A timeline of Fednav history through the years: Visit important events in our history timeline below by either selecting the vertical bars indicating milestone years or the navigation buttons.
September 7, 1944: Federal Commerce & Navigation Company Limited is founded in Toronto, Canada
1946: Company buys first vessel, the Federal Pioneer, ex-Bell Park and begins trading
1951: Statement of Actual Ship Operating Costs
1953: Company headquarters move from Toronto to the Coristine building in Montreal
1955: Fednav instrumental in performing Arctic community resupply and servicing DEW Line sites beginning in the 1950s
1956: Fednav's Tokyo office opens
June 26, 1959: The St. Lawrence Seaway opens
Also in 1959, FALLine (then Federal Atlantic Lakes Lines) is the established steel carrier for Europe to the Lakes
1960: Headquarters move from the Coristine building on Saint-Nicholas Street to Saint-Jean Street in Montreal
1962: Time-chartered fleet peaks at 32 ships while the Patignies, our first owned newbuilding bulk carrier, is delivered to the company
1965: Fednav's Hamburg office opens
1965: FMT is incorporated in Chicago; recognized worldwide as an industry leader in North American marine terminal operations
1965: The Maple leaf becomes Canada’s national flag symbol
1966: Fednav's Antwerp office opens
1967: Canada turns 100!
1970: Sees the growth of the regular full cargoes of sugar from South Africa
1972: Laurentian Forest is delivered. Also during this year, Fednav transports its full cargo of Australian sugar. Additionally, it proves to be the greatest Arctic year with 14 sailings.
In 1973, Fednav invites Canadian artist, Hilton Hassell, to travel onboard the Tundraland, setting a single condition—Fednav should have the right of first refusal to buy any piece; at his private exhibition, Fednav decides to purchase them all
1973: Delivery of two Ro-Ros, the Avon Forest and the Federal Avalon
1976: Summer Olympics hosted in Montreal
1978: The MV Arctic commissioned and built at the Port Weller Dry Docks, it is powerful enough to navigate through ice-covered waters unescorted
1978: Our Avon Forest rescues boat of Vietnamese refugees
1980: Delivery of the Amazon, our first Capesize bulk carrier
1985: Long-term contract is signed with Cominco for the transportation of concentrates from their new Red Dog mine in the Bering Sea
The Fednav Rio de Janeiro office opens in 1990 with Brazil becoming an ever more significant participant in the steel trade
1993: Fednav relocates headquarters from the Banque Nationale building at 600 de La Gauchetière West to Le 1000 on the same street
1994: Fednav celebrates its 50th anniversary and begins using the internet and email
In 1995, after more than 17 years of operating the vessel, Fednav acquires the MV Arctic from the Canadian government
1997: Fednav's first website
1999: World population surpasses 6 billion
1999: FALLine (Fednav Atlantic Lakes Lines) celebrates its 40th anniversary
2000: The Y2K bug, also called the Millennium Bug, was projected to create havoc in computers due to the turnover to the new millennium
2001: Fednav’s holiday greetings included a photo of Montreal employees plus a few key members of our overseas offices
2002: Federal Weser christened in Montreal
2006: The Umiak I is delivered; at this time, the highest ice-class cargo vessel in the world
2007: Apple reveals first iPhone
2008: With the 2008 global economy crash, the dry bulk cargo shipping rates plunged to a 28-year low
2009: At the inaugural IBJ award, we win two prizes—one for Bulk Ship of the Year and the other for Bulk Ship Operator of the year; we have won six more awards since then
2011: Seeing a great opportunity in Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East, Fednav opens a new office in Singapore as an ideal base from which to develop those opportunities
2013: Our Greening The Office committee and new environmental policy for offices launched in Montreal office; employees participate in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
2014: Historical voyage of the Nunavik through the Northwest Passage
2016: Paul Pathy becomes Fednav’s sole CEO
2017: Montreal celebrates its 375th anniversary with Fednav's Arctic in the centre of the celebrations
2018: Recognized as a top employer in Montreal for 8th consecutive year and Top Employer for Young People in Canada for 6th consecutive year
2019: On March 26, our Federal Kumano launches both the St. Lawrence Seaway's 60th anniversary opening and our 75th anniversary celebrations. Happy birthday, Fednav!