The Saint Lawrence Seaway officially opened yesterday, along with the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, while the Montreal/Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway is scheduled to open tomorrow.
The Saint Lawrence Seaway officially opened yesterday, nearly two weeks earlier than last year, with the transit of the 740-foot freighter, Thunder Bay, through Lock 3 on the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
The Welland Canal opened yesterday morning, while the Montreal/Lake Ontario section of the Saint Lawrence Seaway is scheduled to open tomorrow, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority said.
The Thunder Bay is carrying a load of road salt from K+S Windsor Salt’s Ojibway Mine in Windsor, Ontario to Bowmanville, Ontario, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation said. The majority of the company’s salt it produces is shipped on the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence Seaway System. “The Thunder Bay’s transit from the Ojibway Mine to Bowmanville takes almost 1,000 truckloads off Ontario highways,” K+S Windsor Salt Ltd., Marine Distribution Director Francois Allard said.
Saint Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation President and CEO Terence Bowles noted that a lower Canadian dollar could potentially spur more Canadian exports this year. “The combination of a rebound in Canadian manufacturing activity, a solid U.S. economy, and the prospect of more trade with Europe brings about several catalysts which may boost Seaway tonnage,” Bowles said.
Meanwhile, two U.S.-flag freighters – the 1,004-foot Edwin H. Gott and the 767-foot Philip R. Clark – were scheduled to depart the Port of Duluth-Superior, commonly referred to as the Twin Ports, earlier this morning to load iron ore pellets just 27 miles north east of the port at Two Harbors, Minn. The two freighters will then “line up” in a downbound que to await the opening of the Soo Locks at 12:01 a.m. on Friday so they can deliver the iron ore to steel mills on the lower lakes, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority said.
In addition, the 1,013-foot Paul R. Tregurtha is scheduled to depart the Twin Ports Thursday to deliver coal to the St. Clair Power Plant in Michigan. The three other vessels that were laid up at the Twin Ports over the winter included the 767-foot Kaye E. Barker and the 1,000-foot American Century, which are scheduled to depart later this month; and the 690-foot Herbert C. Jackson, which will not depart until June due to a major repowering project it is currently undergoing.
The Twin Ports also expects to welcome its first two inbound freighters this weekend, the Stewart J. Cort and the Burns Harbor, both of which are 1,000 feet.
The Port of Monroe, situated on Lake Erie between Toledo and Detroit, expects to receive its first vessels on or around next Monday, according to the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership.
Last year was a notable year for the Port of Monroe, as its volumes were just shy of its record 2014 levels, and the port received its first European cargo shipment since the 1960s.
Common imports at the port include coal from Superior, Wis. and other western states, limestone from Michigan and liquid asphalt from Detroit, Port of Monroe Port Director Paul C. LaMarre told American Shipper.
In 2014, the Port of Monroe began exporting synthetic gypsum produced at DTE Energy’s Monroe Power Plant to Ontario and Alpena, Mich.
Looking ahead, the Port of Monroe is about to undergo a project that involves dredging in its turning basin and construction of a new riverfront intermodal dock. The project is funded with $1.1 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and $3.6 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Dredging and construction will commence in 60-90 days and is expected to be completed in November.
St. Lawrence Seaway commences 2016 shipping season
