Grain shipments at the port of Thunder Bay are off to their strongest start in nearly 20 years, according to port officials.
As of May 31, more than 1.8 million tonnes of grain had been loaded onto waiting ships at the northern Ontario port, the strongest start to a shipping season since 1997.
The port’s five-year average for grain shipments to the end of May is 1.4 million tonnes.
The port also enjoyed a strong year in 2014.
Last year, total volume of all cargo including grain was the highest in 16 years.
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More grain was a key factor.
Strong grain numbers at Thunder Bay also reflect an increase in overall grain shipments through the St Lawrence Seaway.
In the two month period ending May 31, grain shipments through the seaway were listed at 1.9 million tonnes, up seven percent from the same period last year.
Last year was the seaway’s best year for grain traffic in 14 years.
The port of Thunder Bay is the largest grain shipper on the Great Lakes.
“Grain exports are driving shipping traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway this season …,” said Bruce Hodgson, director of market development for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.
“We are optimistic that it will continue to be a strong performer this year and help to offset the decreases we are seeing in iron ore and coal due to the steep decline in global prices.”
Tim Heney, president and chief executive officer of the Thunder Bay Port Authority, said grain volume continues to surge at the port following a dramatic increase last year.
“Post-Canadian Wheat Board monopoly, the free market has turned out to be a good news story for our port…,” Heney said.
“Major Canadian grain companies (are) seeing the value of shipping more grain through the Great Lakes-Seaway system and fully exploiting the grain terminal investments made over the last few years in Thunder Bay and other ports along the waterway.”
Shipments of Ontario wheat and soybeans through the Port of Hamilton are also up in 2015, according to a June 9 new release from the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
