/news-multimedia/173-the-begining-of-winter-navigation-above-quebec-city.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130722143549/http://www.cpslc.ca/en/news-multimedia/173-the-begining-of-winter-navigation-above-quebec-city.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 22, 2013 |title=The Beginning of Winter Navigation Above Quebec City |publisher=Corporation of Central St. Lawrence Pilots |access-date=June 19, 2013 }} Year-round navigation to and from the port began in 1964.
• 1967: The port handles its first container.
• 1968: Canada's first container terminal is inaugurated in Montreal.
• 1972: Construction begins on Cast container terminal.
• 1977: The port handles its one-millionth TEU container.

File:Grue et conteneurs du port de Montréal.jpg

• 1978: The port builds Racine container terminal and expands its operations in Montreal's east end.
• 1983: The Montreal Port Corporation is established.
• 1987: Maisonneuve container terminal (Termont) opens.
• 1992: Maximum draught is increased to {{convert|11|m}}.
• 1996: Three brand-new vessels, capable of carrying 2,300 TEU containers each, are christened in Montreal.
• 1998: Two shipping lines take delivery of three ships capable of transporting 2,800 TEU containers or the equivalent.
• 1999: Under the Canada Marine Act, the Montreal Port Corporation becomes the more autonomous Montreal Port Authority.
• 2000: The Port of Montreal handles more than 1 million TEU containers a year for the first time in its history.
• 2006: The port reaches a new milestone by handling more than 25 million tonnes of cargo.
• 2008: Electronic navigation system is implemented from Montreal to the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• 2011: The port opens a new common entry portal for trucks, transfers the management of its grain terminal operations to Viterra Inc., and reaches a new milestone by handling more than 28 million tonnes of cargo.
• 2018: The Port of Montreal inaugurates the Grand Quay, the renovated terminal for cruise ships.
• 2020: A series of labour disputes shut down the Port as part of the 2020 Port of Montreal strike.
• 2023: the Port of Montreal Tower is officially inaugurated.{{Cite web |title=The Port of Montréal Tower: a new icon for the city |url=https://provencherroy.ca/en/the-port-of-montreal-tower-a-new-icon-for-the-city/ |website=Provencher Roy}}

{{See also|Economy of Montreal}}

Maritime and port activity in Montreal supports some 18,280 jobs and provides $1.5 billion in economic benefits to the Canadian economy (Secor study, 2008).

The Province of Québec announced in May 2013 the signature of a collaborative framework with the City of Montreal for the extension of a thoroughfare that was designed to link with port facilities. The province also announced the construction of an exit ramp from a major highway to allow trucks to directly reach the port, and the reconfiguration of an entrance ramp on the same highway to provide trucks leaving the port with direct access to the highway network. The two projects were designed to improve truck access at the Port of Montreal.{{Cite web |title=Overpass in the Viau terminal sector |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/projects/road-link-in-the-viau-terminal-sector |website=Port of Montreal}}

The Canada Infrastructure Bank announced $300 million in support of the Port of Montreal expansion project in Contrecoeur in 2018, and the Quebec government announced $55 million in financial assistance in 2021 and an additional $75 million in 2023.{{Cite web |title=All about the Contrecoeur project |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/ctc-home/ctc-project |website=Port of Montreal}}

The Port of Montreal was behind the creation of the Logistics and Transportation Metropolitan Cluster of Montreal, or Cargo Montreal, an initiative to help consolidate Montreal as a centre for goods transportation.{{cite web |date=June 1, 2023 |title=CargoM celebrates 10 years of activity at its annual general meeting |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/cargom-celebrates-10-years-of-activity-at-its-annual-general-meeting-871848907.html |access-date= |publisher=Newswire}} The project is supported by the Metropolitan Community and its activities are financially supported by Québec's Finance and Economy Ministry, Executive Council Ministry, the Montreal Metropolitan Community and all Cargo Montreal members, while Transport Canada is a participant.

The port serves a variety of North America markets. In 2024, 46% of the port's cargo traffic was destined for exportation, coming mainly from Québec (53%), Ontario (29%) and Western Canada (10%). The other 8% of containerized cargo traffic was destined for or came from the United States, mainly the Midwest.{{Cite web |title=Benefits and traffic |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/benefits-and-traffic-2024 |website=2024 Montreal Port Authority Annual Report}}

The port has appointed representatives in the U.S., Europe and Asia to promote its advantages in those markets.{{cite web |date= |title=Commercial Team |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/goods/business/contacts-at-the-port-of-montreal |access-date= |publisher=Port of Montreal}}

In 2024, Northern Europe was the point of origin or final destination for 36% of the cargo moving through the port, followed by Asia (25%), the Mediterranean (22%), the Middle East (8%), Latin America (5%) and Africa/Oceania (4%). The port continues to benefit from traffic moving through the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal thanks to the direct services that shipping lines provide between Montreal and transhipment ports in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

{{See also|Geography of Montreal}}

File:Port_of_Montreal_ship.png

On the island of Montreal, port territory stretches along {{convert|26 |km}} of the waterfront from the Victoria Bridge at the upstream end of the port to Pointe-aux-Trembles at the downstream end of the port.

The port also has a terminal at Contrecoeur, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River about {{convert|40|km}} downstream from Montreal. The port owns land along {{convert|4|km|spell=in}} of the waterfront at Contrecoeur. This land was intended to be used to increase the port's container-handling capacity once its land on the island of Montreal reached full capacity.{{cite web |date= |title=Contrecoeur terminal expansion project |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/ctc-home |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |publisher=Port of Montreal}}

{{See also|Saint Lawrence River}}

The Port of Montreal is a founding member of Green Marine, a voluntary environmental program for the maritime industry in Canada and the United States. Green Marine addresses environmental issues such as greenhouse gases, cargo residues, conflict of use (noise, dust, odours, luminous pollution), water and soil pollution prevention, and environmental leadership. In Green Marine's most recent progress report, on a scale of 1 to 5, where Level 5 corresponds to the highest performance rating possible, the Port of Montreal scored Level 4 for efforts to reduce Air emissions and greenhouse gases, and Level 5 for Community impacts, Community relations, Environmental leadership, Spill prevention and stormwater management, and Waste management.{{cite web |title=Green Marine 2023 Progress Report |url=https://green-marine.org/media/1xkpzcul/gm_perfo_report2023_web.pdf |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |publisher=Green Marine}}

The Montreal Port Authority manages the Boucherville Islands Archipelago, which is located at the downstream end of the port. The port authority is completing work to provide fish with spawning areas at several islands of the archipelago as part of an agreement with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fish Habitat Management Branch.{{cite web |title=What does the MPA do on the Boucherville Islands it administers? |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/news/news/logbook/question-boucherville-en |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |publisher=Port of Montreal}} The Coastal Fisheries Protection Act calls for the creation or improvement of habitant banks as compensation for the impact of development projects, such as the development of berths, on the environment.

The Port of Montreal and the shipping channel between Montreal and Quebec City has a draft depth of {{convert|11.3|m}}{{Cite web|url=https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-bigger-container-ships-mean-challenges-for-port-of-montreal|title = Opinion: Bigger container ships mean challenges for the port of Montreal}} and is capable of handling neopanamax container ships of up to 6,700 TEUs.{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=The Port of Montreal hails the arrival of the largest container ship to sail the St. Lawrence |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/news/news/msc-melissa-en |website=Port of Montreal}}

File:Port Montreal 3.jpg

Container ships are completely unloaded and loaded. Container shipping lines calling the port include CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company and OOCL.{{cite web |title=Our partners |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/about-the-port/structure-and-governance/our-partners |access-date= |publisher=Port of Montreal}}

The port has five international container terminals. Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership operates two of the terminals and Termont Montreal Inc. operates the others. QSL operates a terminal that handles domestic containers. These facilities cover an area of approximately 90 hectares (36 acres) and have 15 dockside gantry cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 40 to 65 tonnes, yard gantry cranes and other container-handling equipment.

File:Viterra Montreal Grain Terminal.jpg grain terminal]]

The port signed an agreement in 2011 with Viterra Inc., to lease and operate the port's grain terminal.{{cite web|url=http://www.canadiansailings.ca/?p=2223|title=Viterra, Port of Montreal Reach Agreement for Grain Terminal|publisher=Canadian Sailings|access-date=June 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816130804/http://www.canadiansailings.ca/?p=2223|archive-date=August 16, 2016|url-status=dead}} Total grain traffic through the port reached 4,6 million tonnes in 2024. The grain terminal is a combined loading and unloading facility that has a total storage capacity of 260,000 tonnes.

Iron ore, salt, fertilizers, copper ore, raw sugar and gypsum are among the major commodities handled. Logistec operates the port's dry bulk facilities.

File:Citernes de pétrole Norcan.jpg

Six petroleum companies: Canterm Canadian Terminals Inc., Shell Canada Products, Suncor Energy, Terminal Montréal Est, Terminal Norcan Inc. and Ultramar Ltd. handle petroleum products at port facilities. Two companies Vopak Terminals Canada Inc. and Lallemand Inc. move other liquid bulk products.

The port authority directly operates a cruise passenger terminal, the Port of Montreal's Grand Quay. The port reported servicing 65,136 passengers and crew members in 2024.{{cite web |title=2024 Annual Report |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/benefits-and-traffic-2024 |access-date=May 14, 2019 |publisher=Port of Montreal}}

{{See also|Port of Montreal railway}}

The port authority provides facilities to shipping lines and land carriers, to terminal operators and to freight transport. It builds and maintains infrastructures that it leases to private stevedoring companies.

The port also has its own railway network, which includes more than {{convert|100|km}} of track with direct access to almost every berth and further provides transcontinental railways through signed agreements with Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) and CPKC to improve supply chain efficiency for container traffic throughout North America.

The Montreal Port Authority operates the Port of Montreal and is a member of: the Association of Canadian Port Authorities (CPA),[https://acpa-aapc.ca/member-ports/ Corporate Members], Association of Canadian Port Authorities the American Association of Port Authorities,[https://www.aapa-ports.org/ Corporate Members - Canadian Ports], American Association of Port Authorities and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH).[https://www.iaphworldports.org/memberports/montreal-port-authority-2/ IAPH Member Ports], Int'l Assoc. of Ports and Harbors The port authority is an autonomous self-financing federal agency created under the terms of the Canada Marine Act.{{cite web |title=Canada Marine Act |url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-6.7/FullText.html |access-date=June 19, 2013 |publisher=Justice Laws Website}}

The port authority's board of directors is composed of seven business people from the Montreal area. Each of three levels of government – federal, provincial and municipal – names a director. The federal transport minister, on the recommendation of port users, names the remaining four directors.{{cite web |title=Governor in Council Appointments |url=https://federal-organizations.canada.ca/ |access-date=June 19, 2013 |publisher=Government of Canada}} The board elects its own chairman.{{cite web |title=Board and Management Committee |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/about-the-port/structure-and-governance/board-of-directors-and-management-committee |access-date=June 19, 2013 |publisher=Port of Montreal}}

As of 2024, the Port Authority had 272 employees, total revenue from operations was $143 million and its net earnings totalled $22.6 million.{{cite web|title=Statistics|url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/ar-22-en-benefits-and-traffic}}

At the beginning of the 21rst century, the port of Montreal was dominated by the West End Gang, which used it for drug smuggling.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=183-184}} Over a 8 month period in 2000, the West End Gang smuggled in 260 kilograms of cocaine via the Port of Montreal.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=336}} In 2001, the Liberal Senator Colin Kenny said of his visit to the port of Montreal that it reminded him of the 1954 film On The Waterfront.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=336}} Kenny told the journalists Julian Sher and William Marsden: "We were looking at each other, wondering when Karl Malden was going to appear. It shocked the hell out of us".{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=336-337}} In 1997, the government of Jean Chretien disbanded the Canada Ports Police, which traditionally policed the waterfront and replaced the Ports Police with private security guards.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=337}} Kenny and his Senate committee stated the unarmed and poorly paid private security guards who have no power of arrest were hapless in the face of the West End Gang.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=337}} Kenny's committee discovered that 15% of the stevedores, 36% of the checkers and 56% of the garbagemen working at the port of Montreal had criminal records.{{sfn|Sher|Marsden|2003|p=337}}

• {{flagicon|BEL}} – Port of Antwerp, Belgium (2021){{cite press release |author=Staff writer |author-link2= |date=November 4, 2021 |title=The Port of Antwerp and the Port of Montreal pledge to create a green shipping corridor |url=https://newsroom.portofantwerpbruges.com/the-port-of-antwerp-and-the-port-of-montreal-pledge-to-create-a-green-shipping-corridor |type=Press release |agency=Port of Antwerp-Bruges |access-date=May 5, 2022 |quote= }}
• {{flagicon|FRA}} – Port of Marseille-Fos, France (2020){{cite press release |author=Staff writer |date=November 27, 2020 |title=Five-year Cooperation Agreement signed between the Port of Marseille Fos and the Port of Montreal |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/five-year-cooperation-agreement-signed-between-the-port-of-marseille-fos-and-the-port-of-montreal-820076598.html |type=Press release |agency=Cision Canada |access-date=May 5, 2022 |quote= }}
• {{flagicon|CHN}} – Port of Tianjin, China
• {{flagicon|IND}} – Mundra Port, Gujarat State, India (2018){{cite web |author=Staff writer |date=May 6, 2021 |title=The Port of Montreal and the Adani Group renew their cooperation agreement |url=https://www.port-montreal.com/en/the-port-of-montreal/news/news/press-release/adani-mtl-en |access-date=May 6, 2021 |quote=The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) and the Adani Group renewed their cooperation agreement on April 22, 2021, for a period of five years. This new agreement continues the joint work begun in 2018 with the signing of the first agreement between the two port authorities: a collaboration focused on business development, marketing, information sharing on marine operations, new technologies and industry best practices. |agency=Port of Montreal |department=MEDIA / NEWSROOM}} Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

{{Portal|Transport}}

• Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
• Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre Quebec
• List of North American ports
• List of world's busiest container ports
• Container on barge

• {{cite book|last1=Sher|first1=Julian|last2=Marsden|first2=William|title=The Road To Hell How the Biker Gangs Are Conquering Canada|location=Toronto|publisher=Alfred Knopf|date=2003|isbn=0-676-97598-4}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Officialwebsite|http://www.port-montreal.com/}}

{{montreal}}

{{Ports of Canada}}

{{Ports and harbors}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Montreal

Category:Ports and harbours of Quebec

Category:River ports of Canada

Category:Saint Lawrence Seaway

Category:Transport in Montreal