January 4, 2024
The Montreal Port Authority officially inaugurated the start of a new year of activity by presenting the Gold-Headed Cane to Eduard Voshchuk, captain of the Helena G, which was the first ocean-going vessel of 2024 to cross the Port of Montreal's downstream limit at Sorel without a stopover.
The Helena G sailed from Bulgaria's Port of Burgas on December 12. Flying the flag of Portugal, this vessel is carrying gold and pyrite, and it ended its journey at Port of Montreal on the second day of January at 7: 17 am.
At the Port of Quebec the Gold-Headed Cane was awarded to Captain Pantelis Kaimakis who was at the Cap Corpus Christi's command from the Gulf of Mexico, reaching the port's dock at 2:12 a.m. on January 3, 2024.
The Cap Corpus Christi was built in 2018. The ship docked at Valero's South Shore facility to unload a cargo of crude oil and its next destination is Corpus Christi, Texas.
The tradition of handing out gold headed canes to the captains of the first ships arriving at ports along the St. Lawrence river started in the days when the river froze over in the winter. The first ships - sail ships in those days - did not make it up the river until the spring thaw. Nowadays the St. Lawrence is kept open year round by Coast Guard icebreakers.