Winter conditions affecting Seaway traffic
The Algoma Central Corporation self-unloading bulk carrier ship John D.
Leitch stopped in the St. Lawrence Seaway, just feet away from the shoreline and behind the Golden Age Club on Wednesday, with ice as the likely culprit for its stoppage. Courtesy Daryl Cupples
Kahnawa’kehró:non who woke up on Wednesday morning found that more than just a fresh layer of snow had been left over from the night before.
Indeed, a very large ship, the Algoma Central Corporation’s self-unloading bulk carrier ship John D. Leitch, was stopped in the Kahnawake portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, seemingly stuck in the icy waters of the channel behind the Golden Age Club, on the opposite side of the channel.
It was later freed, thanks to help from a tugboat, and given an escort towards the Cote Ste. Catherine Locks downriver by the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Judy Lamarsh that afternoon.
Daryl Cupples saw the halted ship as he was driving in the community on Wednesday morning, taking in the sight of the ship that he said was only a few dozen feet from running aground.
“It almost looked like he was attempting to dock at the docks on the north wall just before the lift bridge,” said Cupples.
He was looking forward to watching the ship be helped out, feeling it would be entertaining to watch because of the challenge posed by the size of the ship.
“I just love this, watching these guys,” said Cupples.
The more than 220-metre-long ship is for sure an impressive sight, but it may not be a unique one in the coming days. Indeed, almost a dozen ships are still supposed to navigate through the Seaway eastward before the channel closes for the winter.
It has been an unrelenting winter so far, which has meant prolonging the end of the shipping season on the St. Lawrence Seaway due to ice in the channel hindering traffic. All throughout, including here in Kahnawake, ships have been anchored or stuck in the ice, waiting to get help navigating the frosty waters ahead. Courtesy Daryl Cupples
It may come as a surprise to many that ships are still navigating the Seaway at this time of year, and for good reason: it should be closed by now.
“The St. Lawrence Seaway is experiencing extreme winter conditions as the navigation season draws to a close, which is having a significant impact on operations, particularly in the Montreal-Lake Ontario corridor,” said Nicole Giroux, manager of media relations and communications for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.
“As a result, vessel movements may be slowed or temporarily adjusted. While the closure of the navigation season in this section was scheduled for January 5, activities are continuing to ensure the safe transit of vessels still present in the system.”
For the past few weeks, dozens of ships have been anchored, forced to winter elsewhere than their final destination, or delayed due to the ice and winter conditions in the Northeast.
There is no firm timetable for the closure of the Montreal-Lake Ontario corridor at time of writing, with almost a dozen ships still in the Seaway system heading east, and the channel will not be able to close until they have all passed through.
Giroux said that the number of ships in the Seaway system is similar to last year.
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Both the Seaway Management Corporation and the Canadian Coast Guard have published posts on social media warning people of the dangers of getting too close to the ice while icebreaking and path clearing is occurring, especially as mild temperatures are set to continue into next week.
“The safety of people, protection of infrastructure, and safe navigation remain the top priorities,” said Giroux.
