Thunder Bay’s diversification to capture surging breakbulk business
General cargo hits 31,000 tons with Thunder Bay’s diversified cargo strategy. Located at the head of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System, the Port of Thunder Bay was long chiefly known as the eastern gateway of choice for grain exports from Canada’s Prairie provinces. Grain throughput has declined from peaks of more than 17 million metric tons in the early 1980s to just 7.2 million tons in 2017 due mainly to changing Canadian export grain trade patterns shifting from Europe to the Far East. But a diversification strategy, bolstered by the Keefer general cargo terminal equipped with a mobile harbor crane since 2012, has steadily transformed the port into a competitive player on North America’s virtual inland seas in breakbulk, project and dimensional cargo.
Logistec expands footprint in U.S. Gulf market
Logistec Corporation, the Montreal-based provider of marine and environmental services, has expanded its North American network of terminals through the strategic acquisition of Texas-based Gulf Stream Marine for US$65.7 million.
Port of Montreal advances plan for sixth box terminal
On the heels of a record performance in 2017, the Port of Montreal has moved an important step further to establish a sixth container terminal, located at Contrecoeur, where there is an existing bulk shipping facility 25 miles away on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.
Record cargo year at Port of Montreal
As early winter’s deepest freeze in many years hampered normal shipping operations on the St. Lawrence River, the Port of Montreal announced record performances in 2017 total and container cargo. The occasion was the special annual ceremony on Jan. 3 honouring the captain of the first ocean-going vessel to reach the port in the new year.
Port of Quebec announces major container terminal project
In a striking move, the Quebec Port Authority has announced plans to build a container terminal at the site of the Beauport 2020 project to significantly boost its role as a key gateway in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence corridor.
Baffinland Iron Mines ships record 4 million tons
During its 2017 open-water Arctic shipping program, Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation indicated it shipped approximately 4.1 million metric tons of iron ore from its Milne Inlet Port to markets in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. This appeared to reflect improved demand on global commodity markets. Montreal’s Fednav Ltd. manages the on-site shipping and port operations.
Shipping lines expanding Canadian Arctic operations
Canada’s Arctic may be sparse in population but big in the mining business and keeping the region supplied, a challenging task.
ICS assails proposed tanker moratorium on British Columbia north coast
The London-based International Chamber of Shipping has strongly objected to proposed Canadian federal legislation that would “formalize” an informal ban on crude oil tanker traffic off British Columbia’s northern coast, affirming it would interfere with international maritime trade. The ICS represents the world’s national shipowner associations and 80% of the global fleet.
Vancouver’s maritime cluster ambition
Vancouver is aggressively pursuing shipowners from around the world in an ambitious effort to build a world class maritime cluster in the city.
New Quebec stevedoring firm develops market opportunities
Following extensive experience with a long-established stevedoring enterprise on the St. Lawrence River, Philip O’Brien decided last year that he wanted to break out on his own, anchored by two well-regarded industry partners in the region. So today, Castaloop, the first new stevedoring enterprise created in eastern Canada in several decades, is off and running.
© Copyright 1999–2026 American Journal of Transportation. All Rights Reserved