Canada Charges Famine Ship Replica Guardian Wednesday September 24, 2003 4:39 AM MONTREAL (AP) - The warm reception given a commemorative Irish famine ship that sailed into Montreal last week turned unexpectedly cool when the ship's owners were slapped with $12,000 in fees. At least 8,000 people in Canada toured the Jeanie Johnston vessel - a pine-and-oak replica of a Canadian-built boat that ferried about 2,500 people from Ireland's County Kerry to North America between 1848 and 1855 during Ireland's potato famine. It was one of the best turnouts anywhere during the ship's 20-city North American tour. Quebec was the last stop on the ship's trans-Atlantic voyage, which started in February. But as the Jeanie Johnston was about to set sail for Ireland on Monday, the ship's captain was told he would have to pay $12,000 before leaving. The fees were charged by the pilots who helped navigate the ship upstream from Quebec City. The money was paid from donations by visitors touring the ship. ``It's disgraceful,'' said Leo Delany, president of the local Jeanie Johnston committee, the group that organized the ship's visit to Montreal. ``No one expected this.'' When the committee approached the pilots three years ago, they were told there would not be a fee or any charges would be negotiated first, he said. Denis Pouliot, director of operations for the Laurentian Pilotage Authority, said that even at $12,000, the bill was less than it should have been. ``I waived some charges,'' he said. ``It was so expensive because she stopped and started so many times. Sometimes, sailing against the tide, she had to have two pilots on board.'' Pilots in Montreal are not government employees but are subcontracted - and, Pouliot said, they do not work for free. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ Perhaps appropriate protests to the Canadiah Government or the consular office in your country are in order. Regards, Donnacha (In Canada and disgusted)