THUNDER BAY – “The Port of Thunder Bay is summed up in a word: gateway.”
Chris Heikkinen, chief executive officer of the Thunder Bay Port Authority, tells a crowd of nearly 100 people at the Thunder Bay Port Authority’s annual Navigation luncheon event on Wed. April 8.
“Thunder Bay is a historical gateway in the Western Canadian supply chain route, providing access to international markets for Western Canadian dry bulk products, which primarily consist of Saskatchewan and Manitoba grown grains and Saskatchewan mined potash,” Heikkinen said.
He said the port exists because of the city’s strategic location at the head of the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System, providing access for the western provinces to move goods to markets in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South America.
“Some 95 per cent of cargo transiting the port is from or destined to another province, setting us apart from most other ports in the Great Lakes,” Heikkinen said.
Having the largest industrial tax base, he said the port industry contributes significantly to the city’s local economy with a $370 million annual economic contribution.
The luncheon hosts two special guest speakers who are an integral part of the story of the Thunder Bay port.
Jamie McMahon, manager of commercial for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, said the port is a crucial part of the supply chain that connects the Great Lakes to the world.
“Thunder Bay is very important for the, in particular, grain and potash exports, which are crucial for global economies and their food supply. I was recently in the United Kingdom in February, and they love Canadian wheat in particular. They’ve doubled their imports of Canadian grain over the last year, so the prairie provinces, their grain is going to some really good stuff globally,” she said.
Barry Schultz, manager of fertilizer sales with International Raw Materials, said the four-year partnership between the port and the organization has created many benefits.
He said the company is one moving part in a larger story of importing phosphate fertilizers into Canada.
“Canada doesn’t produce basically any phosphate fertilizers, so that all needs to be imported into Canada for the Western Canadian farmers. So yeah, finding the best avenues to do that in our limited season is the challenge we face,” Schultz said.
He said approximately 80,000 tons of phosphate fertilizers have made their way into western Canada through the port.
“There’s lots of room for growth, but again, nothing’s easy moving around the world, particularly in these somewhat volatile times,” Schultz said.
Heikkinen told Newswatch at least a dozen ships have docked in Thunder Bay carrying various products despite the colder-than-normal weather, causing the icebreaker and tug companies to help move the vessels to port.
“It’s been a busy start to the season despite some less-than-ideal ice conditions. We’ve had a good set of vessels in and out already in the last two weeks, since the first three ships arrived on March 26,” he said.
MV Kathy McKeil passed the breakwall at 3:23 p.m. on March 26, marking the official start of the 2026 shipping season.
The Sakar, ocean vessel “saltie”, made port on Thurs. April 9, opening up the port’s international shipping season. The vessel will be loaded with canola and set course for France on Friday.
