Handling of the goods

1. How can I ship goods or belongings through the Port of Montreal?
2. Which ships are in port right now?
3. How do I get to a certain terminal at the Port of Montreal?
4. Where is my container?
5. Where can I buy a container?

Port of Montreal and MPA

6. What is the Montreal Port Authority?
7. How is the Port of Montreal important?
8. What is the Port of Montreal's economic impact?
9. Is the port open in winter?
10. Are there any locks between Montreal and the Atlantic Ocean?
11. Is the Port of Montreal a St. Lawrence Seaway port?
12. Where can I find arrival and departure dates for ships at the Port of Montreal?
13. What is the difference between the Port of Montreal and the Old Port of Montreal?
14. Can I fish in the Port of Montreal?
15. Does the Port of Montreal offer activities for tourists?
16. How do I apply for a job with the Montreal Port Authority?
17. Where is the head office of the Montreal Port Authority?

Navigation

18. What is chart datum?
19. What is the water level of the St. Lawrence River's navigation channel right now?
20. What will the water level be next week?
21. Are there tides in Montreal?
22. Where can I register my vessel?
23. Where can I dock my sailboat/motorboat at or near the Old Port?
24. Where can I find out more about the Lachine Canal?

Cruise

25. Is it possible to work on a cruise ship?
26. How do I book an international cruise on the St. Lawrence River?
27. Can I rent a cruise ship for a party?
28. How do I get to the cruise terminal?
29. Is it possible to travel on a cargo ship?
30. Is it possible to work on a cargo ship?
31. Where can I find old passenger lists for ships that came through the Port of Montreal?

1. How can I ship goods or belongings through the Port of Montreal?

Larger or commercial shipments:
Find the country you are shipping to/from in the Regions served section of the Port of Montreal Web site. Determine which shipping lines serve that country, and contact any of the agents listed.

Personal belongings:
It is best to employ a freight forwarder to act as your agent and find you the best deal for ocean/road/rail transport. For more about freight forwarders, you may wish to consult the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association's Web site: http://www.ciffa.com/. To have the brokers and freight forwarding companies contacts, click here.

2. Which ships are in port right now?
Please consult Arrivals and departures.

3. How do I get to a certain terminal at the Port of Montreal?
Click on the relevant link for access maps: Facilities

4. Where is my container?
The Montreal Port Authority does not track containers. You must contact your agent or freight forwarder for the status of your shipment. If you are still unable to obtain this information, the terminal may be able to tell you if your shipment has arrived in port. If you know the name of the ship and your container's identification number, and the ship is in port, the shipping line's agent may be able to help you.

5. Where can I buy a container?
For sale or for rent:
MCS Containers Inc.
10025 Sherbrooke St. E.
Montreal, Quebec
Telephone: (514) 645-2346

6. What is the Montreal Port Authority?
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is an autonomous federal agency created in accordance with the Canada Marine Act. It does everything within its power to make the port as competitive as possible, and takes pride in providing top-notch infrastructure to shipping lines, land carriers, terminal operators and shippers. It does not receive any public funding, and finances all of its own projects.

The Montreal Port Authority's mandate is to facilitate domestic and international trade, and thereby contribute to the attainment of local, regional and national socio-economic objectives. The MPA is committed to providing highly-efficient facilities and services while respecting the environment. It increases and promotes the competitive advantages of the Port of Montreal.

The MPA employs more than 325 people in its offices, grain terminal, railway network and maintenance department.

Contrary to popular belief, the longshoremen and checkers working in the port are not employees of the Montreal Port Authority. They work for the Maritime Employers Association (MEA), whose members are shipping lines and stevedoring companies. The MPA does contribute to the longshoremen's development by providing a professional training centre equipped with a high-tech gantry crane simulator.

7. How is the Port of Montreal important?
The Port of Montreal is an international port linked to more than 100 countries around the world (See Regions served). It handles some 20 million tonnes of highly-diversified cargo annually. It is a member of a select club of ports which handle more than one million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, or containers) in one year. The Port of Montreal is a leader on the North Atlantic container market, serving year-round such markets as North Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Canada and the U.S. Midwest and Northeast.

8. What is the Port of Montreal's economic impact?
The Port of Montreal enhances the competitiveness of exporters from North America's industrial heartland, and facilitates the supply of raw materials and all types of products to industry.

The Port of Montreal generates spin-offs of some $2 billion annually, and creates more than 17,600 direct and indirect jobs.

9. Is the port open in winter?
Not only is the port open year-round, in winter it is busier than ever! Ships come and go without pausing between the Atlantic and the Port of Montreal, and have done so since 1964. The navigation channel that leads to Montreal should not be confused with the St. Lawrence Seaway, a system of channels and locks which connects Montreal to the Great Lakes, and which closes in winter.

10. Are there any locks between Montreal and the Atlantic Ocean?
There are no locks between Montreal and the Atlantic Ocean, a distance of some 1,600 kilometres. The Port of Montreal is located on one of the world's largest navigable waterways, the St. Lawrence River, which is open for navigation in all seasons between the Atlantic Ocean and Montreal.

There are, however, locks upstream of the Port of Montreal, on the St. Lawrence Seaway, which links Montreal to the Great Lakes, (except in winter). For more on the St. Lawrence Seaway, visit the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Web site: http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/home.html

11. Is the Port of Montreal a St. Lawrence Seaway port?
The Port of Montreal is not a St. Lawrence Seaway port. It is located on one of the world's largest inland waterways, the St. Lawrence River. The river's navigation channel and the port are open year-round.

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a system of man-made channels and locks that leads from the St. Lambert Lock in Montreal to the Great Lakes. It officially opened in 1959. The St. Lawrence Seaway is closed during the winter. For more on the St. Lawrence Seaway, visit the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Web site: http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/home.html

12. Where can I find arrival and departure dates for ships at the Port of Montreal?
Please consult Arrivals and departures.

13. What is the difference between the Port of Montreal and the Old Port of Montreal?
The Port of Montreal originated in the historic area now known as the Old Port. Over the years, the port expanded eastward along the shore. In 1978, the Port of Montreal ceded the area known as the Old Port to the Old Port Corporation, a public corporation charged with developing tourism and recreational activities in the area. The site is now a cultural gem and a major tourist attraction, having been enhanced with museums, restaurants, shops and water-related activities.
For more on the Old Port, visit the Old Port Web site:
www.oldportofmontreal.com

Meanwhile, the Port of Montreal, since its foundation in 1642, has grown from a shallow basin some 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) inland, accessible only by longboat during the warm months, into a world-class seaport open year-round. Most of its facilities are located downstream from the Old Port, with the Montreal Port Authority's head office and multipurpose Bickerdike complex being located upstream.

The Port of Montreal's excellent location on the doorstep of North America's industrial heartland contributes to its success on the North Atlantic container market. It handles some 20 million tonnes of highly-diversified cargo every year, creating spin-offs of nearly $2 billion and some 17,600 jobs.

14. Can I fish in the Port of Montreal?
The Port of Montreal is an industrial complex used to load and unload cargo. For security reasons, it is not open to the public. You may be allowed to fish in the Old Port of Montreal or in Promenade Bellerive Park, a recreational area located east of the port's container terminals and west of the port's petroleum sector.

Contact: Société d'animation de la Promenade Bellerive
8300 Bellerive Street, Montreal (Quebec) H1L 6S2
Phone : (514) 493-1967

There is also ice fishing on the Boucherville Islands, at 55, Île Sainte-Marguerite.
Phone : (450) 928-5088

15. Does the Port of Montreal offer activities for tourists?
The Port of Montreal is an industrial complex used to load and unload cargo. For security reasons, it is not open to the public. There are, however, many activities to choose from at the Old Port of Montreal.

Please visit the Old Port of Montreal Web site at www.oldportofmontreal.com

16. How do I apply for a job with the Montreal Port Authority?
Please see Human Resources.

17. Where is the head office of the Montreal Port Authority?
The Montreal Port Authority's head office is located at the following address:

Port of Montreal Building
2100, Pierre-Dupuy avenue, Wing 1
Montreal, Quebec
H3C 3R5

See map for access.

18. What is chart datum?
Chart datum is the reference point for most water-level measurements. In simple terms, it is universally-recognized lowest water level.

19. What is the water level of the St. Lawrence River's navigation channel right now?
Please consult Water level.

20. What will the water level be next week?
Water level forecasts are available on the Canadian Hydrographic Service Web site: http://www.chs-shc.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/chs/
and the Canadian Coast Guard Web site: http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/mns-snm/amag/stlaw_e.htm

21. Are there tides in Montreal?
Montreal is a fresh-water, non-tidal port. The tide stops at Trois-Rivières, which is located some 70 kilometres (43 miles) downstream from Montreal.

22. Where can I register my vessel?
Contact the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) in Montreal at (514) 283-2925 for more information.

23. Where can I dock my sailboat/motorboat at or near the Old Port?
You may be able to dock in the Old Port of Montreal.
Web site: www.oldportofmontreal.com

There is also La Ronde marina on St. Helen's Island.
Web site: www.laronde.com

Further east, there is the Pointe-aux-Trembles marina.
12746, rue Notre-Dame Est, Pointe-Aux-Trembles
Phone: (514) 645-4400
e-mail: marina@qc.aira.com

In Longueuil, on Montreal's south shore, there is the Marina Port de plaisance Réal-Bouvier.
Phone : (450) 442-9575

24. Where can I find out more about the Lachine Canal?
There is information on the Lachine Canal on the Lachine Canal National Historic Site Web site: http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/

25. Is it possible to work on a cruise ship?
You must contact the Seafarers' International Union of Canada.
Telephone: (514) 931-7859

26. How do I book an international cruise on the St. Lawrence River?
You must contact your travel agent, or a cruise line serving ntreal. For a list of cruise lines serving Montreal, see Cruises.

27. Can I rent a cruise ship for a party?
You may book events on vessels operated by AML Cruises.
Web site: http://www.croisieresaml.com/defaulteng.asp

The Old Port's Le Bateau-Mouche may also be available.
Web site: http://www.bateau-mouche.com/

28. How do I get to the cruise terminal?
The Iberville Passenger Terminal is located on De la Commune Street in Old Montreal. For directions, see Maps.

29. Is it possible to travel on a cargo ship?
No.

30. Is it possible to work on a cargo ship?
You must contact the Seafarers' International Union of Canada.
Telephone: (514) 931-7859

31. Where can I find old passenger lists for ships that came through the Port of Montreal?
Please contact the National Archives of Canada.
Web site: http://www.archives.ca/08/08_e.html