 | ||
Algoma montrealais
The Montrealais was a lake freighter launched in 1962. She was a bulk carrier operated by Algoma Central Corp. When launched, she was the largest Canadian freighter on the Great Lakes.
Contents
She collided with the Algobay in 1980, severely damaging the bows of both vessels. Montrealais required over $1.5 million CAD in repairs.
Her captain was issued the ceremonial top hat traditionally issued to the captain of the first vessel to set out to transit the St Lawrence Seaway, in 1963 and 2009.
The Montrealais was renamed to the Algoma Montrealais in 2012, after the Upper Lakes fleet was sold to Algoma Central.
The Algoma Montrealais wintered in Montreal in 2014, laying up for the winter on December 30, 2014. In a comment posted on shipspotting.com, it was reported that she would be scrapped in 2014, and that she was the Great Lakes' last steam-powered lake freighter under the Canadian flag.
The winter of 2013–2014 was a hard winter on the Great Lakes, and to provide additional tonnage to help ease the back-log, the Algoma Montrealais was activated for the 2014 season. In May 2015, she was officially retired and towed to Turkey for scrapping.
