Montreal - The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is pleased to mark German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd's 125-year presence in Canada. The company's first ship to serve the Canadian market called at the Port of Montreal in March 1892. It was a steamboat just over 90 metres long, the S/S Cremon. "In 125 years, Hapag-Lloyd has shown its commitment to the Port of Montreal more than once, in particular by developing dedicated services between Europe, the Mediterranean and Montreal, and also by choosing Montreal as the headquarters of its operations in Canada as a whole," said Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the MPA. "We want to congratulate all Hapag-Lloyd employees who, every day, perpetuate the rigor and quality of service that is the hallmark of this great marine carrier." To mark Hapag-Lloyd's 125 years of operating in Canada and the unique ties that bind the company to Montreal, Wolfang Schoch, Senior Vice President at Hapag-Lloyd Canada, presented a model of the Empress of Britain, a passenger liner from CP Ships purchased by Hapag-Lloyd in 2005. This liner carrying passengers and cargo sailed between the United Kingdom and Canada from 1931 to 1939. Hapag-Lloyd is the world's fifth largest container carrier. The company's head office is in Hamburg. Hapag-Lloyd operates three weekly services from Montreal: two services with Europe and one with the Mediterranean. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a subsidiary of TUI, is also active in the cruise sector, notably with the MS Europa and the MS Europa 2, two luxury cruise ships that call at Montreal during the cruise season.