First Ship of 2009 at the Port of Belledune

The Belledune Port Authority (BPA) officially greeted Captain Kirk J. Taylor Master of the M.T. “Acadian”, the first ship to lay anchor at the Port of Belledune in 2009.

The “Acadian” is registered in Canada and her loading port was Port of Saint John, New Brunswick. The vessel’s agent is Kent Line Ltd. represented by Mr. Aaron Burns and Mr. Mike Gilbert. The M. T. “Acadian” docked at the Port of Belledune the afternoon of January 3rd, 2009 where the Vessel is currently unloading approximately 25 000 MT of Diesel.  The next stop for the M.T. “Acadian” will be at the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick.

Mr. Rayburn Doucett, President & CEO of the BPA, presented Captain ¬¬¬¬¬¬Taylor with a commemorative gift at a ceremony held at the Belledune Port Authority’s Administrative offices.

Mr. Doucett also took the opportunity to welcome the Captain to the Port of Belledune as well as thank the staff and Board of Directors for their continuous support. He also stated that “2008 was an exceptional year, breaking many records, even following three record breaking years. 112 vessels docked at the Port of Belledune in 2008; this is the highest number of vessels to dock at the port in a single year since in 2002! We are eagerly beginning 2009 with some exciting business development opportunities on the horizon. We are also expecting a substantial surplus again this year mainly due to efficient management and Board direction.”

Captain Taylor praised the Port of Belledune saying “The Port of Belledune is an easy port to navigate with great facilities. The access to tug boats and pilots is very appreciated and makes calling on the Port of Belledune a pleasure.”

Many business people were present including the BPA Chairman, Claude Doucet and two Board Members, Léo Cormier and Albert Doucet, who welcomed the Captain and his crew to the community. Representatives from Sutherland Excavating Ltd. and other terminal operators also attended the ceremony.