Operation begins to free ship run aground in St. Lawrence River near Montreal

The bulk carrier Morning Orchid is seen on the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Que., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Ken Dow / CTV News)

VERCHÈRES — Authorities began unloading thousands of tonnes of sugar from a cargo vessel run aground in the St. Lawrence River near Montreal on Friday in an attempt to free the ship.

The Federal Yamaska became stuck near Verchères, Que., at around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, following a complete loss of engines. A first attempt to refloat the 180-mere bulk carrier was unsuccessful.

The Canadian Coast Guard said the unloading operation will take several hours and is necessary before a new refloating attempt can be made. The ship is partially in the channel but other vessels are able to navigate around it.

Francis Lapointe, acting superintendent of environmental response and maritime hazards, said 3,200 tonnes of sugar have to be off-loaded onto two barges before an attempt to refloat. Crews are able to move about 400 tonnes per hour.

“The information that we received regarding the situation … is that it’s a bit more complicated than what was expected, but the vessel still has generator electricity, so the equipment on board is still functional and everything is in order,” Lapointe said.

The refloating operation can only be conducted during daylight hours to reduce the risk of complications, Lapointe said.

The ship will be taken to Montreal’s port for repairs, either on its own power or by tugboat.

Coast guard members are on site with Eastern Canada Response Corp., a company that specializes in marine oil spill response.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025.