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.
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, which departed directly from Malta in the Mediterranean, therefore arrived at the port of Quebec at 12 noon on Monday.
There, a cargo of soybeans was to be loaded in the area of the Sollio farms before they would set sail again in a few days, bound 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.