Throughout 2024, the Port of Thunder Bay has been reporting high volumes of cargo passing through the various streams of transportation resulting in the busiest year for the port in decades.
Port chief executive officer Chris Heikkinen said cargo volumes are about 10 per cent above the five-year average and on track to surpass 10 million tonnes. He said the last time volumes were this high was in the 1990s.
“Grain is our mainstay cargo, and it has been a good year for grain shipments,” he said. “The fall has been particularly busy at the local grain elevators, due to a sizable harvest and strong sales to European countries.
Grain shipments exceeded the five-year average for the port. Improved crop yields have been seen on the Prairies in recent years, including 2024.
“All that grain has to find its way to market, and Thunder Bay has available storage and shipping capacity,” he said.
Potash, which is mined in Saskatchewan and exported from two dry bulk terminals in our port, was the second-most prevalent cargo.
“These are the only potash export facilities on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System,” he said. “This route has become more strategic for potash shippers in recent years due to supply chain issues on other export routes and the available capacity and efficiency of the Thunder Bay facilities.”
Potash cargo volumes are four to five times higher than five years ago, making 2024 the best year for potash shipments in the port in 40 years. Inbound fertilizer shipments at Keefer Terminal, also grew this year.
“We’ve been handling this product for five seasons now and are at our largest annual volume to date,” said Heikkinen. “We’re looking to continue the growth pattern for this commodity in future years.”
In the spring, a damaged vessel came to the Thunder Bay harbour in distress.
The 210-metre Michipicoten bulk carrier, which was carrying taconite began taking on water southwest of Isle Royale. She made it to Thunder Bay and berthed at the Keefer Terminal dock for emergency repairs, and transferred the cargo to another vessel.
“The collaborative response to the emergency from partners on both sides of the border, and the successful resolution to the situation, shone a light on the strength of the industry’s emergency preparedness,” said Heikkinen, noting they are “proud” to have been part of this good news story.
“No shipping season is without its challenges,” he said. “One item we’re monitoring closely is water levels. After several years of high water, we’re seeing water levels that are at or below the long-term average.”
He added that we’re not close to it at this point, but very low harbour water levels affect the depth to which ships can be loaded, and can impact the overall efficiency of the port.
“Evaporation plays a role in water levels, so we would like to see some ice in the lakes this winter to keep as much water here as possible.”
Investments in infrastructure upgrades at Keefer Terminal have been helped along through assistance from the Federal National Trade Corridors Fund. Heikkinen said the port isn’t funded for its operations so it’s a real boost to get capital development funds to enhance the port’s offerings.
“We undertook a major rail upgrade project to increase the capacity of rail at the terminal to accommodate our growing cargo base,” he said, adding this project is halfway done, with completion slated for the summer.
This year saw Donald Trump’s return to U.S. presidency promising tariffs on U.S. imports. Heikkinen said there is uncertainty surrounding this and although the port doesn’t handle much cargo moving into the U.S., it could be impacted.
“We could theoretically see a bump in export shipments to international destinations if tariffs reduce U.S. consumption of Canadian commodities,” he said. “It is a complex situation and one we’ll be watching closely for both opportunities and risks.”
Ahead in 2025, Heikkinen says they will continue to work on several cargo business development initiatives.
“We’re hopeful to see a return of wind energy cargo at Keefer next year. There are several windfarm projects on the horizon for Western Canada and we’re optimistic that Thunder Bay will play a role in delivering the large project components from Europe,” he said.
The port has a large capital investment program as well and will be developing new laydown areas at Keefer Terminal to increase capacity to handle the breakbulk commodities like steel and project cargo. An assessment of the harbour infrastructure will also get underway to inform future capital and maintenance planning.
The Chronicle-Journal/Local Journalism Initiative