THE ISTRA WINS THE GOLD-HEADED CANE

01/02/2015

Québec, January 2, 2015 – The Québec Port Authority (QPA) is pleased to be perpetuating one of the greatest traditions in the history of Québec’s maritime and commercial industry by awarding the gold-headed cane to Captain Damir Tansek of the ISTRA vessel.

The ISTRA, which arrived at 8:30 p.m. on January 1, is the first ocean-going vessel from a foreign port to reach the Port of Québec this year. Sailing under the Croatian flag, this tanker of 195 metres in length and gross tonnage of 30,638 called at wharf 87 serving the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis on the south shore of Québec. Arriving from Port Arthur in Texas, the ship is at the Port of Québec to unload naphtha cargo to the liquid bulk terminal run by Valero Energy Inc.

A short ceremony will take place aboard the ship today with representatives from QPA senior management, the Naval Reserve Headquarters, the terminal operator and the vessel’s shipping agent. The gold-headed cane will be awarded to the Croatian captain by Mario Girard, President and CEO of the QPA. The ship should leave Québec for Montréal on January 3, in the early evening.

The Québec Port Authority is an autonomous federal organization constituted under the Canada Marine Act. According to a study conducted in 2007 by SECOR Consulting, the activities of the maritime and harbour sectors of the Québec maritime industry represent annual economic benefits of almost $800 million for Canada, tax revenues of close to $160 million for the various levels of government, and an essential contribution to supporting approximately 9,800 jobs.

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Source:

Anick Métivier
Assistant Director, Sustainable Development and Community Relations
Québec Port Authority
418-648-3640
[email protected]