Quebec port sets bulk cargo record

The Port of Sept-Iles on Dec. 15 set a North American maritime record for loading the largest amount of bulk cargo onto a ship.

The Quebec port loaded 302,264 metric tons of iron ore cargo, shattering its previous record of 255,653 metric tons set on Oct. 16, 1993.

It will take the ship about 57 days to reach its destination in China and deliver its cargo to Wuhan Iron and Steel Co., port officials said in a press release.

"This new milestone puts the port at a turning point in its history," said Pierre Gagnon, the port's president and chief executive officer. "Chinamax bulk carriers are the way of the future for large iron-ore producers because of their operational efficiency and load capacity."

The port serves the Quebec and Labrador mining industry, and receives rail service from the Quebec, North Shore and Labrador Railway, which is owned by the Iron Ore Co. of Canada.