CWB Marquis runs aground in St. Lawrence Seaway
Cargo ship hits ice floe on St. Lawrence Seaway in Beauharnois Que., about 35 kilometres southwest of Montreal
The first ship of the season to travel up the St. Lawrence Seaway has run aground near Beauharnois, Que., about 35 kilometres southwest of Montreal.
A spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the Canadian bulk carrier CWB Marquis went aground after hitting a large floe of ice.
The TSB says it is sending a team of investigators to the site, where the vessel is awaiting help from a tugboat.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. says the vessel is owned by CWB, the former Canadian Wheat Board.
Its departure Thursday through the St. Lambert Lock marked the official opening of the Seaway's 57th navigation season.
The vessel was headed for ArcelorMittal Dofasco's plant in Hamilton, Ont., with a load of iron ore pellets, according to the steelmaker's spokeswoman Marie Verdun. It was originally scheduled to arrive in the Hamilton port around 2 p.m. Saturday.
The vessel was carrying the company's first shipment of the year, but the delay won't affect the steelmaking operations, Verdun said.
Verdun said she was told the vessel would arrive some time on Monday instead.
Last year, 40 million tonnes of cargo moved up the Great Lakes/St Lawrence Seaway.
With files from CBC News