The icy waters around Beauharnois made for tricky navigation for the Canadian Wheat Board owned transport Ship "The Marquis" today.
According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the Canadian bulk carrier went aground after colliding with a substantially sized Ice Floe.
Tugboats were dispatched to assist the vessel, which had set sail from the St.Lambert Locks earlier today.
A team of TSB investigators were said to be on route to assess the event.
The Marquis 'Laker' was actually the first ship to mark this season's opening of the Seaway.
Notice by the Seaway Authority today:
St. Lambert, Quebec (April 2, 2015) –
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) marked the opening of the Seaway’s 57th navigation season today, with the transit of the newly-built CWB Marquis through the St. Lambert Lock.
The vessel is the first of two Equinox-class lakers ordered by Winnipeg-based grain marketer CWB that are being purpose-built for trade in the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The CWB Marquis, which will be managed by Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation, is part of a $4 billion fleet renewal program being undertaken by various Great Lakes / Seaway System carriers over a span of 10 years (2009-2018)
In 2014, over 12 million tonnes of grain moved through the Seaway, the highest volume recorded since the beginning of the 21st century.
No injuries or estimates/reports of specific damage were reported at the time of publication.
sources:
St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC)
Canadian Wheat Board