Leo Ryan, AJOTProject cargo activity is alive and expanding in Canada following stalling caused by delays in financing of some ventures in the energy and mining sectors requiring heavy equipment going back to the 2008-2009 recession. The uptick is perceptible in ports across the country that are devoting rising attention and investments in this promising niche sector.
Following a voyage from Valleyfield via East Coast waters covering 1,600 miles, the large antenna segments destined for the new WTC are pictured during transport on the Hudson River against the spectacular backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
Certainly worthy of special mention is the recent shipping of antenna segments from the Port of Valleyfield on the St. Lawrence River destined to crown the post 9/11 World Trade Centre in New York. The end result will be the elevation of the new WTC into the tallest structure of the Western World. This is thanks to the arrival by barge in Port Newark in late November of the nine largest segments of the massive steel spire that will serve as an antenna on top of the WTC. Nine smaller additional sections were shipped by truck. Upon final installation slated to be completed by March, the antenna will raise the height of the WTC to about 1,776 feet – thus surpassing Chicago’s Willis Tower (1,450-ft high). The sections of the spire were supplied by Quebec-based ADF Group, a North American leader in the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of complex steel structures. The sections ranged in weight from five tons to more than 67 tons. The cargo had departed on November 16 on a barge, the Witte 1407, pulled by the Atlantic Salvor tugboat of Donjon Marine. The shipment proceeded through the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the East Coast to Port Newark, prior to transfer to Lower Manhattan. From its New Jersey headquarters, Donjon Marine operates a large fleet of tugs, barges, dredges and hopper scows. “The biggest potential challenge we faced was the time of year on the North Atlantic, but we were lucky with the weather and the journey of some 1,600 miles went smoothly,” recalled Steven News, senior vice-president of Donjon Marine. “At one point, we thought we might have to stop at Canso off the coast of Nova Scotia, but we were able to sail without delays along the East Coast right down to New York,” he said in an interview. “Valport’s crew became very thrilled when it was determined that we would provide services for the tower,” said Frank Dunn, president of Valport Marine Services, which handled the stevedoring. “The project in the physical sense was smallish compared to some of the mining and other capital projects we normally cater to, but this one touched a nerve – we all remember where we were when 9/11 happened,” he said, referring to the terrorist attacks on the United States in September, 2001 that claimed more than 2,700 lives in the former Twin Towers. “We are humbled by the small role that we played in the moving of this landmark in the shadow of the men and women that lost their lives during this heinous event,” Dunn said. “We also take particular pride in the fact that the sections were manufactured right on port property, a couple of hundred metres from dockside. These units had to be manipulated to an upright position and prepared for loading onto the barge. Given the time of the year and routing, special emphasis had to be taken to secure the cargo for safe passage. This took a lot coordination between the design engineers, the carrier and our team of stevedores.” Robust energy sector outlook Meanwhile, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Canada’s wind energy industry enjoyed another strong year in 2012 following record investments exceeding C$3 billion in 2011. Wind farms are sprouting up in eastern and western parts of Canada, despite rising criticism in some instances by residents or nei