THUNDER BAY — A sign that spring is in the air is the arrival of ships to the Port of Thunder Bay.
Chris Heikkinen, the port's chief executive officer, said it is looking good for the start of the navigation season.
"I got to look at our first vessel lists this week and as far as March goes, it's going to be great," he said.
"We're opening a few days ahead of schedule, which is a combination of very favourable weather conditions, enabling the ships' passage through the locks and the Great Lakes. Also the Soo locks are opening a few days earlier so it's looking like a very good start to the spring shipping season in Thunder Bay.
Heikkinen speculated that Thunder Bay can see its first ship arrival between 24 to 36 hours after the Soo Locks open on March 22.
The port will see improvement work this season to infrastructure around Keefer terminal and the port's marshalling lands.
Last week, the port received $6.7 million through the National Trade Corridors Fund for the work.
"There are many competitive advantages to the Port of Thunder Bay, especially for these niche commodities that we're handling here at Keefer Terminal," Heikkinen said.
"Foremost is the fact that we're the furthest inland port in Canada, so getting these big, heavy cargoes as far inland as possible on the marine mode of transportation reduces wear and tear on the road and rail transit . . . and reduces the environmental footprint of the supply chain. That's a benefit for the whole country."
One of the benefits at Keefer terminal is the abundance of space, which Heikkinen called "room for growth."
"By investing money into capacity regrowth, we're appealing more to these customers that are bringing in these large commodities," he said.
"Marine shipping is a great way to reduce the environmental impact of shipping because there's very little greenhouse gas emissions in comparison with the other modes of transport."
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
