The 1969 shipping season has not been a particularly good one for Canadian operators. The lengthy labour problems at three St. Lawrence River ore-shipping ports, a similar situation in the American coal industry and the very small quantity of grain to be transported, all combined to reduce the number of available cargoes and a large proportion of the Canadian lakers spent at least part of the year in idleness. The laying up of many Canadian vessels is not, however, a new situation, and in the Toronto Evening Telegram of April 27, 1946, the marine editor was complaining of the same problems.

"Lack of grain and shortage of United States coal have left idle more than 100,000 tons of Canadian inland shipping, the bulk of the grain carrying fleet, shipping sources in Montreal have revealed.

"Ship owners said the situation was without precedent with such large grain carriers as the LEMOYNE, with a capacity of 525,000 bushels, the WESTMOUNT, STADACONA, GODERICH, GLENEAGLES, EMPEROR, ASHCROFT and PRESCOTT idle. Among then they have a capacity of more than 3,000,000 tons.

"Only three Canada Steamship Lines vessels are operating and officials said it was 'touch and go' to keep them in service. Officials of another company said their vessels reached the grain ports of Fort William and Port Arthur only to be told there were no orders for then,

"Owners estimated there was sufficient fuel, short because of the United States strike, to keep the ships which are in service operating another two weeks."

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