See from the River, Québec City’s beauty is even more evident.
On May 28, 1914, the Empress of Ireland was preparing for what would be its final departure. Docked in the Port of Québec, the ship boarded 1057 passengers and loaded more than 1100 tons of cargo. Its vault contained 254 silver ingots!
Before cast-off, the ship’s cat, Ginger, the rat hunter, jumped ship. Did she have a premonition of the impending disaster?
The St. Lawrence Seaway is considered one of the greatest technical achievements of the 20th century. It enables ships of all sorts to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
On average, 5000 ships use the Seaway every year. Among other things, they carry iron ore, coal and grain. Bulkers, or lakers, ocean-going ships and tugboats use it most.
Navigating frozen waters is difficult! Nowadays, icebreakers regularly travel the River in winter, to permit ship traffic. In the past, many ports, like Montréal, remained closed all winter long.
Ice conditions are monitored closely by remote sensing and Canadian Coast Guard Ice Service aircraft.