Port of Thunder Bay sees an increase in cargo volume
THUNDER BAY, ON – June has shaped up to be much busier than the same time last year with improved cargo volumes in the port of Thunder Bay.
Both potash and general cargo shipments were up, while grain volumes had a modest rebound. Tim Heney, CEO of the Thunder Bay Port Authority, says grain shipments have especially increased which he called, “encouraging.” “There are good crop reports starting to come out after the seeding so it looks like this year is going to be, fingers crossed, a lot better than last year and we should start seeing the effects of that,” he said.
“They’ve got a tremendous amount of seeding done with significant acreage covered.” Heney says there were some worries about the wet spring and drier weather in June.
“It takes 92 days to grow a proper wheat crop, so as long as we get 92 days of reasonable weather, we should be okay,” he said. Predictions of stronger grain production for this year will mean increased port shipments this fall which can impact the high global grain demand while supplies are tight.
While June grain volumes were higher than a year ago, year-to-date shipments of grain remained down by one-million metric tons compared to last year. The poor Prairie grain harvest in 2021 is to blame. Meanwhile, Keefer Terminal imported 88 large windmill tower sections and other wind turbine components, which are being staged in the intermodal yard and eventually will be railed to Western Canadian wind farm projects.
But it’s the exporting of potash shipments that continues at a strong pace. For the second consecutive month, more than 150,000 metric tons of potash have arrived from Saskatchewan and have passed through Thunder Bay handling facilities.
“It’s because of the Ukrainian situation,” said Heney. “A lot of
potash came out of Ukraine and Russia and now Saskatchewan is trying
to serve some of that market from Thunder Bay.” In fact, the volume of potash that was shipped from the Thunder Bay port this year until June 30, exceeds the port’s annual average of potash. Shipments head to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
The Chronicle Journal
Port Of Oswego continues to build upon successful shipping season
OSWEGO, NY – This past week one of several wind turbine barges called on the Port of Oswego (POA), unloading 15 of the first of 91 tower sections that will be delivered to the Port. The tower sections were manufactured in Michigan and transported by tug and barge to Oswego, with the ultimate destination of Steuben County’s Eight Point Wind Energy Center.
“This is one of many projects that the port has been working on and we are proud to be building a strong reputation as a leader in maritime commerce on the Great Lakes,” said William Scriber, POA executive director.
“This year, the port loaded the first grain shipped out of the Great Lakes,” Scriber said. “We’ve also received and transported the largest wind turbine blades in New York State and received a record 732 truckloads of corn so far this year from local farmers and unloaded the first of several aluminum slab ships to support Novelis. Each slab weighs more than 26 tons and there are 316 per shipload. Another aluminum slab delivery is currently on its way to the Port.”
Fran Enwright, chairperson, POA board of directors, said: “We’re seeing levels of activity at the Port that we haven’t experienced in decades. With just six months of the year behind us, we have more projects shipping grain, offloading aluminum and wind turbine components than ever before, and we are on-track to shatter previous levels of activity by year’s end.”
“The real success of these many projects is the local jobs they support and supporting local farmers has clearly been established as a top priority,” Scriber said. “Our success is solely based on the success of our many customers and partners. Our mission is to create and support jobs in upstate New York and we continue to prove that we are one of the largest job generators in the City of Oswego.”
The Eight Point Wind Energy Center project will continue for several months with the storage, preparation for travel, and loading for truck transport to the site, located in the Towns of Greenwood and West Union. The completed project will have a maximum generating capability of 101.8 megawatts from an estimated 31 wind turbines.
Oswego County Today
Tall ship anchoring in the Sault later this month
SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – The tall ship Nao Trinidad will anchor at the Roberta Bondar Park waterfront July 28-31.
“The 100-foot Nao Trinidad replica was the flagship of Magellan’s expedition that led to the first circumnavigation of the earth, confirming for the first time that the world was round,” the city said in a news release Tuesday.
“Many take this as the greatest maritime achievement. The year 2022 marks the 500th anniversary of this adventure and it is being celebrated with an extensive exhibition on board the replica historic vessel.”
Converted into a floating museum filled with exhibits to explore, the three-mast, six-sail tall ship can be viewed Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for youth (5-12 years old), with family packages available (two adults and three children) for $35. Children under age five are free.
Tickets are available at the community services department located in the lobby level of the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre or at the Roberta Bondar Marina during regular hours.
For more information, contact the Roberta Bondar Transient Marina at 705-759-5430.
CTV News
