Sault finds partner to build ‘waterfront that works’

There has never been someone with the skills and expertise brought on to get this past the finish line,’ said Mayor Matthew Shoemaker
   Sault Ste. Marie’s 57-year-old dream of a multimodal port caught a favourable wind Wednesday as Mayor Matthew Shoemaker announced a development partnership with the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority.
   “Since 1968, before my time, the city has pursued the goal of developing a port,” Shoemaker told a gaggle of media representatives on the waterfront this afternoon.
   “For more than 55 years, it has only remained an idea, waiting for the right moment. We feel that moment is here and today,” the mayor said.
   Repackaged as the “Sault to the South Trade Corridor,” the proposed initiative was described by Shoemaker as a straightforward but transformative vision: “a nation-building north-south trade corridor anchored by a new multimodal marine facility right here at Sault Ste. Marie.”
   The Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority has integrated ports and more than 1,400 acres of marine assets in Hamilton, Oshawa and Niagara, with more than 180 tenant companies and 40,000 associated jobs.
   The city is hoping to acquire property currently owned by Algoma Steel for the new port.
   Michael Garcia, Algoma Steel’s chief executive officer, didn’t attend today’s announcement, but said this in a city-issued news release: “Having Algoma Steel’s site under consideration as a port location positions us as a central player in regional economic diversification, beyond steelmaking.
   “It underscores our role as an anchor in nation-building infrastructure and highlights Sault Ste. Marie’s importance as a gateway for Canadian industry,” Garcia said.
   “This corridor will connect northern Ontario’s resources to southern Ontario’s industries and with global markets thereafter through the St. Lawrence Seaway,” Shoemaker said.
   “It will move critical products more efficiently, create jobs and strengthen Canada’s supply chain, which we all know has been battered in the aftermath of the pandemic and tariffs.
   “With HOPA’s help, we are planning a multimodal hub that integrates marine, rail and highway connections, offering over 100 acres of industrial space and the potential for clustering in manufacturing, logistics and energy.
   “This project is about turning our chief geographic position at the heart of the Great Lakes into a national asset using assets that already exist: deep-water access, brownfield lands, direct rail and highway links, as well as most importantly, a skilled labour pool.
   “The opportunities are vast. The project will support sectors such as steel, forestry and agriculture, along with mining and mineral development, while creating jobs in construction, operations, warehousing, logistics and manufacturing. It will attract new industries, reduce costs for businesses and enhance our role as a northern gateway to the global markets.”
   Shoemaker said there are environmental advantages to the Sault’s port proposal.
   “It is also an environmental opportunity, fewer trucks on the highway through marine shipping — 75 to 100 trucks per vessel — and the potential to power operations with local clean energy and a focus on responsible growth with Indigenous community engagement at every stage,” the mayor said.
   “Importantly, this initiative dovetails nicely with the federal government’s renewed approach to nation-building projects. Ottawa is prioritizing major projects of national interest that strengthen supply chains, unlock economic potential and deliver long-term benefits for Canadians,” Shoemaker said.
   A deep-water port was a major priority for the late John Rowswell when he was mayor almost a quarter-century ago.
   Rowswell’s dream was never realized, but Jack Purvis from Purvis Marine Ltd. started down that road by founding Sault Multimodal Terminal Inc. at 530 Cathcart St.
   That business still exists, and Purvis’s daughter Sheila was at today’s waterfront announcement.
   “It services both railways and truck offloads as well, and it was part of the vision to develop Sault Ste. Marie into a transportation hub. We have the highways, we have the rail service, and we’re on the water,” she told SooToday.
   “We’re looking forward to some development on the water,” Purvis said.
   Why did Sault Ste. Marie need to partner with a southern Ontario port authority to further its own dream?
   “There has never been someone with the skills and expertise brought on to get this past the finish line,” Shoemaker said.
   “And that’s what HOPA offers to us. It offers us the technical knowledge, the knowledge on the capital needs of a port and the knowledge on the operations of a port.
   “So what we can get from them is right-sizing of a perspective design, who would be the players at an existing port, because if this becomes part of the HOPA network, they’ve got ports in Port Colborne, they’ve got ports in Hamilton, Oshawa and Windsor,” Shoemaker said.
   The mayor said results from a major feasibility study of the Port of Algoma idea announced last year should be available in November. 
   The following is the full text of a joint statement issued today by the City of Sault Ste. Marie and HOPA Ports:
   The City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports) are announcing a partnership to develop a transformative infrastructure initiative: the development of a multimodal port and trade corridor that will connect Northern Ontario to Southern Ontario and export destinations beyond.
   Anchored by a newly developed port in Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault to the South Trade Corridor is a strategic national initiative that will strengthen Canada’s internal trade and export networks, unlock new economic opportunities and build industrial capacity in key sectors, including mining, forestry, steel, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture.
   “Sault Ste. Marie’s geographic location at the heart of the Great Lakes positions it as a powerful logistics gateway for North America,” said Mayor Matthew Shoemaker. “A new port in the Sault will transform an underused advantage into a national asset. This initiative is more than infrastructure; it’s a strategic investment in Canada’s supply chain resilience and industrial capacity. It will serve as a long-term economic engine for Ontario and Canada.”
   Strategically located on the Great Lakes as a gateway to northern Ontario’s resource zones, the corridor will serve as a logistics and processing gateway, integrating marine, rail, and highway infrastructure to support full-season, multimodal connectivity. The initiative is aligned with the federal Canada Strong plan, the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, and Ontario’s Critical Mineral Strategy.
   “Sault Ste. Marie is a natural fit as a multimodal hub within the Great Lakes corridor,” said Ian Hamilton, President & CEO of HOPA Ports, operator of port and marine facilities on the Great Lakes. “Its geographic position connects seamlessly to industrial bases like Windsor, Port Colborne, Hamilton, and Montreal, forming powerful intra-provincial links between Northern Ontario’s resource base and Canada’s largest industrial and consumer markets.”
   As part of this initiative, the partners are exploring the Algoma Steel site as a potential host location for the port facilities. The Algoma Steel site offers significant industrial land, deepwater access, and existing infrastructure that can support co-located economic activities. Positioning the port on Algoma’s footprint would create a unique multimodal hub, linking steelmaking, logistics, energy, and advanced manufacturing, and reinforcing the Sault’s role as a strategic engine of industrial growth in northern Ontario.
   “Having Algoma Steel’s site under consideration as a port location positions us as a central player in regional economic diversification, beyond steelmaking,” said Michael Garcia, CEO of Algoma Steel. “It underscores our role as an anchor in nation-building infrastructure and highlights Sault Ste. Marie’s importance as a gateway for Canadian industry.”
   Benefits of the Sault to the South Corridor include:
   Multimodal Hub: 100-plus acres of industrial space with deepwater access and redevelopment potential.
   Transportation Connections: Integrated rail, highway, and marine links with extended-season service.
   Industrial Clustering: Immediate access to key sectors and co-location opportunities for logistics and energy.
   Skilled Labour Pool: Strong base of tradespeople; graduates from Sault College and Algoma University
Speed to Market: Infrastructure investment required but base exists; market connections are active and ready to scale.
Economic Benefits
   The project will attract investment and create jobs in construction, marine operations, industrial manufacturing and processing, warehousing and logistics, while fostering academic-industry collaboration through Sault College and Algoma University.
Next Steps
Next steps include stakeholder engagement at provincial, federal, and Indigenous levels; infrastructure analysis; and market outreach in key sectors. The city and HOPA will continue collaborating to advance the business plan and marine/rail infrastructure strategy.

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