The first grain ship of the season has arrived at the Port of Thunder Bay.
MV Algoma Enterprise docked April 22 at Richardson’s Current River Terminal.
The lake-sized vessel will be loaded with 26,000 tonnes of grain, the first grain to leave the port since the 2013 shipping season ended in mid-January.
Despite a later-than-normal start, Thunder Bay is expecting good grain volumes this year.
Port Authority chief executive officer Tim Heney said the April 22 arrival is “probably the latest start ever.
It took the Algoma Enterprise more than two weeks to make the journey from Port Colborne, Ont., a voyage that takes three days in ideal conditions.
Ice breakers preceded the ship for the entire journey.
With a record backlog of prairie grain still waiting to be shipped to market, Thunder Bay is anticipating good grain volumes this year.
About 5.5 million tonnes of grain were shipped through the port in 2013, down roughly a million tonnes from 2012.
Heney said about 20 lakers are currently en route to Thunder Bay.
Larger salt water vessels will begin arriving in early May.
