Types of Ship and Cargo

The St. Lawrence plays a central role in the economic development of North America, providing access to ports, industries and major cities. The dredging of a shipping channel in the mid-19th century, followed by the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, allowed cargo to reach the Great Lakes without needing to be transshipped several times. Transportation by ship can also be combined with rail and road shipping to reach other areas.

There are many different types of commercial vessels on the St. Lawrence, from huge ocean-going ships to smaller lakers. The type of vessel used and the handling techniques involved are dependent on the type of cargo. The cargo most commonly shipped through ports includes ore, agricultural products, food products, forest products, fuels and chemicals, manufactured goods, and heavy machinery and equipment.

FEDNAV is Canada's largest dry-bulk ocean transportation group. This type of cargo is shipped without packaging in the ship's holds. FEDNAV provides shipping on the Great Lakes and in the Canadian Arctic, and has the world’s largest fleet of ice-class bulk carriers.

This research icebreaker is equipped with 22 labs, whose sophisticated equipment meets the need of Arctic specialists from over 20 countries. It has carried out diverse research projects in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and health. Its first scientific research mission to the Arctic took place in 2003-2004.

This icebreaker removes ice and escorts ships on the Saguenay River, along the St. Lawrence Seaway, and on the St. Lawrence all the way to the gulf. Its powerful hoists allow it to place, maintain and remove buoys, while its superior steering capability also makes it suited to respond to search and rescue calls.

From spring break-up until the end of November, this boat uses various equipment to collect data in the St. Lawrence shipping channel between Île aux Coudres and Montreal.

The Ocean Group offers harbour towage services, assisting small to very large ships with their docking and undocking maneuvers. Tugboats can also carry pilots and passengers to other vessels on the river. They can provide ship escort services, provision ships, and even clear ice.

This tugboat was built north of Toronto in 1907, and began its career on the Atlantic coast as the Helena. During the 1940s, while it was working on the Great Lakes, its steam engine was swapped out for a more powerful diesel engine. In the 1960s, it changed hands and was renamed the Daniel Mc Allister. It guided ships in the Port of Montreal until 1980. To ensure the preservation of this historic vessel, the Musée maritime du Québec and the Old Port of Montréal Corporation purchased it in 1997. The Old Port of Montréal Corporation became its sole owner in 2008, and carried out major restoration work. This boat is the second-oldest seagoing tug in the world.

Tugs are very powerful, sturdy and maneuverable small boats.

The Ocean Group tugboats stand ready near the Richardson International facilities. This company's terminal was built in 1929 at the confluence of the Richelieu and the St. Lawrence in Sorel-Tracy. It was enlarged around 1936 and again in 1962. The facility features some 60 concrete grain silos and five steel tanks, as well as towers and conveyors.

Transcription

(Music. Captain François Harvey crosses a walkway to board a tugboat. Then, he stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) As tugboat captains employed by the Ocean Group, (White metal plaque affixed to the tugboat with the name Ocean Group in blue.) our job is to guide ships in and out of the Port of Trois-Rivières. We assist ships in many ways, when they arrive and when they leave. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) We also tow barges along the river and provide escort services for ships navigating between Montreal and Quebec down to Les Escoumins. We do all kinds of work like that with our tugboats. (Three blue and white tugboats moored at the port.) Our division is called Océan Remorquage Trois-Rivières and it’s part of the Ocean Group. We have tugboats here, (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) three conventional tugboats: Ocean Bravo, Ocean Basques and Ocean Charlie. They’re very efficient, maneuverable boats. (View of the Port of Trois-Rivières, with the tug Ocean Basques moored at the wharf.) Maneuverability is very important for a tugboat. They need to be extremely agile. (Music)

(Music. François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) Being a tugboat captain is never routine. Every time we head out, it’s a bit of an adventure. (Close-up view of controls in the cabin.) Each maneuver is different. Each ship has a different approach. We work closely with St. Lawrence pilots. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) They work on the cargo ships. When they come into port, we come up to the ship. The pilot gives us orders on how he wants to dock. The tugboats get into position to carry out various maneuvers and help the ship moor at the wharf. Overall, the process may seem similar. But there can be different weather conditions, ice, high winds… so we need to be able to react quickly and stay alert. It’s a great job, and it’s also an adventure. You need to be adventurous. You also have to be willing to work at any time. You know, we’re on call 24 hours a day. Of course, we get rest periods. (The dredger Ocean Basque 2, a barge and two tugboats on the St. Lawrence near the Port of Trois-Rivières) But we always need to be ready to go. (Music)

(Music. The dredger Ocean Basque 2, a barge and two tugboats on the St. Lawrence near the Port of Trois-Rivières) You can have all sorts of adventures as a tugboat captain. We work in tight places. We might have to get between a ship and the wharf during the winter, as part of our icebreaking operations. That can be really exciting. You have to bring the tugboat into a tiny space between the side of the ship and the wharf. (The dredger Ocean Basque 2, a barge and two tugboats on the St. Lawrence near the Port of Trois-Rivières) Then you move forward or in reverse and clear out all of the ice. During that time, the ship is stopped, waiting for you to finish icebreaking. After that, you go around and nudge the ship up against the wharf. These maneuvers are pretty exciting. And they’re never the same. There can be different amounts of ice. Icebreaking takes a lot of precision, and a lot of concentration. We do many other jobs as well. We might need to do a salvage operation or recover objects that have fallen into the water. (View of two tugboats moored in the frozen water of the Port of Trois-Rivières in winter.) Sometimes we have to do that. We also provide wharf construction support. I’ve had to go push on a wharf while they were adjusting it and installing tie-rods. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) Tie-rods are metal bars inside the wharf that stiffen it. So, a tugboat can be used to push against the side of a wharf. We also do surveillance work and watch for objects adrift in the water. We also intervene in emergencies. Tugs are equipped with water cannons. (View of the outside of a tug with its large red water cannon on top.) If there’s an emergency in the port, we go where the fire is and put it out with our big cannons. We use these powerful water cannons to help the firefighters. (View of the inside of the cabin, showing the wheel and various control buttons.) We work in all kinds of situations, and they’re always different.

Tugs are powerful boats. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) They need to be highly maneuverable, able to change directions quickly and powerful enough to push or tow ships. These boats also have a deep draft for their size, which helps give them stability. (Close-up view of the outside of a tug and its lifeboat.) The propellers need a lot of water to work properly. Tugs are tough and sturdy. They’re built strong, so they can push things without getting damaged. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) You need to be able to maintain tension and constant pressure. Take the Ocean Bravo here. It’s a boat about 30 m long, with a 4,000 hp motor. That’s pretty powerful. If we push against an object at maximum power, it’s strong enough. It gives a good push. There are even more powerful tugs in the Ocean Remorquage fleet. But here in Trois-Rivières this boat is big enough. It’s very effective. (Music. View of two tugs moored at the Port of Trois-Rivières in winter.)

(Music. François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) I’ve navigated on all sorts of ships. I’ve worked on passenger ships and ferries. But being a tugboat captain is a whole other line of work when it comes to maneuvers. You have to maneuver the boat in tight places, sometimes in very shallow water. That’s where our skills come to the fore, and we need to make full use of our talents. We’re always pushing our limits. There’s always something new to do, which means we keep getting better and building more experience. (A large ship on the St. Lawrence among floating blocks of ice.) Most ships remain in the middle of the shipping channel. They can stay on the same course for many hours, and they’re always right between the two buoys. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) It’s very safe. We also stay in the middle, but we often have to get into much tighter spaces. I’ll give you an example. Say you want to secure the tug to a moving ship. The ship is advancing at 5 knots when you arrive. You need to make the approach and come up next to the ship safely at 4 or 5 knots. A knot is 1.85 km/h, so that’s fairly fast. You need to keep the vessels from bumping into each other. You don’t want to damage the tug, and especially you don’t want to damage the other ship. And the whole maneuver takes place pretty quickly. Then you have to make fast to the ship and set up a tow line so you can help the ship come into port. (Music. Three blue and white tugboats moored at the Port of Trois-Rivières.)

(Music) Most ships have to use tugs to dock and undock. Some smaller ships can dock under their own power. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) These smaller ships are agile enough to dock themselves. Some ships, like Great Lakes vessels and lake barges, are accustomed to doing their own docking maneuvers. (View of metal knobs inside the tug’s cabin. Through the window, a container ship can be seen on the river.) But most foreign vessels and cargo ships need a tug to dock safely. We help ships dock safely and make sure everything goes smoothly. It’s safer for the pilot in control of the ship. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) The captain and crew of the cargo ship also feel safer because we’re there. (The dredger Ocean Basque 2, a barge and two tugboats on the St. Lawrence near the Port of Trois-Rivières) It’s always easier to dock using tugboats. In Trois-Rivières, we’ve always got the current flowing downstream. We’re on the river and right in the current. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) The port is built right along the river, on an east-west axis, so we really feel the effects of the current along the wharf. So we use a different approach than we would in a sheltered port, like the Port of Bécancour, where we work sometimes. We go to various other ports, by the way, when another division requests assistance from our tugs. Every port is arranged differently. (A tug moored at a wharf, with a Coast Guard vessel in the background on the frozen river.) In a sheltered harbour like Bécancour, you don’t have to worry about the current. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) You still feel the effects of the wind. This means the tug has to be positioned differently, and the maneuvers are different. Ships that enter Bécancour Harbour can shift into neutral and wait for us to arrive. We take over with our tugs and bring the ship directly to the wharf. In Trois-Rivières, the current is fairly strong, so pilots have to arrive at a certain speed. Cargo ships will come up to the wharf at a certain speed, and they need to maintain that speed to be able to dock safely. That means we need to carry out more maneuvers to compensate for the current. (White metal door seen from inside the tug. Music.)

(Music. François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) What I love most about my job is the feeling of venturing into the unknown. We have to deal with all kinds of situations. We don’t always know where we’re going, but we know what to do. (François Harvey pulls on a yellow cable in the wheelhouse.) You need to adjust and adapt. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) You can’t take anything for granted. That’s what I love. You head out in the tug, and you know the basics. You know how to do the maneuvers. But what’s going to come up? Did a ship run aground in Lake Saint-Pierre? Is there a fire on board? Will you need to salvage equipment floating on the water? Each situation requires a different response. Do you need to assist someone in distress? Did a pleasure boat run aground? We won’t be able to approach, because a tug has a very deep draft. If a pleasure boat runs aground too far out… we might be called on to assist with a situation like that. So when we set out we’re ready for anything. We get there, we face the situation, and we can’t back down. (Equipment and a telephone inside the wheelhouse. Music.)

(Music. François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) We support pilots. The pilot is always in charge of the maneuver, but we provide essential assistance. The pilot relies on us to approach the wharf. If the pilot asks us to use 25% power to push the ship and we use 50% power, it won’t work out. The entire approach is ruined. The ship might even crash into the wharf and get damaged. We need to be very precise in our maneuvers and follow our orders. If the pilot says to push with minimum power, we have to do it. The pilot is right up high, and he can see the big picture. (Two tugs moored at the wharf in the frozen water, with large silos in the background.) He can see both tugs, the wharf, the current and the wind. He sees how it all fits together. So he might tell the tug at the front to push, but the one at the back not to. (François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) You need to listen, and you need sharp ears, so you can react quickly and efficiently when the pilot gives an order. (Music. Extreme close-up view of the deck of a tug, showing large metal structures.)

(Music. François Harvey stands in the wheelhouse of the tugboat.) To be a good tugboat captain, you need to stay cool under fire. You need to be alert and focused, because it can be hard to come back from a mistake. If you make an incorrect maneuver, you need to correct it quickly, and know the right maneuver to correct it. You can’t make mistakes, so you really need to be focused. You also need leadership and communication skills. It’s very important! You need to communicate with the pilot when you make maneuvers and confirm your orders. You need to give the right order at the right time. So you need to be fast, efficient and a great communicator. (Captain Harvey, wearing a cap, turns the wheel. Music.)

In addition to bulk carriers, oil tankers also sail the St. Lawrence. They are easy to recognize because of the large pipe system that runs along the deck.

This bulk carrier, built in 1980, is equipped with a system for automatically unloading the holds. When the gates at the bottom of the holds are opened, gravity causes granular material to fall onto conveyor belts. The material is sent to an elevating system that lifts it above deck level, then transfers it onto a discharge boom conveyor.

Lakers are smaller ships that can transit the canals and locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. They carry cargo between the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence. They generally head east loaded with grain from Canada and the United States, then return to the Great Lakes loaded with iron.

Transcription

(Music. First Mate Louis-Vincent Barthe talks about his day-to-day tasks aboard the Algoma Mariner. He is standing in the wheelhouse.) We’re docked at the Port of Contrecœur, aboard the Algoma Mariner. This ship belongs to the Algoma Central Corporation, based in St. Catharines, Ontario. We specialize in carrying bulk cargo. Currently, we’re unloading iron pellets from Port-Cartier. The pellets are very small, and we’ve got a load of about 36,000 tonnes. I’m first mate on this ship and my job is… When we’re at sea or on the river, I keep watch on the bridge. (He uses binoculars to look out from the wheelhouse.) Each watch is four hours, and I stand two watches a day. My colleagues, the second mate and third mate, also keep two watches a day. And when we’re loading and unloading cargo at the wharf, we keep the same watches and the same hours. (On the bridge, he operates a small lifting basket attached to a mini-crane.)

The first mate oversees the loading and unloading of cargo. He draws up load plans and unload plans, which the other mates follow when they’re on watch. If there’s a problem, they’re supposed to call on the first mate, since he’s responsible for loading and unloading the ship. (He climbs a ladder to the bridge.) On top of that, I’ve got to take care of paperwork for the cargo. That’s another duty of the first mate. I’m also in charge of maintenance. I draw up a plan for all the work to be done to maintain the ship, from painting to cleaning the hold after unloading—especially when we’ve got more cargo to load. If we need new parts for our equipment, (Music) I’m that one that orders them. (Music)

(Music) Right now, we have a crew of 20 on the Algoma Mariner. Our regular crew is 18. We have two cadets in training, one in the engine room and one on the deck. I’ll start by talking about the captain. He’s the company’s representative aboard the ship. He takes control of the ship when we’re docking or undocking, and when we’re navigating the locks on the Seaway and on Welland Canal in Ontario. The captain is the ultimate authority aboard the ship. He is responsible for controlling the ship, and gives orders to the first mate.

I covered the first mate’s duties earlier. The second mate also stands two watches. He’s the navigator, so he’s responsible for everything related to navigation. He’s in charge of passage planning, and plots routes on paper charts. We also have an electronic chart, and he makes sure the routes are entered in it. (He operates equipment in the wheelhouse.) All the devices we use to navigate and control the ship are under his responsibility. The third mate stands his watches and ensures safety on board. He takes care of safety equipment, from firefighting appliances to lifesaving equipment such as lifeboats and life rafts. Then there’s the wheelsmen, who steer the ship. They receive wheel orders from the captain or the officer of the watch. When we’re in a pilotage area, the pilot takes command of the ship and gives wheel orders to the wheelsman. Then, the wheelsman carries out the wheel orders. Of course, today we don’t have those big old wooden wheels that had to be turned 25 times. Modern ships have small wheels connected to a hydraulic system, and they just need a little nudge. (Music. He turns the wheel.)

(Music) The boatswain is like the boss of the deckhands. I meet with him in the morning so we can draw up a plan for the day. We meet every day after my watch at 8 a.m. The deckhands maintain the ship, taking care of everything from painting to lubrication. They also moor the ship.

We have two cooks on board. They’re among the most important people when it comes to keeping the crew happy. And we have the people working in the engine room. (We can see the chief engineer and the other engineers working in the engine room.) There’s the chief engineer, second engineer, third engineer, fourth engineer. We’ve got a total of four engineers. We’ve also got what we call daymen. They often act as assistants to the engineers in their daily duties. We also have a tunnelman, who oversees the tunnel during unloading operations and ensures maintenance on the tunnel. He makes sure everything goes smoothly, especially when we’re unloading. Our cadets are here to learn, and they also help us out a lot. (Music. On the bridge, he operates a small lifting basket attached to a mini-crane.)

(Music) Here in Quebec, there’s only one maritime college, the Institut maritime du Québec in Rimouski. It offers a four-year college degree. There are six study terms, which would add up to three years, but the degree also requires 12 months of time at sea, spread out over the four years. That’s why the program in Rimouski takes four years. I think there are two great qualities you need. First, you need to be adaptable. Why? On long voyages, we often work alongside crews from all over the world. Of course, there are cultural differences. The crew could include Filipinos, Indians, Greeks, or South Americans. There’s often a language barrier. I’ve worked on ships with people from five different countries on board.

Every person has their own quirks, and you need to deal with them all. That’s why adaptability is definitely the top quality you need as a mariner. You also shouldn’t get bored easily, because we can be gone a long time. And you shouldn’t be boring. I think that’s the second greatest quality—or rather, the top shortcoming to avoid. (Music. He reads a magazine in his cabin.)

(Music. He stands in the wheelhouse.) How did I get started in the maritime industry? There were several factors. First off, I grew up on the island of Saint-Ignace de Loyola. The river was right in our backyard, and all my life I saw the ships at anchor. I was always fascinated. I liked to look at the flags and see where each ship was registered. I was captivated by the people working on board, so far from their homes. You’d see an Italian flag, and you’d tell yourself, there are Italians right there, just off Saint-Ignace. Sometimes you’d see a flag from Panama, from Hong Kong... and it always intrigued me. (He operates equipment in the wheelhouse.) There’s also a bit of a maritime tradition in my family. My great-grandfather was a pilot for Canada Steamship Lines. He piloted two ships from the company’s famous Great White Fleet, the Quebec and the St. Lawrence. (He stands in the wheelhouse.) I even had a chance to get to know him. He lived to age 97, and he stayed in his home almost up until the day he died. Sometimes I’d go meet him at his place. I could stay there two hours, and for an hour and 45 minutes he’d talk to me about the river. That was his passion, he’d talk about his time on the ships. I was always interested. I loved to go chat with him whenever I had an hour to spare. His son, my uncle Rosaire, who also lived there with his family, would say, “You’ve come to chat with Pops. You’re going to sail away…sail away on a rocking chair!” I think it was in my blood. Maybe it was thanks to him. One day, I decided to apply to the Institut maritime. I’ve never regretted my choice. I graduated in 2004 and now, if you count my time as a cadet, I’ve been navigating for 17 years. I’m still passionate about my work on the ships. Yes, you can be gone a long time, but when you get back home you have long vacation periods. That was a big draw for me. Sometimes I can be home for two months, two and a half months or even three months. It’s a great benefit. Of course, the compensation is also attractive. These careers pay well. And then there’s the feeling of adventure, and the freedom. I think being on the water makes you feel free.

People often ask me how things are on board a ship. I often compare it to a prison. On a ship, you can’t get away. It’s a lot like a prison. You work with the same people, and you’re together 24 hours a day. You eat whatever the cook prepares, or you go without. The cabin is the size of a cell. But somehow…this is where I feel most free. (Music)

This versatile ship is used to carry non-containerized general cargo, such as concrete structures, steel, aluminium, machinery, equipment and forest products.

Bulk carriers are frequently seen in every sector of the St. Lawrence.

When the holds are empty, bulk carriers float significantly higher in the water.

The Port of Saguenay on the Saguenay River is a deep-water port, accessible year-round, and has a substantial capacity. It handles forest products, general cargo, and dry and liquid bulk cargo. This port is part of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities.

Transcription

(Music. Chief Engineer Marc Cimon talks about his day-to-day tasks aboard the Algoma Mariner. He is standing in the engine control room. He adjusts the lever that operates the main engine. Then, Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) I’m the chief engineer on the Algoma Mariner. That means I take care of equipment in the engine room, in the quarters, on the deck, and all over the ship. If a light isn’t working, someone will come to see me. If an unloading mechanism isn’t working, they’ll come to see me, and I need to find a way to fix it. The winches, the main and auxiliary engines, the pumps, all the different systems on the ship—it’s up to me and my team to take care of them. (Close-up view of dials on the generator control panel.)

(Another view of Marc Cimon in the engine control room. A man seated behind him performs calculations in front of the measuring instruments.) In the engine room, there’s me, the chief engineer. Then I’ve got my second, third and fourth engineers. (Three men dressed in safety clothing, one wearing a white hardhat, check the measuring instruments. A fourth man, wearing a yellow hardhat, enters from the left to join them.) The second engineer oversees the main engine. He’s my right-hand man, and he manages all the equipment in the engine room. The third engineer mainly focuses on the generators. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) We have three 1,500 horsepower generators that require a lot of maintenance. They burn heavy fuel, and we need to monitor them closely and maintain them carefully. (Close-up of part of the propulsion console showing the speed indicator, rudder position, main engine torque gauge, communication tools and a clock.) They work very well. The fourth engineer is usually the youngest. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) A new graduate will come on as a fourth engineer. The fourth engineer is assigned to the pumps, which are the simplest piece of equipment. (Four men dressed in safety clothing, one wearing a yellow hardhat and another wearing a yellow one, examine the settings of the main engine, which they have just started after replacing a piston.) A fourth engineer graduates from a maritime college, like the one in Rimouski. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) I went to school at the Coast Guard College in Sydney. But most francophone engineers graduate from the college in Rimouski. They go to school for some time, then they come onto our ship as cadets. We have two cadets on board right now, one in the engine room and one on the deck. They get their basic training at school. When they’re with us on the ship, it’s non-stop training. Every time a new one comes on, we need to show them everything, all the time, over and over. (Panoramic view of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) The cadets change, a new one comes on. He doesn’t know the ship. So it starts over: questions, answers, (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) watch out for this! Don’t touch that! That works like this. Once a cadet has completed his schooling, he has to pass the fourth-class engineer certificate exam, if he’s an engineer. He gets his certificate, then he goes to work on a ship, as a fourth engineer. Once he’s got a certain number of months at sea, he can upgrade his certificate to third-class engineer. Then, he can upgrade again, to a second-class certificate. And eventually, he can earn a first-class certificate and become a chief engineer. That takes many years—7, 8 even 10 years sometimes. It also takes a long time to get enough experience, and to be comfortable on the job. When everything’s going well, it’s easy. But when everything goes dark and nothing’s working, that’s when everyone looks at the chief engineer and says, what do we do? (Laughs.) That’s when you need to get creative. (Laughs. Music. Marc Cimon is seated in front of the propulsion console.)

(Music. Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) Each workday can be very different. We have some days that go well. (Laughs.) Other days can be very strange. Sometimes we don’t know what’s happening anymore. But on a normal day, I eat breakfast in the morning with my second engineer at 8 a.m. and we talk about what’s been going on. He’s on watch from 4 to 8 a.m. We discuss what happened in the engine room overnight. Then, we plan the day’s work for the other engineers. What each one will do. This morning, we arrived around 6:30 or 7. (Close-up view of the generator control panel.) We had to wait an hour to stop the engine’s oil pumps so we could open it up and start working on it. We started after breakfast. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) The fourth engineer came on at 8 a.m. and we started to take apart the number 1 cylinder. Today, we changed the number 1 piston. We started working on it, only stopped a half-hour for lunch, then started again in the afternoon. We always try to work quickly in case things don’t work out the first time. They almost always do, but we’d rather have a little extra time than be forced to delay the ship. (Music. Marc Cimon opens the door and leaves the engine control room.)

(Music. Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) I love researching problems and trouble-shooting. Sometimes, a problem will be easy to solve. Other times… I’ve had a problem take me three months to work out. I ’ll keep coming back to it, turning it over in my mind. You think about the problem, and you think about other things. And at last, you find a solution. That’s very rewarding. A captain once told me that if he could start over, he’d choose a career in the engine room. (Engine noises as door opens.) Nearly every day, when you leave the engine room, you’ve accomplished something and you can be proud of your work. (Top view of the cargo ship’s large engine.) As for him, he’s happy with his work if absolutely nothing happens. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) If nothing happens, everything is perfect, every shift goes smoothly and the ship is running well, with no delays and nothing unusual going on—that’s the best he can hope for. As for us, we’ve always got something going on. If one day we’re fixing a broken pump, well at the end of the day that pump will be working. We take pride in our work. And we get that feeling every day. (Laughs. Music. Marc Cimon stands in front of the propulsion console.)

(Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) My father was a seaman. He worked for Branch Lines, on the oil tankers. He was a deck officer. When I was a boy, I’d go watch the ships go by on the river. I lived in Baie-Saint-Paul. I’d bring my binoculars down to the water’s edge to watch the ships go by. As often as I could. I’d jump on my bike and go to the beach. My mother would also take me to visit my father on the ship, when it came to Quebec. I’d always ask to go visit, because I loved to tour the ship. We’d go visit the wheelhouse. And then one time my father brought me to the engine room. Something just clicked in my head. The smells, the sounds—it was special. It’s always bright—at least when things are going well. (Top view of the cargo ship’s large engine.) Sometimes it can go dark, but that’s not supposed to happen. After that, every time I went back to the ship, I always wanted to see the engine room. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) I always had to go see it. We’d ask the chief engineer, can we go below? Yes, of course, go take a look! He wasn’t that interested—he was more interested in seeing my mother. (Laughs. A computer screen showing a page that indicates the levels of the engine room tanks: drinking water, lubricant and fuel.) That’s how it all started. I think that’s what sparked my interest in being an engineer. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) I really love it. You can’t spend… How long has it been now? I’ve been working on a ship since 1975. It’ll be 43 years this year. You can’t spend 43 years on a ship without loving it. I love what I do, every day. I usually get up at 6 a.m. I look outside, and the sun is coming up. (Marc Cimon drinks a cup of coffee standing in front of the propulsion console.) I drink my coffee and wait for the second engineer to come eat breakfast. My day starts like that. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) Unfortunately, there’s also some paperwork to do. That takes up a part of the day, but I need to get it done so I can go on to the rest. (Laughs. Music. Four men dressed in safety clothing, one wearing a yellow hardhat and another wearing a yellow one, examine the settings of the main engine, which they have just started after replacing a piston.)

(Music. Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) As I always tell the guys on the ship, new and old alike, the top quality in an engineer is curiosity. You need to be inquisitive. You’ve got to be asking “Why?” all the time. All the time. All the time. You press a button, and something happens. Why? That means, when you press the button and nothing happens, you already have an idea what’s going on. (View of red alarm buttons for essential battery-operated circuits.) Most people don’t ask a lot of questions. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) When there’s a problem, they just call me. I get there. OK, they’ll tell me… The first description of the problem I’ll hear is, "I don’t know what just happened." Well! Did you think about it a moment? What’s not working? Curiosity is… We’ve had young cadets who just weren’t curious, so they weren't able to learn. You can’t learn if you don’t have any curiosity. You need to love what you do, and you need to be curious. It’s very rewarding work, it’s very enjoyable, and I really like it. (View of the frozen St. Lawrence from the bridge of the cargo ship.) But I’ve always been inquisitive. Even when I was working on old ships, I’d always buy lots of magazines and books about modern technology. (Marc Cimon stands in front of the generator control panel, with its square dials and green, red and white buttons.) In my head, I wanted… I worked with old equipment because that’s just how it was. But I was always fascinated by modern technology. That’s why, when I came aboard this ship, I wasn’t out of my depth. Of course, things aren’t always the way you think they’re going to be. But I think the foundations were there. I don’t know. It’s all down to curiosity. (Laughs.) Once you’ve got that bug—well, there’s no cure for curiosity! (Laughs. Music. Outside view of the cargo ship Algoma Mariner seen from the wharf.)

Sorel-Tracy sits at the confluence of the Richelieu and the St. Lawrence. This has long been a select location for port facilities. In the early 20th century, population expansion in Western Canada led to an increase in grain production. Several ports along the St. Lawrence updated their facilities to meet the needs of the growing grain industry. In response to this economic development, grain elevators were built in the Port of Sorel in 1929.

In 1929, 1,200 workers were involved in the construction of 40 cement silos for the company North American Elevators Limited. Despite the Great Depression, port activities in Sorel resumed once the work was complete. More silos were added around 1936-1938. When the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, the Port of Sorel became one of Eastern Canada's main ports for transshipping grain to European and Asian ports.

In 1961, the company James Richardson and Sons took over the facilities. In 1962, the facilities were expanded, with the addition of five steel tanks and two mobile marine towers used to unload ships.

Worldwide, various types of cargo are increasingly being shipped in containers. This shipping method greatly streamlines loading and unloading operations, while saving lots of time. It only takes around two days to load or unload a container ship, while with other methods this process can take a week. Since containers are locked, theft and loss of cargo has plummeted. Given the growing popularity of this shipping method, it is estimated that the volume of cargo shipped in containers will double by 2050.

Containerization has reduced shipping costs by making cargo easier to handle. A wide variety of container formats are available, adapted to shipping many types of cargo. Some containers are even temperature-controlled, making it possible to slow or accelerate the ripening of fruits and vegetables.

All containers are the same width, allowing them to be carried on ships, trucks and trains all around the world. This also makes it possible to use standardized handling equipment. Generally, gantry cranes are used to load and unload container ships.

The container was invented in 1956. In the 1960s, containerization became increasingly popular, leading to a revolution in cargo shipment. The first container ships arrived at the Port of Montreal in 1967. In the 1980s, this shipping method took off worldwide.

The Port of Montreal is a major transshipping hub for containerized and non-containerized cargo, as well as dry and liquid bulk cargo. Around half of the cargo shipped through the port is containerized.