Jean Parisien’s Hull 80 Renamed at Niagara-on-the-Lake

Montreal, March 10, 2005 – On Saturday, March 5th, Hull 80, the forebody replacement of the Jean Parisien, was re-named the CSL Assiniboine at a Naming Ceremony held at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

It was a “family affair” as Marc Girardin, Director of Marketing and Customer Service located in Winnipeg, unveiled the new name during the ceremony which was attended by over 200 employees, many of whom being from the company’s Montreal headquarters. The CSL Assiniboine was named as such as a tribute to the Prairies and most specifically to the grain industry; the Assiniboine being a river that rises in Southeastern Saskatchewan and winds across the fertile, wheat-growing plains of Manitoba and joins the Red River at Winnipeg.


Marc Girardin unveiling the name of the new forebody
(courtesy of Denis Cahill)

The CSL Assiniboine is the fourth vessel of CSL’s Canadian fleet to have a forebody replacement at Port Weller Dry Docks, as part of a $225 million fleet renewal program. The preceding vessels, christened in 1999, 2000 and 2001 respectively, were the CSL Niagara, the Rt. Honourable Paul J. Martin and the CSL Laurentien.