A new container ship service linking the Ports of Hamilton and Montreal is being promoted as a low-carbon logistics option. The joint venture of the Hamilton Container Terminal, Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) and Quebec-based marine merchant, Desgagnés, launches this week, ready to take up to 350 containers to outbound destinations via a Great Lakes channel.

“Highway congestion, greenhouse gas reduction targets, driver shortages — all of these factors are combining, so marine is making more sense for short journeys than ever before,” maintains Ian Hamilton, president and chief executive officer of HOPA Ports. “We know there is a demand in the market for more sustainable, efficient and competitive options for container movements.”

The container feeder ship will embark from Hamilton’s Pier 14 carrying cargoes to be transferred to other ships at the Port of Montreal. A second Hamilton-Montreal voyage is planned for July, while the three partners anticipate enough business for 20 shortsea hauls over the course of 2022.