ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — A cargo container is doubling as a promotional tool during its voyage from Europe to North America, as part of an ongoing effort to encourage container shipping on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) arranged for the 20-foot container to be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean where it will then travel along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Great Lakes’ largest and farthest inland port, the Port of Duluth-Superior.

“There is real potential to reduce congestion and air pollution by keeping cargoes such as containers on the water as close to their final destination as possible,” stated Aldert van Nieuwkoop, director of market development with the SLSMC.

The “Hwy H2O Travelling Container” was launched from the Port of Aarhus, Denmark on July 19 with a large Hwy H2O themed mural on both sides of the box. The container is travelling aboard a modern multi-purpose vessel owned by Germany-based BBC Chartering and Logistic. Along with the Hwy H2O container, the vessel is carrying a load of windmill parts.

As international trade continues to intensify, the Seaway expects to see an increase in the movement of containers from the East Coast to key inland hub ports.

Raising awareness that the Seaway offers a complementary alternative to increasingly congested road and rail arteries, resulting in a stronger multimodal network, is a central goal of the Hwy H2O campaign.

“The fact that we can offer reliability is really a key advantage,” noted van Nieuwkoop. “A number of shippers have already expressed interest in using such a service”.

Details of the container’s journey across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Great Lakes will be posted on the Hwy H2O Web site at www. Hwyh2o.com.