Director appointed at the Montreal Port Authority

MONTREAL, March 14, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Michel M. Lessard, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is pleased to announce the appointment by the City of Montreal of M^e Claude J. Melançon as Director of the Montreal Port Authority, effective March 24, 2012 through to March 23, 2015.

M^e Melançon replaces M^e Diane Provost, who has served on the Board since March 1, 2003 and whose term ends March 23, 2012.

The Board of Directors is composed of seven members, all business people from the Montreal area. The three levels of government - federal, provincial and municipal - each appoint a director. The other four directors are appointed by the Governor in Council upon motion by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities on the recommendation of the Port's Users Committee.

M^e Melançon has been a member of the Quebec Bar and the Canadian Bar Association since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1967 and a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) in 1972. He also holds a BA in Philosophy (B.PH.) from Saint Paul University, Ottawa in 1967.

M^e Melançon began his career in 1974 at the law firm Guy & Gilbert. In 1998, he joined Gowling Lafleur Henderson, one of Canada's foremost business law firms, as a senior partner, where he stayed until he retired in 2011.

A visiting professor and sought-after speaker, M^e Melançon is also very involved in the community. He has served on various boards of directors, including the Jean Lapointe Foundation where he provided his expertise for 12 years.

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is a major diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods - containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk.

A leading container port on the Atlantic, it is served by the largest container shipping lines in the world. Strategically located in North America's heartland, it provides first class access to the markets of Quebec, Ontario and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest. The Port of Montreal handled 1,362,975 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in 2011, representing 12,471,002 tonnes of cargo.

The Port also handled 10,760,649 tonnes of liquid bulk products, 3,431,811 tonnes of dry bulk products and 1,741,035 tonnes of grain in 2011.

The MPA operates its own rail network directly on the piers. It is connected to both national railway networks and a highway network.

The MPA also operates a passenger terminal that welcomed 38,031 passengers and crew members in 2011. All the other terminals are managed by private stevedoring companies.

Port activity supports 18,200 jobs and generates $1.5 billion in economic spin-offs per year.

Michèle Beaubien
Director of Communications
[email protected]
Tel.: [phone]
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www.port-montreal.com