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CWB Marquis sign of future commitment to traditional shipping routes

THUNDER BAY – Expect the CWB Marquis to become a fixture in the city’s port over the next 40 years. The Canadian Wheat Board’s newest laker, which has been traversing through the Great Lakes and St.
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A champagne bottle is smashed against the hull of the CWB Marquis during the ship's christening ceremony at Mission Terminal on Wednesday. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – Expect the CWB Marquis to become a fixture in the city’s port over the next 40 years.

The Canadian Wheat Board’s newest laker, which has been traversing through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway since April, was officially christened at a Wednesday afternoon ceremony at Mission Terminal.

CWB president and chief executive officer Ian White said the investment of two state-of-the-art ships, the Marquis and CWB Strongfield, is a commitment to continue with existing shipping routes through the port of Thunder Bay for the organization, which has been drastically overhauled since being deregulated in 2012.

“It’s a significant step forward for the CWB,” White said of the new ship.

“We’ve been building supply chains for the past few years and acquiring assets. Mission Terminal is part of that…In terms of being part of the supply chain taking grain from this point right through the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence is another part of the supply chain we’ve endeavoured to be part of.”

Record harvests of prairie wheat during the last two growing seasons has led to a revitalization of the local shipping industry, with grain volumes at their highest levels in nearly two decades.

White noted the downturn the port had experienced from 20 years ago but said while shipping routes towards the Pacific Ocean have been growing the CWB values Thunder Bay’s strategic location as a gateway for Canada’s wheat to the rest of the world.

“Just about all of the grain that goes to customers in Europe, the Mediterranean region, North Africa and parts of the Middle East is going to go through the Great Lakes system,” he said. “You can be assured the CWB will be here for many, many years to come.”

Captain Seann O’Donoughue said holding the ceremony, which including the smashing of a champagne bottle against the hull of the ship, in the city is fitting because of geographic constraints and also because the location symbolizes the beginning of each of the ship’s journeys, where it will haul 30,000 tonnes of grain.

“Thunder Bay is the closest the ship will get to her home port which is Winnipeg, though we won’t be able to get up there,” O’Donoughue said.

“Our normal run is to bring prairie wheat from Thunder Bay down to the sea. It’s about a 1,800 mile and six-day voyage.”

The visit to Thunder Bay marked the ship’s sixth stop in the city since its maiden voyage earlier this year.

 





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