Port History
The Huron Indians called the site “Hochelaga” when, in 1535, Jacques Cartier visited a mountain he called Mont Real. In 1642, Paul de Chomedey founded modern Montreal. He named the settlement Ville-Marie. The settlement received its first civic charter from King Louis XIV in 1644, and Chomedey was named its first governor.
The Port of Montreal’s development began in the early 1700s when land grants stimulated French colonization and farming outside the original stockade. The Port of Montreal was also a popular base for explorers and traders. By the end of the 18th Century, it was surrounded by smaller settlements that later became part of the urban community.
In 1809, the Port of Montreal was linked to Quebec by the first Canadian steamship. Canada’s first bank was established there in 1817, and the Lachine Canal (early St. Lawrence Seaway) was started in 1821. The city of Montreal was incorporated in 1833. From 1844 to 1849, Montreal was the capital of Canada.
In 1853, shipping service began between the Port of Montreal, Liverpool, and Europe, and a railroad to Toronto opened. Ten years after Canada proclaimed its independence, the city experienced its first labor strike. Electric lighting came in 1882, electric tramways came in 1892, and automobiles and movie houses decorated the streets in 1903.
In the early 1900s, the Port of Montreal began annexing cities and towns on its borders. The two world wars stimulated Montreal’s economy. In 1954, the U.S. and Canada started construction on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Port of Montreal received international recognition as a major world center after the opening of Expo 67. It was the first non-U.S. city to win a major-league baseball franchise, and the Montreal Expos’ first game was in 1969.
The 1976 Summer Olympics were an economic disaster for the city, and that trouble was exacerbated by Quebec’s separatist movement. During the 1970s and 1980s, many corporations moved their headquarters from the Port of Montreal to Toronto, and the economy was stagnant through the 1990s.
Port Commerce
Located on one of the world’s largest navigable waterways, the Port of Montreal is just under 1000 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Its reach covers about 100 million U.S. and Canadian consumers. The Port of Montreal is open year-round, and nearly all major shipping and cruise lines have regular service to the port with easy access rail and road connections inland.
The Port of Montreal handles more than 20 million tons of cargo every year. The modern Port of Montreal has facilities including four modern container terminals, large open areas, two multi-purpose terminals, a grain terminal with capacity for more than 260 thousand tons, and a passenger terminal for cruise ships.
General cargo is about 50% of all traffic handled at the port, and that traffic continues to increase. The Port of Montreal handles over one million TEU containers every year, transporting foodstuffs, machinery and tools, car parts, construction materials, pulp and paper, lumber, clothing and fabric, steel and alloys, and chemical products. Non-containerized general cargo at the Port of Montreal is mostly steel, rolling stock, stone products, metal and forest products, and foodstuffs.
Petroleum terminals at the downstream end of the Port of Montreal handle gasoline, fuel oil, naphtha, diesel and jet fuel, and petroleum products. Being one of Canada’s major dry bulk shipment centers, the Port of Montreal delivers a reliable supply of raw materials (iron ore, road salt, raw sugar, fertilizers, and copper ore) to local industries.
Cruising and Travel
Cruise passengers arriving in Montreal feel as though they’ve disembarked in Europe. The city’s cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafes, and wrought-iron railings recall French streets. Being Canada’s second largest city, it’s home to the French-speaking majority and to native English speakers and immigrants from all over the world.
You can find a schedule of cruise ships on the Port of Montreal website. Every year, the Port welcomes thousands of cruise passengers at its Iberville Passenger Terminal. The Port is visited by many of the world’s most popular cruise lines, with voyages along the St. Lawrence River and North American East Coast arriving and departing often.
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