MONTREAL — More than 50 ship arrivals brought more than 114,000 passengers to Montreal last year, up 33% over 2016 and up 140% compared with 2011.

The growth resulted from more cruises stopping to mark Canada’s 150th birthday and the 375th birthday celebrations of Montreal’s founding and the cruise industry’s interest in adding new destinations.

The preliminary results were released Wednesday at an event awarding the gold-headed cane to the captain of the container ship Ottawa Express.

For 179 years, the cane has been given annually to the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover.