QUÉBEC CITY, March 22, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - It is with great enthusiasm
that Relais Nordik, a subsidiary of Desgagnés, informs the public that
the ship Bella Desgagnés left Italy this Friday, March 22, 2013, en
route to Canada.
The company stated that the ship will take about 14 days to get to
Halifax where she will stop to clear customs and be restocked, and will
then proceed to Blanc-Sablon where she should dock in the evening of
April 7, 2013.
"From April 8 to Blanc-Sablon, the Bella Desgagnés will begin a familiarization trip & offer visits in all ports of the
Middle and Lower North Shore as well as in Port-Menier, and then will
head to Sept-Iles where she is to be christened on April 15, 2013,"
said Mr. Louis-Marie Beaulieu, Chairman and CEO of Desgagnés. For
information purposes, a preliminary schedule of the familiarization
trip and visits is attached hereto.
"Although this is a costly exercise causing some delays and that the
ship will not be taking any passengers or cargo at this point, it seems
important and even essential that the local population of the villages
served by the Bella Desgagnés be the first to have the opportunity to see and visit her" he added.
Immediately after her call in Sept-Îles, the ship will proceed to
Rimouski to finalize documentation and formalities for Transport Canada
approval, as is the normal procedure for a new ship destined for
coasting trade in Canada, where she will then begin her regular service
on April 29, 2013.
"To enable optimal commissioning of the Bella Desgagnés, and although our contractual obligations are to only make two trips in
April, the Nordik Express will perform in parallel, as of April 8, 2013, three consecutive
maritime service voyages" also said Mr. Beaulieu.
"I am confident that the residents of the municipalities and villages
served will appreciate the quality of the ship, which truly deserves
the name Bella," concluded Mr. Beaulieu.
Further information will be communicated in the coming days.
Relais Nordik Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of Groupe Desgagnés inc.;
it transports passengers, general cargo and vehicles from the main
terminals of Rimouski, Sept-Îles, Havre-Saint-Pierre and Natashquan,
and to the eight ports of the communities it serves, i.e. Port-Menier,
Kegaska, La Romaine, Harrington Harbour, Tête-à-la-Baleine, La
Tabatière, Saint-Augustin and Blanc-Sablon. Each of these port agencies
assures the reception, containerization, transportation and delivery of
merchandise to the client.
Desgagnés, whose headquarters are in Québec City, is a conglomerate that
has specialized since the 19th century in marine transportation of
liquid bulk, general cargo, dry bulk and passengers. Its activities
also extend to ship repair as well as the rental and operation of heavy
machinery. The company owns and operates a fleet of 18 ships that ply
the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence network, the Eastern Canadian Arctic,
the East coasts of Canada and the United States and all the seas of the
world. With an annual turnover of over $ 230 million, Desgagnés
creates approximately 1,000 jobs in high season with a payroll
exceeding $ 50 million.
Image with caption: "Photo of the Bella Desgagnés (CNW Group/GROUPE DESGAGNES INC.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130322_C7664_PHOTO_EN_24724.jpg
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2013/03/22/20130322_C7664_DOC_EN_24726.pdf
SOURCE: GROUPE DESGAGNES INC.
