PortsToronto Celebrates the 164th Annual Top Hat Ceremony
There’s no better way to celebrate the start of the spring shipping season than with the 164th Top Hat Ceremony. An annual tradition since 1861, the Top Hat Ceremony celebrates the arrival of the first ocean-going vessel of the season at the Port of Toronto. Traditionally, the captain is crowned with a silk top hat that is more than two centuries old.
For more than 200 years, the Port of Toronto has served as the city’s gateway to the world’s marine ports. From the sugar in your morning cup of coffee, to the salt used on winter roads to keep drivers safe, to the concrete that supports Toronto’s booming construction industry, the goods that come through the Port of Toronto have a significant impact on Toronto’s people, projects and industries.
This year we celebrated the arrival of MV Blacky as the first ocean-going cargo vessel of the season. It was a close race between MV Blacky and MV Maccoa, adding to the excitement of celebrating our port as an international gateway. Although the MV Blacky arrived first, both are bulk carriers of Brazilian origin carrying thousands of metric tonnes of raw sugar for Toronto’s food and beverage industry
In keeping with past ceremonies, the ship’s captain, Sergei Soldatkin, was crowned with the top hat. PortsToronto CEO RJ Steenstra presided over the ceremony, which commemorated the history and importance of our port to Toronto’s economy.
