• November 29, 2009: Hamilton Port Authority to keep goods moving during CN strike
    Sea3 container feeder service replaces GTA-to-Montreal rail corridor

    The Hamilton Port Authority has vowed to keep goods moving during the Canadian National rail strike with its Sea3 container feeder service connecting the Greater Toronto Area to the Port of Montreal.

    "We are doing everything we can to reduce the impact the strike will have on Ontario businesses," says HPA president and CEO Bruce Wood. "Sea3 and the Hamilton Port Authority have invested a great deal into this service and are confident that we can keep Ontario's cargo moving."

    HPA Vice President Ian Hamilton says talks with international shipping companies began the moment locomotive engineers at CN walked off the job Saturday.

    "When transportation chains fail it can have a devastating effect on local businesses," Hamilton says. "Our priority is to keep Ontario's businesses connected to the outside world."

    The HPA's Sea3 service sails twice a week between Hamilton and Montreal with a 48 hour transit time, making it a greener, price-competitive alternative to truck and rail for moving containers between the GTA and international markets.

    The Hamilton Port Authority is committed to the economic, environmental and social vitality of the community. The port sees the largest volume of traffic and tonnage among Canadian Great Lakes ports.

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  • July 16, 2009: First sailings completed

    The commencement of the service began as planned on July 3, and now in its third week, the Niagara Spirit is making the regular weekly call between Hamilton and Montreal. The photos below are of the loading operation from July 2 in Hamilton.

    Loading the Niagara Spirit - July 2, 2009 Loading the Niagara Spirit - July 2, 2009 Loading the Niagara Spirit - July 2, 2009

  • July 13, 2009: First regular Great Lakes container service launches

    By MM&D Staff, June 26, 2009

    On July 3, the first-ever regular container feeder service on the Great Lakes commenced operations between Montreal, Quebec and Hamilton, Ontario.

    The weekly fixed-day service will provide marine transport for as many as 260 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

    The service is being co-ordinated by Sea 3 Inc — which stands for Short Sea Savings — a new subsidiary of the Hamilton Port Authority (HPA).

    Late last year, the HPA conducted a container feeder trial, sending 68 containers of recycled metals to the Port of Montreal. The trial was a success, and, after spending what HPA president and CEO Bruce Wood calls “a significant amount of time” incorporating the project as part of the port’s strategic plan and working with several marine partners, it was able to develop the weekly service.

    The service is a partnership of several marine stakeholders. McKeil Marine Limited provides tug and barge service with its Niagara Spirit vessel. Federal Marine Terminals manages the port terminal in Hamilton, while Montreal Gateway Terminals does the same at the Port of Montreal. Montship Inc acts as the sales agent, managing all bookings for the service.

    While the Port of Hamilton is relatively new to the container game, it is working to make the service as shipper-friendly as possible. For example, it is currently working on an inland depot for empty containers so port users can pick up their containers themselves in Hamilton. The intent, according to HPA vice-president Ian Hamilton, is to minimize drayage costs.

    Those involved are touting the service as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective option that, according to Hamilton, is particularly well-suited for shippers of heavy containerized cargo.

    “[The service] can carry up to the container’s plated capacity, approximately 28 metric tonnes,” he said.

    “Initially this will mean that heavy cargos such as steel and ceramic tiles moving in 20-ft containers and paying overweight surcharges will benefit hugely.”

    Web icon Link to the article on the MM&D web site


  • June 26, 2009: Sea3 means weekly container movements - Hamilton-Montreal container feeder service commences July 3

    The launch of a new container feeder service between Montreal and Hamilton signals a new and more environmentally friendly era of goods movements in Canada. The weekly fixed day service will provide marine transport for more than 250 TEU per sailing creating an alternative to truck and rail for containers connecting with international liner services calling on Montreal. The service is a Hamilton Port Authority initiative driven by its wholly owned subsidiary, Sea 3 Inc. The service is beneficial in three key areas. It will lower the overall transportation costs for many cargo types, it can reduce the environmental footprint versus truck or rail and it provides social advantages such as lessening road and rail congestion.

    “One of the real advantages of this service is its ability to carry heavy boxes. It can carry up to the container’s plated capacity (approx 28 metric tonnes) and initially this will mean that heavy cargos such as steel and ceramic tiles moving in 20’ containers and paying overweight surcharges will benefit hugely. We are also in the process of creating an inland container depot for empties in Hamilton so users can pick up their containers in Hamilton and minimize the local drayage charges,” says Hamilton Port Authority vice president Ian Hamilton.

    Studies that support efficiencies in marine transport in the environmental arena have demonstrated waterborne advantages, including fuel litres burned per tonne kilometer. In fact, McKeil Marine estimates that it will take less than 3 litres of fuel to transport a tonne of cargo from Hamilton to Montreal with this mode. This also reduces congestion on our major highways shifting traditional long haul truck loads to available capacity on the Seaway. “Being a part of the service fits our corporate philosophy to promote and develop Short Sea Shipping. Sea3 is designed to increase transportation system efficiency in our region and meet the demands of economic expansion, increased trade and population growth. Promoting multi-modal transportation, and integrating the efficiencies of the marine mode, will ensure a competitive position for Hamilton,” said McKeil Marine president Blair McKeil.

    Service providers include McKeil Marine Limited providing the tug and barge service, the 260 TEU capacity Niagara Spirit, Montship Inc. Who will act as the sales agent, managing bookings, Federal Marine Terminals managing the Hamilton port terminal service and Montreal Gateway Terminals, providing the Montreal port terminal service. Cargo booking and pricing inquiries can be made by contacting Montship on 1-800-668-6850. “We are very excited to be a part of this service. Sea 3 brings a new dimension to intermodal transport in the Quebec-Ontario corridor. That a viable alternative to rail and truck is being introduced in the 50th year of the Seaway is noteworthy. We are very encouraged by the reaction from shippers and carriers alike. The cost savings alone sell the concept, but the environmental benefits make it a winner. For the many companies who have a green policy in place, this is a long-awaited solution,” said Montship’s president Brian McDonald.

    The commencement of the service is planned for July 3rd and will mark the first regular container movements on the Great Lakes and will demonstrate the viability of short sea shipping linking Great Lakes ports with St. Lawrence River and East Coast gateway ports. Short Sea Shipping, a significant component to goods movement throughout Europe, has been increasingly identified as providing long term sustainability for the Seaway. “We are pleased to support the development of new traffic in the port and our terminal management experience is well suited to handling container volumes,” said Federal Marine Terminals marketing and corporate relations director Mike Kirkpatrick.

    “We’ve invested a significant amount of time with a number of partners and have made the feeder service a key component of our strategic planning,” said HPA president and CEO Bruce Wood. Events are planned for July to officially mark the launch of the service. Global economic conditions are forcing many sectors to evaluate further cost saving measures and programs. Transportation costs are a substantial constituent of the total supply chain and one which is not insular to recent downturns in the economy. This is the ideal time to launch such an offering in the marketplace



  • November 27, 2008: Hamilton Port Authority conducts Container Feeder Shipping Trial with recycled metals cargo bound for India and Pakistan via Montreal

    The Hamilton Port Authority will launch its short sea shipping initiative with a dedicated container feeder vessel bound for India and Pakistan via the Montreal Gateway Terminal.

    The shipment, for Sunrise Metals, is centered around recycled metals, primarily sourced locally and in the Golden Horseshoe. It consists of 68 containers which will be barged to Montreal by Hamilton based McKeil Marine and be routed from there by Maersk and CMA CGM, two of the top five container lines in the world.

    This first of its kind shipment marks a significant step in the advancement of Great Lakes short sea shipping through the development of viable container feeder services linking with both Halifax and Montreal. Short sea shipping, a significant component to goods movement throughout Europe, has been increasingly identified as providing long term sustainability for the Seaway.

    “We’ve invested a significant amount of time with a number of port partners over the past two months making this long-discussed concept a reality with this trial shipment," said HPA president and CEO Bruce Wood. “Making this specialized type of service an important piece of the port’s traffic connecting to Canada's East Coast ports is a central part of our overall Hamilton Port Authority strategy.”

    “We have great faith in the Hamilton Port Authority’s ability to make this service a sustainable and economically viable option for us,” said Amandeep Singh Kaloti, president of Sunrise Metals. “The ability to ship via vessel containerized cargo from Hamilton to Montreal and Halifax for transfer to global markets provides us with a great opportunity to operate efficiently in the Golden Horseshoe.”