PortsToronto Celebrates the Arrival of the First Ship of the Season with the 155th Annual Beaver Hat Ceremony

TORONTO, April 12, 2016 /CNW/ - PortsToronto Harbour Master Angus Armstrong "crowns" Federal Rideau Captain Sharma Vinod Kumar with a 200-year-old silk and beaver top hat at the 155^th annual Beaver Hat Ceremony at Redpath Refinery. The annual ceremony dates back to the mid-1800s and celebrates the arrival of the Port of Toronto's first ocean-going vessel of the season. This year, the Federal Rideau won the race to be the first ship to Port, making the 17-day journey from Guatemala's Puerto Quetzal to deliver 23,000 metric tonnes of sugar to Redpath Sugar's refinery.

"The Port of Toronto plays an important role in Canada's transportation network and the Toronto economy, providing an energy-efficient way to deliver salt, sugar and construction materials directly into the heart of the city while also helping to reduce the number of trucks on Toronto's busy highways," said Geoffrey Wilson, President and CEO, PortsToronto. "In 2015, the Port moved more than 1.65 million tonnes of cargo from around the world, with cement imports reaching an 18-year high at nearly 600,000 tonnes to support Toronto's booming construction industry."

PortsToronto (www.portstoronto.com)
For more than 100 years PortsToronto, (formerly the Toronto Port Authority), has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomes more than two million passengers each year; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Terminals 51 and 52, which provide transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $8 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.

Redpath Sugar
Redpath Sugar Ltd, who markets and sells sugar products in Canada under the Redpath brand, is a part of ASR Group, the world's largest refiner of cane sugar. Redpath Sugar has been headquartered in and operating on the waterfront in Toronto, Ontario for more than 50 years where it crafts quality sugar products for consumers, food service outlets and food manufacturers throughout Canada. The company also operates a dry blending and packaging plant in Belleville, Ontario. This location co-manufactures major retail brands and private label products, such as sweetened iced tea, hot chocolate, and other sugar containing products for Canadian and export markets. Redpath is proud to provide more than 275 jobs in Canada.

SOURCE PortsToronto

Image with caption: "PortsToronto Harbour Master Angus Armstrong "crowns" Federal Rideau Captain Sharma Vinod Kumar with a 200-year-old silk and beaver top hat at the 155th annual Beaver Hat Ceremony at Redpath Refinery. (CNW Group/PortsToronto)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160412_C5717_PHOTO_EN_663673.jpg

PortsToronto: Erin Mikaluk, Senior Manager, Communications and Media Relations, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Redpath Sugar: Laura Fracassi, Senior Associate, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]