Filipino captain Star LydiaJoselito S. Claridad, will receive the prestigious gold-headed cane on Wednesday, confirming the arrival of the first foreign ship of the year to dock at the Port of Quebec.
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The artifact’s display is a nearly bicentennial tradition, started in 1835 by shipbuilder John Munn, and rewarding the captain of the first boat of the year to cross the Saint Lawrence River to Quebec.
Photo agency QMI, Marcel Tremblay
The Star Lydia is the first foreign ship to dock in Quebec in 2023. Your captain will receive the gold headstock on Wednesday.
The idea came to him when he received a gold snuffbox on arrival in England after crossing the Atlantic on a ship built in the old capital.
Screen capture from video provided by the Port of Quebec
“This tradition remains one of the finest in the history of Quebec’s maritime and commercial industry, and we are proud to continue it,” said Mario Girard, CEO of the Quebec Port Authority.
The Star Lydia departed directly from Malta in the Mediterranean Sea and arrived at the port of Quebec on Monday noon.
MARCEL TREMBLAY/QMI AGENCY
A load of soybeans was to be loaded there in the Sollio Agriculture area before the ship set sail again in a few days and set course for the United Arab Emirates.
Its captain will receive the prestigious award on January 4th and a reception will be held on January 11th to highlight the tradition.