Port of Montreal Welcomes Valentina As Its First Ocean-Going Ship Of 2008

The container ship Valentina claimed the Gold-Headed Cane Tuesday as the first ocean-going vessel to enter the Port of Montreal in 2008. The Marshall Islands-flagged ship crossed the port's limits at Sorel, Que., 21 minutes after midnight.The ValentinaMontreal Port Authority president Patrice Pelletier will present Capt. Volker Huba with the cane at a reception Thursday. The Gold-Headed Cane is awarded at the start of each navigation year to the Captain of the first ship to reach the Port of Montreal directly from overseas, a tradition that dates to the 1840s.